Tuolumne Meadows Campground- Yosemite National Park

Tuolumne Meadows is a large, crowded national park campground. Some sites are very small, others are ample. There are enough loops in there to cover half the alphabet, and if you arrive after dark, it may take you a while to find your site. You might have to wait in line for the bathrooms. But we spent almost a week there and loved every minute of it.

It is the incredibly beautiful Tuolumne Meadows area itself that makes it all worth it. There are a plethora of hikes to choose from, many of which you can do with children. The kids went to a great Junior Ranger program and couldn't get enough of playing by the river. The store is within easy walking distance, so if you run out of beer or bananas, you can make a quick run. Going off trail and climbing some of the smaller domes was a favorite for the kids too. They love walking right up that sticky granite.

For more info, and to find out about making reservations, go to:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/

Tahkenitch Campground- Siuslaw National Forest- Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

First let me say that the Oregon Dunes area is a great place to camp. The beach is always an exciting trip for the kids, but adding in the elements of tall sand dunes to climb and warm freshwater lakes to swim in really makes for some serious fun.

Warning: This area has very heavy OHV use, so you must use caution in choosing both a campground and your beach for day trips if you are not into that sort of thing. I would really rather not hear the drone of a 4-wheeler all day long, so my goal is to avoid that entirely. Some campgrounds in the area allow and cater to OHV use, and others do not.

We stayed at Tahkenitch Campground, which was a smaller, relatively nice spot. There is a big dune right among the trees at the campground, which the kids loved to climb. There is also a trail leading right from the campground to Threemile lake, and beyond to the ocean. The sites are small, so plan for that. We did get 2 medium sized tents in one site, but the walls were practically touching. The campground is too close to Highway 101 for me. You could definitely hear traffic noise. And there is nothing like some nosey campground hosts to put a damper on the fun. 

However, we really enjoyed the area despite those negatives. We spent one day at the beach in the Siltcoos area (the beach is near a plover nesting site, so no OHV use allowed). The Waxmyrtle Campground near the beach access looked like a good option for a return trip. And many years ago, we camped at J.M.Honeyman Memorial State Park, which I remember being very good.

We had one very rainy day, and still had a great time with the kids, going to the Umpqua Discovery Center museum in Reedsport, and touring the lighthouse at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. Stop at the Reedsport Coffeehouse for a good cup.

Relevant links- Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/oregondunes/index.shtml

http://www.umpquadiscoverycenter.com/

Fowlers Camp- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Fowlers is another of the nice campgrounds just south of beautiful Mt. Shasta, and it is situated within easy hiking distance to the waterfalls of the McCloud River. The river is lovely, and the falls are a great hike to do with the kids. The Lower falls are very close to the campground via an accessible trail, and I remember the trail to Middle falls being short and easy for the kids to accomplish. Middle falls are quite spectacular. Continue on the same trail to catch a glimpse of Upper Falls. There is swimming in the river, and I believe the trail is actually about 10 miles long, leading to Algoma Campground as well.

Bridge Camp- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

I like lovely little Bridge Camp. It is at the end of the road, at the popular Stuarts Fork trailhead. The trail leads right into the incredible Trinity Alps, and the first few miles are a nice, gradual uphill- perfect hiking for the kids. You can keep going for 15 miles and beyond if you like. The campground is right next to the river (Stuarts Fork of the Trinity), and there is a great place for the kids to play. If you are so inclined, you can also go back down the road a few miles and have yourself a tasty ice cream treat at the Trinity Alps resort, which you will pass on the way to and from the campground.

McCloud River Bridge campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Went to McCloud River Bridge this weekend. It's a keeper. I was pleasantly surprised by this excursion to the Shasta Lake area. I am not much interested in camping at the lake since the level is so low, but this campground sits off the lake, just above where the river comes to a halt. Beautiful views, really beautiful river, nice campground. The best thing was just hanging out by the river- swimming, relaxing, playing, jumping. The lupines were incredible- huge swaths of purple flowers all along the riverbanks.

The campground itself was a bit overdone, with pavers and even steps and hand rails leading to the tent pads. But most of the sites were open, with just enough shade. If you are camping with another family or small group, take note that each site can only accommodate one tent in most cases.  We had 3 families, and needed 3 sites. There is no hiking right from the campground, but we did find a short but cool trail to a cave not too far from there. The kids loved exploring there, and we even saw a tiny salamander.

Note: I have seen some photos, apparently when the lake level was much higher, where it seems the campground is in fact next to the lake rather than the river. So if the lake level ever gets significantly higher, this campground would be a different experience.

Here is some info from the Shasta Trinity: www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/recreation/nra/shasta/index.shtml

Penn Creek loop- Patrick's Point State Park

Patrick's Point is definitely a superlative among state parks. We camped here in June '08, in the Penn Creek loop, which is tents only. The vegetation is heavy in this area- the campsites are almost carved out of the encroaching growth. We had a fantastic site that was like a wonderland for the kids. There were trees to climb, a creek running right through, and the dense understory provided plenty of hiding and "kid club" spots. Our site was mostly in the shade, but in the morning and afternoon, we could move our chairs out to the edge or in a little open space near the bathrooms and warm up or dry out from a day at the beach. 

Patrick's Point State Park has plenty of activities to keep the critters (and adults) busy. Kids + beach= serious wholesome entertainment. They never seem to get enough. Agate Beach is a wonderful place. You can spend hours sifting through the rocks there. We also spent time at the tide pools, and checked out the visitor center and nearby recreated Yurok village. As with most state parks, this is not a dog-friendly place, but you can throw the ball to Fido's content at the public beach in Trinidad, just south of the park. We also unintentionally stumbled upon the Oyster Festival in Arcata, which made for an excellent afternoon of beer drinking, oyster eating, and taking in the hippy-trippy-feel-good aura of the home of Humboldt State U.

Want to check out the Oyster Fest? http://www.oysterfestival.net/

Tannery Gulch Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Tannery Gulch has been a repeat trip for us. It is one of the better campgrounds on Trinity Lake, with great trees, from huge Douglas firs to Pacific dogwoods. You can usually find a spacious site, and it is well off the main highway, so no traffic noise. There is a sandy swimming beach here, so if the lake level is up, it is a fantastic way to spend the day. However, if the lake level is low, there are exposed tree stumps and mud. 

There is a short interpretive trail at the campground- great for the kids, and you can drive to other trailheads in the area.  There is an amphitheater here, which I believe occasionally hosts evening programs, perhaps on summer weekends. 

Preacher Meadow Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

We went to Preacher Meadow for a short trip in June '08. Although the name might make you think of a place so awe-inspiring that you would shout to the heavens, it did not quite live up to that expectation. Don't get me wrong- it was definitely pretty.  The campground itself is nice- sites are not too crowded, good combo of shade and sun. It is not very far off Highway 3, so the sites overlooking the river would be the most quiet. The campground sits above the river, but the only access we could see was extremely steep- not safe for the kids to attempt. We drove up the road just a few miles and found a relatively calm spot for the kids to play in the river. And while there is no hiking from the campground, there are trails within relatively close driving distance. Trinity Lake is close by as well, but the lake level was so low that it seemed an unattractive option for swimming.

Cattle Camp Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

So we left Ah-Di-Na and headed east on Highway 89, with impressive Mt. Shasta just to the north. We came upon Cattle Camp, and despite the negative image the name conjures, we gave this campground a big thumbs up. The sites are spacious, with plenty of room for the kids to roam and explore, and a great balance of shade and sun. Less than a mile's hike from the campground we found an excellent swimming hole where the kids played for hours. The trail goes beyond that as well, but we could never get our kids any further than that swimming hole! 

We also hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail, which has several access points in the area (driving distance). The one drawback to Cattle Camp is that the planners seem to have gone a bit wild with the concrete. Not only is the parking area paved, but there is also a concrete pad for the picnic table and fire ring. Given the other positives, I still call this a great campground, and plan a return trip. If you get a hankering for some soft serve, you can stop at Floyd's Frosty in McCloud as you head back to I-5.

It is a little difficult to find useful info on the Shasta-Trinity website, but here is the camping link: www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/recreation/#Camping

Ah-Di-Na Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

We planned to camp at Ah-Di-Na in late June 2008, hoping to get up and out of the smoke from the Whiskeytown fires that had Redding socked in. The campground is about 7 miles down a fairly rough dirt road, if I remember correctly. Not too bad, but I would hesitate to take, say, a Prius down there. The campsites seemed very used- not much ground vegetation. It is right on the McCloud River, and I would guess there is some good fishing here, as most campers seemed to be fisherfolk. It is a pretty spot, down in a little valley, but we felt a little closed-in there, ultimately deciding to leave and camp elsewhere. There were many fires burning, and it did not seem like a good place to be should we need to make a quick exit. There were some ruins of an old homestead to explore, so the kids enjoyed checking that out before we left. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right through this area. 

Here is a little history of the campground from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest website:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/documents/st-main/maps/rogs/mccloud/ah-di-na.pdf

Crystal Creek and Peltier Bridge Campgrounds-Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Whiskeytown is our local outdoor adventure area, just a few miles from west Redding. A few years back we camped at Crystal Creek, which Whiskeytown defines as primitive camping. (There is no drinking water available.) With only 2 sites, Crystal Creek feels nice and secluded. It is right next to the creek, so it offers the kids hours of water play. There is plenty of shade, and in the summer it would be a great place to stay cool. We camped there in the fall, and it was pretty chilly in the morning without the sun to warm things up.

We have also been to Peltier Bridge several times. This is a great little campground with only 7 sites, 3 of which are walk-in (again no drinking water). It is also right on the creek, so swimming and water play are great activities. The blackberry picking can be awesome here. There are several hiking trails in the area.

That being said, it is a crap shoot as to the quality of your camping neighbors. This is close to town, and last year we had some loud, drunk neighbors that really colored the experience.

More information: http://www.nps.gov/whis/