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.