Thanks for stopping by! We are now full-time in our Grand Design Imagine XLS 17MKE & have traveled through over 35 states - for something a little newer, check out: th-cam.com/video/SERJKUxkfNA/w-d-xo.html
wow...both of these look like gems. Off the beaten path. I would have NEVER found either of these places I'm guessing on my own. Especially Tehachapi - look like desert-ish area on map. My eyes have been on the Benchmark CA Atlas page with this park...and I never noted it - eyes wandering up to Isabella. Amazing. I think we have quite a few similar preferences! How does it sound..."Hey I'm going camping near Bakersfield." (roll eyes reaction) Check out Laguna Mtns East of San Diego, if u haven't already. Paso Picacho & Stonewall Peak hike u might like.
We loved Tehachapi! The road up there though 🫤 Funny you saw it in the Benchmark map - we use that all of the time. The Moon Guide on The West Coast is great, although lately I’ve been relying on Campendium.
Oh - and we will have to check out your E of SD suggestions - we tend to stay on the E side of the coastal range because towing from SD to LA & beyond is frightening, but East is good!
Same here! We would LOVE to go to Alaska! It is on "my list" ~ also Washington... we have done a ton of exploring in Oregon, but have not yet camped in Washington. Hi to the pups!
They were! We had site #10 at Table Mountain - it was great! Site # 7 was really nice too. We are doing as well as expected - dog is still a crazy puppy and has more friends than I do... she plays with half of the neighborhood dogs. Hugs back at ya!
@@TravelSmallLiveBig - Thanks for the tip Heather! Glad you are well. I feel like our 4-legged friends are having a better time than we are in this craziness... At least, her friends are keeping her busy ;D
Thanks! That’s a great question and I don’t know the official answer. In my head, maybe above Santa Barbara somewhere? It’s such a long state. When we drive to Oregon, CA goes on forever! Further S we liked Cahuilla Park by Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Mayflower County Park near Blythe and oddly enough Corvina at The Salton Sea.
Thank you for another excellent campground review. Your videos are made with such helpful facts, personal care and beautiful video. Sure do miss being out in California. So many beautiful places!
Thanks Randy! I try to include the things I would want to know or be looking for when researching campgrounds. California does have a lot of diversity & beauty! Stay safe :)
I don’t think there are ATV trails at these campgrounds, but there is a good ATV area above Pyramid Lake that we camped at - Hungry Valley State Recreation Area or at Jawbone Canyon out by Lancaster.
I'll have to check these campgrounds out! The observatory campground on Mt Palomar is nice, so is Mt Laguna, and not too far from San Diego. I'm hoping to take a trip up 395 to Mammoth this summer, I'll have to stop in Lone Pine after watching your video there!
The 395 is awesome! So many great stops along the way and very fun campgrounds. We have not been to Mt. Palomar, but will google it - sounds interesting! We base out of Ventura and if we head towards San Diego are visiting my cousins. I wish we had more time to explore that area though!
Joni on Palomar mountain, as far as I know you have to get off the beaten path for dispersed camping and would be more of a hiking situation. On Mt Laguna you can camp anywhere once you pass the “leaving mt laguna recreation area” sign, and you will have space for a trailer or car camping. Not many trees there and can be a bit hot this time of year since that is pretty much heading into Anza Borrego. I will be going to dispersed camping in Anza Borrego often starting in fall!
Hi Julie! We had site 10 - loved it! The sites to the East are nice too - sites 7 & 8 have nice views - 8 was a little hard to level. 7 would be an awesome tent site as you would want to sit back behind your vehicle(s). Thanks for watching & taking the time to comment :)
Near Table Mountain is Oak Mountain campground, one of my favorite spots. It's small (only 18 sites) and can be reserved online. And flush toilets (no hook-ups). Then there's Jackson Lake across the highway. Another great camping spot. However, the lake is very small, and more for fishing or a quick canoe ride; not the best for swimming. And in this area around Highway 2 are lots of hiking trails with some elevation gains, beautiful views and sweet smelling pine trees....and clean air!
Thanks Rich! We will look these up - we actually prefer no hook-up style of camping - the reason we bought a small trailer was to fit in "tent style" camping sites. The lake sounds perfect - we liked Balch Park at Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest as it had two fishing "ponds" - our old Lab went in one (with snow on the ground) and loved it! These both sound like seasonal campgrounds - places closed in the late fall & winter, but I will look them up. Thanks for your suggestions! :)
Hi! Do you mean free off the grid when you say “boondocking” or just dry camping at a campground? Most of the lakes we have stayed at in California have been established campgrounds but dry camping - New Melones Lake, Frenchman Lake, Black Butte Lake, Lake McClure & McSwain - I have videos on those. Friends have free camped at Lake Shasta, but I’m not exactly sure where.
Kaitlin Outdoors we tend to drive North to stay out of LA traffic. The only ones we have been to is Lake Cahuilla by Palm Springs and The Salton Sea 😂 and we actually enjoyed both! There has to be some by Big Bear & Arrowhead, but we haven’t explored there yet.
Thanks for the great ideas for camping in SoCal. Your reviews are great, but it would be nice if you included info on whether or not a particular campground has a dump station on site. That's helpful for RV'ers! Otherwise really like the photos and way you narrate the videos!
Thank you! I usually do mention when they have a dump station, but excellent idea to mention when they don't! It is definitely something RV'ers need to know. We have a composting toilet so can go a long time without having to dump. Thank you again for the lovely comment and great suggestion :)
Thanks for stopping by! We are now full-time in our Grand Design Imagine XLS 17MKE & have traveled through over 35 states - for something a little newer, check out: th-cam.com/video/SERJKUxkfNA/w-d-xo.html
Really appreciate your success and share it with us!!
Do you think is wise to carry a weapon 🤔
God bless you
Many campgrounds do not allow weapons, but we do carry bear spray and wasp spray. Thank you!
wow...both of these look like gems. Off the beaten path. I would have NEVER found either of these places I'm guessing on my own. Especially Tehachapi - look like desert-ish area on map. My eyes have been on the Benchmark CA Atlas page with this park...and I never noted it - eyes wandering up to Isabella. Amazing. I think we have quite a few similar preferences! How does it sound..."Hey I'm going camping near Bakersfield." (roll eyes reaction) Check out Laguna Mtns East of San Diego, if u haven't already. Paso Picacho & Stonewall Peak hike u might like.
We loved Tehachapi! The road up there though 🫤 Funny you saw it in the Benchmark map - we use that all of the time. The Moon Guide on The West Coast is great, although lately I’ve been relying on Campendium.
Oh - and we will have to check out your E of SD suggestions - we tend to stay on the E side of the coastal range because towing from SD to LA & beyond is frightening, but East is good!
One day we will not have to work anymore and be able to take our camper to all those beautiful places you suggest. Hello from Alaska.
Same here! We would LOVE to go to Alaska! It is on "my list" ~ also Washington... we have done a ton of exploring in Oregon, but have not yet camped in Washington. Hi to the pups!
Nice to have you back, thanks again for sharing this,.
Thanks! Haven't really been anywhere lately, but do have a camping trip in a few weeks - YAY!
Lovely thank you again for sharing
Thanks for watching ~ hoping to re-visit these campgrounds soon!
Love your videos! Makes me homesick. You do such a fine job.
Awwww thanks Lucy! As you know I have to be doing something creative and really, how much can I knit? Ha ha! Come visit ~ we miss you!!!
The lupines were gorgeous! I wrote down the Table Mountain campground, looks fantastic. Hope you, Jim and Sierra are well. Hugs!
They were! We had site #10 at Table Mountain - it was great! Site # 7 was really nice too. We are doing as well as expected - dog is still a crazy puppy and has more friends than I do... she plays with half of the neighborhood dogs. Hugs back at ya!
@@TravelSmallLiveBig - Thanks for the tip Heather! Glad you are well. I feel like our 4-legged friends are having a better time than we are in this craziness... At least, her friends are keeping her busy ;D
Great video. Where is the cut off between central and southern California? I am close to San Diego and both of these seem so far away :(
Thanks! That’s a great question and I don’t know the official answer. In my head, maybe above Santa Barbara somewhere? It’s such a long state. When we drive to Oregon, CA goes on forever! Further S we liked Cahuilla Park by Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Mayflower County Park near Blythe and oddly enough Corvina at The Salton Sea.
Thank you for another excellent campground review. Your videos are made with such helpful facts, personal care and beautiful video. Sure do miss being out in California. So many beautiful places!
Thanks Randy! I try to include the things I would want to know or be looking for when researching campgrounds. California does have a lot of diversity & beauty! Stay safe :)
Could atvs be taken?
I don’t think there are ATV trails at these campgrounds, but there is a good ATV area above Pyramid Lake that we camped at - Hungry Valley State Recreation Area or at Jawbone Canyon out by Lancaster.
I'll have to check these campgrounds out! The observatory campground on Mt Palomar is nice, so is Mt Laguna, and not too far from San Diego. I'm hoping to take a trip up 395 to Mammoth this summer, I'll have to stop in Lone Pine after watching your video there!
The 395 is awesome! So many great stops along the way and very fun campgrounds. We have not been to Mt. Palomar, but will google it - sounds interesting! We base out of Ventura and if we head towards San Diego are visiting my cousins. I wish we had more time to explore that area though!
Mt Palomar & Mt Laguna, do you have recommended dispersed camping areas?
Joni I’m hoping Adam will give you some ideas on those spots - we haven’t explored those areas yet.
Joni on Palomar mountain, as far as I know you have to get off the beaten path for dispersed camping and would be more of a hiking situation. On Mt Laguna you can camp anywhere once you pass the “leaving mt laguna recreation area” sign, and you will have space for a trailer or car camping. Not many trees there and can be a bit hot this time of year since that is pretty much heading into Anza Borrego. I will be going to dispersed camping in Anza Borrego often starting in fall!
Los Padres national forest has a lot of campgrounds
It does! Do you have any favorites?
I would love to know what site number you had at Table Mountain. Because of your video we are now planning a trip there. Thanks
Hi Julie! We had site 10 - loved it! The sites to the East are nice too - sites 7 & 8 have nice views - 8 was a little hard to level. 7 would be an awesome tent site as you would want to sit back behind your vehicle(s). Thanks for watching & taking the time to comment :)
Near Table Mountain is Oak Mountain campground, one of my favorite spots. It's small (only 18 sites) and can be reserved online. And flush toilets (no hook-ups). Then there's Jackson Lake across the highway. Another great camping spot. However, the lake is very small, and more for fishing or a quick canoe ride; not the best for swimming. And in this area around Highway 2 are lots of hiking trails with some elevation gains, beautiful views and sweet smelling pine trees....and clean air!
Thanks Rich! We will look these up - we actually prefer no hook-up style of camping - the reason we bought a small trailer was to fit in "tent style" camping sites. The lake sounds perfect - we liked Balch Park at Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest as it had two fishing "ponds" - our old Lab went in one (with snow on the ground) and loved it! These both sound like seasonal campgrounds - places closed in the late fall & winter, but I will look them up. Thanks for your suggestions! :)
Any camping spots near a lake boondocking southern or nothern ca please❤
Hi! Do you mean free off the grid when you say “boondocking” or just dry camping at a campground? Most of the lakes we have stayed at in California have been established campgrounds but dry camping - New Melones Lake, Frenchman Lake, Black Butte Lake, Lake McClure & McSwain - I have videos on those. Friends have free camped at Lake Shasta, but I’m not exactly sure where.
@@TravelSmallLiveBig Thank you yeah all of those are 6-8 hours from me i am near temecula ca if you have closer suggestions :) dry camping
Kaitlin Outdoors we tend to drive North to stay out of LA traffic. The only ones we have been to is Lake Cahuilla by Palm Springs and The Salton Sea 😂 and we actually enjoyed both! There has to be some by Big Bear & Arrowhead, but we haven’t explored there yet.
Thanks for the great ideas for camping in SoCal. Your reviews are great, but it would be nice if you included info on whether or not a particular campground has a dump station on site. That's helpful for RV'ers! Otherwise really like the photos and way you narrate the videos!
Thank you! I usually do mention when they have a dump station, but excellent idea to mention when they don't! It is definitely something RV'ers need to know. We have a composting toilet so can go a long time without having to dump. Thank you again for the lovely comment and great suggestion :)