Thielsen View Campground - Umpqua National Forest

While my book about camping in Oregon gave this campground very high marks, I was not so impressed. Sitting right on the shore of Diamond Lake, there are a few lakefront sites with an incredible view of its namesake, but most do not have that advantage, and seem crowded and tucked back in the dense trees. This campground is obviously popular with fisher folk, and maybe for good reason. We stopped here in late June on a Thursday evening after finding the campground at Crater Lake National Park snowed in, and Thielsen View was completely full, so make plans accordingly if you are headed here. We went back up the road just a few miles and easily found a site at Broken Arrow Campground.

Sunset View Campground-Green Lake Provincial Park, BC

This was our first stop in BC when we drove to Alaska this summer. It is off the main highway, maybe 10 km or so, but that means no road noise, and we thought it worth the extra time. It is a lovely, open campground among the aspens. Our campsite was quite spacious. Many sites are near the lake, the outhouses were very clean, and the hosts came around selling firewood. There is a small playground right on the lakeshore. My kids heard their first loon call here!

More info on this and other BC parks and campgrounds can be found here.

Chena River State Recreation Site - Fairbanks, AK

If you are spending a few days (or longer) exploring the Fairbanks area, this is a great urban campground. There is a perfect mix of sun and shade here, large campsites and a WiFi hotspot! When I say urban campground, I mean it. You will hear road noise, and the location is close to the airport, so planes fly over several times a day. But honestly, camping in town doesn't get any better than this. We tried an RV park for a day in order to do laundry and shower, and it was terrible!

This campground is within walking distance of 2 major grocery stores, laundromat (with showers!), coffee houses, the campus of University of Alaska, and more. It is right on the Chena River, and a day use area offers a large field, volleyball court and swings. Camping limit is 5 nights during the main summer season (too bad, since that means we must leave in 2 days!).

Click here for more info from the State of Alaska.

Big Lagoon - Humboldt County

Big Lagoon is a nice alternative to Patrick's Point State Park if the aforementioned is full or you just want to avoid some of the crowds. It is more rustic and much less expensive than its state park neighbor, yet only a few miles north. Not only that, but dogs are allowed on the beach there, making it a more pleasant trip for the 4-footed friends. The walk to the beach is easy, any many sites back right up to the lagoon. My husband and sons rented a kayak in the adjacent day-use area, and had a big time, paddling for several hours in the calm waters of Big Lagoon. For more info, click here.

DogWood Campground in the San Bernadino Mountains

On our way to Big Bear, Ca to watch the Amgen Tour of California Bicycle Race; my family and I stayed at a lovely campground high in the San Bernadino Mountains. Dogwood Campground is at 7000 feet in elevation, it features: nice newer bathroom facilities, beautiful trees, affordable fees, spacious sites, minimal highway noise, friendly staff, firewood, fire-pits with grill, picnic table, tent and RV sites. When we stayed, we had minimal neighbors and a restful night's sleep. Highly recommended! To book a stay click here.

Guest Blogger: Robin Fator
www.darkponydesigns.blogspot.com

Sunset Beach-Camping Near Santa Cruz, Ca

Looking for a camping spot near Santa Cruz, Ca? My family and I recently stayed at Sunset Beach near Watsonville. This campground offers tent camping about 3/4 of a mile from the beach. It has the typical amenities you would expect: bathrooms with showers, water at every site, bear box, fire pit with grill, and firewood for sale. Not a lot of highway noise, beautiful trees and landscape, easy access to the beach. When we visited the campground was about half -full, we ended up with noisy neighbors, but I think that is always a gamble at any campground. To make a reservation click here!

Guest Blogger: Robin Fator
www.darkponydesigns.blogspot.com

Black Rock Campground - Lassen National Forest

This place is a real gem, tucked into the mountains between Red Bluff and Chico. I had no idea this special place existed at low elevation so close to home. On the edge of the Ishi Wilderness, it feels very isolated. The drive in is a bit arduous, as it is about 20 miles of dirt road, some places very slow-going, with one creek crossing. We were able to do it in our Subaru wagon, which I would not really consider a high-clearance vehicle, but a sedan might not be the best bet for this winding, rocky, narrow road. The dirt section took about 1.5 hours, but has several great views and passes through some beautiful territory (as well as some recently logged areas). We came in from the north side, off highway 36, but access can be gained from the Chico area as well (we were told this was the rougher of the 2 roads).

The campground itself is primitive, with no potable water available, so bring your own or a filter. There is one outhouse, which seemed generally unmaintained (bring your own toilet paper!). We had two lovely sites right at the front of the campground, with large grassy areas and just the right balance of sun and shade. The sites further back were more shaded, but less private. There is a trail into the wilderness that leaves right from the campground.

This has been an unusually cool year, so the creek was still flowing very rapidly, and the weekend was chilly, so we did not do any swimming. But I am certain that in warmer weather, you could find some great spots to cool off. We actually got snowed on- in May! The kids loved exploring up the creek and found a beautiful waterfall not far from the campground.

I highly recommend this unique place if you are willing to do the drive. You will not be disappointed by this area and its namesake monolith.

Death Valley- 2010- Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Texas Spring

Back from a quick trip to Death Valley. Camped one night at Furnace Creek, (which I still like as the best option for family tent camping in the park). The kids love playing "fort" in those large trees near the visitors center. We then had to move to Texas Spring, which offers only a very few sites with shade (although if you get one of those 4 or 5 with good shade, it would be great). Next night was Stovepipe Wells, which I had previously listed as a parking lot for RV's, but it does have tent sites along the back side which are not too bad, though they offer very little shade. However, those sites do offer plenty of room to roam, as you are at the back of the campground, they have a view of the mountains, and you can set up your tent a nice distance from the parking area. You do have to trek across the parking lot to utilize the bathroom facilities.

One note about Death Valley: This year we endured some serious wind- gusts to 50 mph! If you leave your campsite during the day, prepare it for high winds! Stake your tent and leave some heavy items in there; fold up the chairs; secure all loose items! We saw many things, including tents and shade canopies, fly away across the desert.

Also: We hiked up Mosaic Canyon this year, which is near the Stovepipe Wells area. Not to be missed!

Norris Campground - Yellowstone National Park

The Norris Campground is somewhat centrally located on the western side of Yellowstone, very close to the Norris Geyser Basin, and next to the Museum of the National Park Ranger. It seemed to be a pretty typical large national park campground, with most sites lacking in vegetation and privacy, although there were a few gems that I spied while walking the loops. There is a trailhead right in the campground and evening campfire programs in the summer. All sites are first-come, first served and fill quickly. Get more info here.

Lewis Lake Campground - Yellowstone National Park

A fine campground near the southern entrance to Yellowstone, but nothing to write home about. It was the only campground with space available in the park when we arrived late in the afternoon in July, which is often the case, I am sure. The lake is lovely, and our site was within easy walking distance to the shore. There were some walk-in sites here that looked to be prime real estate, and if you are a boater, this would be a convenient campground.

One bonus was that the mosquitos were a bit numerous in the early evening, so we packed up the crew and headed out to Old Faithful, where things seemed to be a lot less crowded than is typical during the day. So we spent the evening looking at the geyser, the Old Faithful Inn (with some requisite bison hanging out right behind the building), and enjoying some ice cream.

Fremont Lake Campground - Bridger-Teton National Forest

Fremont Lake campground was one of our favorite stops on our Yellowstone adventure. Our campsite did not have a view of this natural lake, but was very close, tucked in among the aspens and lovely wildflowers that were abundant there in July. We had a great site with good privacy, and plenty of space for the kids to explore our immediate area. Some sites closer to the lake were more crowded. We spotted a pronghorn up close just as we were leaving. The campground is very close to the town of Pinedale, WY- close enough that you can run into town for morning coffee when your camping stove breaks down! The fine folks at The Great Outdoor Shop in Pinedale were able to make a timely repair to our Coleman stove, saving us much trouble as we headed into the Tetons. In addition, my 8 year old son thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Museum of the Mountain Man. The Wind River range is breathtaking, and the drive from Pinedale north to Jackson is just incredible.

Relevant links: www.museumofthemountainman.com/;www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/offices/pinedale_info/camp/Fremontlakeinfo.pdf

Bob Scott Campground- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Stopped here at Bob Scott, just outside of Austin, NV on our way to Yellowstone in July to dry out and have lunch. It was dry and windy- the perfect place to lay out the wet tent before mildew set in. The campground is set very close to Hwy. 50, but could be a good stop if you are on a road trip. It is pinyon-juniper country, and there are campsites with good shade.

East Creek Campground - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

This place was a nice surprise. After driving Hwy. 50 across Nevada (beautiful!), we stopped in Ely for gas and decided to check out East Creek. This little campground stretches along the creek (still running strong in July), and is a lovely patch of green among the sagebrush in the mountains NE of Ely. The kids spent most of their time playing in the creek, and there is a trail leading from the campground, although we did not hike it this time.

Hampshire Rocks Campground- Tahoe National Forest

We stopped here on our drive out to Yellowstone with a thunderstorm looming on the horizon, not to mention two hungry kids and a fussy toddler in the backseat (in other words, we did not have a lot of time to look for a better spot!). While Hampshire Rocks is in a lovely area, right along the river, with some great climbing boulders for the kids, the intense traffic noise from I-80 and a nearby train track pretty much cancels out the positives. One bonus: We weathered an early morning thunderstorm, packed everything up post haste, and headed into Truckee for a delicious breakfast at the Squeeze In.

Sheep Camp and Brandy Creek Campgrounds- Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

I cruised through these 2 campgrounds a few days ago, scouting a potential trip for us. Sheep Camp (see right photo) is small- 4 sites, and though it is close to several trails, it lacks structure and privacy.  It looks as if campers have just driven through wherever, leaving the area denuded of vegetation, although the site could be pretty if there were actually some understory left. It is right on a dirt road, and the campsites get the dust cloud from vehicles driving by. The Brandy Creek trail is very close, and the trail to Brandy Creek Falls is just up the road.

We ended up camping later at Brandy Creek Campground (see left photo). It has just 2 sites, tucked peacefully back off the road. The 2 sites are not close together, so privacy is very good. In fact, site #2 is one of the most secluded campsites I have seen. The campground sits above the creek, and though access is possible, it is steep and inconvenient. The Brandy Creek Trail goes right through the campground, and it is also just a few miles from the Brandy Creek Falls Trail, which we hiked, and wow! It was really beautiful. Highly recommended. 

Once again, I have to add that Whiskeytown NRA is close to town, and is therefore subject to the effects of campers who come out to party. Our campsite, though nice and quiet, had some graffiti (which was scheduled to be painted over the next day), and there was plenty of broken glass around. Our kids like to collect bottle caps from each of our campsites, and we gathered more here than anywhere else!

Gumboot Lake Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Gumboot Lake Campground looks like a sweet spot. It is a primitive campground, with just a few sites scattered around the edge of a little lake. We stopped by there to check it out on our way to the Gumboot Trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail, which is just a few miles up the road from the campground. We didn't stay this time, but perhaps we will need to plan a return trip! It is a pretty easy trip from I-5 to the campground, so I am wondering if this place attracts the partying crowd...? The hiking on the PCT northbound was great by the way, interspersed with views of Mt. Shasta, the Trinity Alps and several small lakes down below the crest.

***Added June 29, 2009*** Stayed at Gumboot last weekend. The lake is beautiful and our kids had an excellent time swimming for 2 days straight. There were quite a few visitors to the lake, but we had our section of shore all to ourselves. But I was right that this spot does attract partyers. The campground is really just like dispersed camping, with no picnic tables or water and only one vault toilet. My book listed some walk-in sites across the creek, but people drive across, and that area was crowded. We had a good site at the end of the road, but it was barren from over-use. There is no fee to camp here, which is a bonus, but I felt like some campers had been there for an extended time. I would stay here again, but on a weekday, and I would want one of those camping tables to cook on.

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.