Trip Ideas

From The Beach Boys to palm trees and sandy boardwalks, the California Coast is an iconic destination for a reason. Every year, millions of people from all over the world visit the Golden State to see its famous landmarks, catch a wave, and soak in the sunshine. And with 840 miles of coastline, there are a lot of camping options to choose from.

The coast can roughly be divided into two regions: Southern California, with its abundant sunshine and dry climate, and Northern California, with its redwood forests and wild shoreline. No matter which you choose, you’ll never tire of the endless views, sunsets, and distinctly California vibes.

With elevations ranging from 900 feet to over 5,000 feet above sea level, the park is home to a diversity of biological communities found nowhere else in such proximity. Sand dunes, dry lakes, flat valleys, extraordinarily rugged mountains, granitic monoliths, and oases are all found within its nearly 800,000 acres.

Due to its topography and aquatic plant beds, Cachuma Lake is one of the best places in Southern California for fishing. It supports a large population of fish, including catfish, sunfish, bluegill, largemouth bass and rainbow trout—to name a few. The lake also houses a marina where visitors can rent boats and kayaks for a few hours or the entire day.

Off the water, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area offers six trails ranging from a quarter-mile loop to a 12-mile trek. These trails are shared-use, allowing for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Many are dog-friendly, too. The lake is also just 15 minutes away from Los Padres National Forest, which features countless trails of varying difficulty.

Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. This grove includes the “Discovery Tree”, also known as the “Big Stump”, the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a major tourist attraction ever since, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California. In addition to the giant sequoia trees, you will find the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, ancient volcanic formations, natural meadows, and trails throughout the park allow you to discover the area that has awed visitors since 1852.

Big Sur is a majestic stretch of rocky cliffs, lush mountains, panoramic beaches, and coastal redwood forests (plus the Big Sur River) located off the famous Pacific Coast Highway. Outdoor adventure is abundant with epic hiking trails, picturesque camping and breathtaking historic & state parks to be explored.

If you want to visit a National Park with plentiful opportunities for outdoor adventure but fewer tourists, look no further than Lassen Volcanic National Park. This off-the-map treasure located near the small town of Chester offers crystalline lakes, stunning mountains, steaming fumaroles, flower-filled meadows, and the striking volcanoes for which the park is named.

Lake Tahoe's natural rim is 6,223 feet above sea level, and its dam allows for a maximum surface elevation of 6,229 feet, making it the highest lake of its size in the United States.

Incline Village lies on the northeastern shore of Lake Tahoe, on the Nevada side. It is frequently described as an outdoor adventurer's paradise, with access to a range of activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, golf, skiing and water sports.

The park is noted for its outstanding scenery—including peaks, canyons, cliffs, domes, rivers, lakes, immense waterfalls, lush green meadows, wildlife, and forests. Yosemite National Park contains a unique assemblage of massive granite domes and glacial features, which resulted from a rich geologic history.

Whether taking a walk through the biggest trees on earth or setting up camp in the high Sierras, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park are, without a doubt, two of the most uniquely beautiful National Parks in the country!