Overwhelmed by camping
July 28, 2020 3:49 PM Subscribe
I would like to do more hiking/backpacking/camping, but I don't understand where to do this or how. What is a good guidebook or website so I don't spend weeks researching with no camping a the end?
My ideal camping trip is me & my dog in relative isolation, away from freeway sounds and people, but not too far of a hike to get to (a two hour hike on relatively flat ground is do-able, a 5 hour hike or up steep hills for long periods is beyond my skill set.) Sometimes I might like to do a bit of car camping with the whole family, but prefer quieter, more isolated sites for that too. I do not enjoy a crowded campground with lots of noise or neighbors that feels like either a sad encampment of folks with no homes or a crowded suburb.
I have occasionally hiked or done small backpacking trips. I've also done a little bike-based camping that I enjoyed a lot. But I don't really understand how to find appropriate places to go. I live in Northern California. Campsites seem very competitive to obtain here. I spend forever googling and getting confused about how to reserve or scared to commit to something that won't work for me!
Can you recommend a reliable guidebook for the type of camping I'm attracted to? A specific online resource? Or camping opportunities within a 5 hour drive of the SF Bay Area I might enjoy?
My ideal camping trip is me & my dog in relative isolation, away from freeway sounds and people, but not too far of a hike to get to (a two hour hike on relatively flat ground is do-able, a 5 hour hike or up steep hills for long periods is beyond my skill set.) Sometimes I might like to do a bit of car camping with the whole family, but prefer quieter, more isolated sites for that too. I do not enjoy a crowded campground with lots of noise or neighbors that feels like either a sad encampment of folks with no homes or a crowded suburb.
I have occasionally hiked or done small backpacking trips. I've also done a little bike-based camping that I enjoyed a lot. But I don't really understand how to find appropriate places to go. I live in Northern California. Campsites seem very competitive to obtain here. I spend forever googling and getting confused about how to reserve or scared to commit to something that won't work for me!
Can you recommend a reliable guidebook for the type of camping I'm attracted to? A specific online resource? Or camping opportunities within a 5 hour drive of the SF Bay Area I might enjoy?
I think you might be looking for the term "dispersed camping." Usually dispersed camping means camping not on a designated campground, but rather on something like BLM land. The campsites are rugged with no amenities (usually), but will have designated fire pits. Often you have to hike a bit to them, but not always. Some you can drive right up to. But they are usually further away from people and are much more of a rural, isolated camping feel than a typical campground. They are not always easy to find, but some googling or asking friends for BLM dispersed camp sites may help you find something. There are tons of such areas within 5 hours of the bay area.
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:09 PM on July 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:09 PM on July 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
There is almost certainly a Bay Area Camping Group on Facebook where thousands of locals will be able to help you.
posted by COD at 4:17 PM on July 28, 2020
posted by COD at 4:17 PM on July 28, 2020
I was up around Carson Pass / Kirkwood a couple weeks ago and the campgrounds & trails were pretty busy, but not uncomfortably so, corona-wise. So you are certainly not alone in wanting to get away....
Forest Service campgrounds are generally non-reservation. Recreation.gov will list which do need reservations and which are open or closed. If you plan for a mid-week trip it will be much much quieter. Some campgrounds have 'tent camping' sites that are a short walk into the woods from the car, quieter and more removed from the hurly-burly in the main campground.
Tom Steinstra's books are an excellent resource to research NorCal camping.
posted by TDIpod at 4:33 PM on July 28, 2020
Forest Service campgrounds are generally non-reservation. Recreation.gov will list which do need reservations and which are open or closed. If you plan for a mid-week trip it will be much much quieter. Some campgrounds have 'tent camping' sites that are a short walk into the woods from the car, quieter and more removed from the hurly-burly in the main campground.
Tom Steinstra's books are an excellent resource to research NorCal camping.
posted by TDIpod at 4:33 PM on July 28, 2020
Part of the type of camping you're describing, as opposed to reserving an actual campsite at a maintained (at any level) campground, is Knowing the Spot. I know a spot in Tillamook National Forest that I camp at fairly regularly; since it's a national forest there's no designated campsite, it is just a spot in which one camps. I'm not going to tell you about that spot, because...I don't want that spot to appear on the internet.
Part of finding a spot is building in time to scout them during other trips. For example, one time I was down early in Detroit Lake, and had no commitments so I took NF-46 back up north to Portland. There are several dozen roads that connect to that, each with dozens of different spots to camp. Some more clearly marked than others. There's also a stretch that's labeled "no offsite camping" where you're not allowed to just set up. Once you get into national forests, the roads are usually okayish, and there are lots of spots to explore. It took an extra afternoon of driving, but I now know that stretch is littered with camping sites that are relatively dope, near nice little streams, and not super busy (during the week at least). It was an afternoon well spent that will probably yield weeks of combined camping over the next few years.
You might also have luck searching for "unimproved" campsites as a search term. That's somewhere between a full campground and a takes reservations; the hard part is that if you can search for them online instead of knowing about them independently, they tend to be busy on weekends or just occupied regularly enough to be a pain in the ass. Having a few spots on a stretch isn't a bad plan.
It's kind of frustrating to get started, but its worth investing the time of finding a few good spots. Always been on the lookout, and willing to detour out from your path there or back.
posted by furnace.heart at 4:34 PM on July 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
Part of finding a spot is building in time to scout them during other trips. For example, one time I was down early in Detroit Lake, and had no commitments so I took NF-46 back up north to Portland. There are several dozen roads that connect to that, each with dozens of different spots to camp. Some more clearly marked than others. There's also a stretch that's labeled "no offsite camping" where you're not allowed to just set up. Once you get into national forests, the roads are usually okayish, and there are lots of spots to explore. It took an extra afternoon of driving, but I now know that stretch is littered with camping sites that are relatively dope, near nice little streams, and not super busy (during the week at least). It was an afternoon well spent that will probably yield weeks of combined camping over the next few years.
You might also have luck searching for "unimproved" campsites as a search term. That's somewhere between a full campground and a takes reservations; the hard part is that if you can search for them online instead of knowing about them independently, they tend to be busy on weekends or just occupied regularly enough to be a pain in the ass. Having a few spots on a stretch isn't a bad plan.
It's kind of frustrating to get started, but its worth investing the time of finding a few good spots. Always been on the lookout, and willing to detour out from your path there or back.
posted by furnace.heart at 4:34 PM on July 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
Check out the motor vehicle use map (MVUM) for a National Forest you are interested in
Theap shows roads where you can do dispersed camping (little dots along the road.) I don't recommend looking at these maps on your phone! They're big PDFs.
We're going camping this weekend with no reservations. We're hoping for a spot at a first come first serve BLM campground, but if not, I have the MVUM downloaded to Avenza maps so we can find a dispersed spot.
posted by vespabelle at 4:46 PM on July 28, 2020 [5 favorites]
Theap shows roads where you can do dispersed camping (little dots along the road.) I don't recommend looking at these maps on your phone! They're big PDFs.
We're going camping this weekend with no reservations. We're hoping for a spot at a first come first serve BLM campground, but if not, I have the MVUM downloaded to Avenza maps so we can find a dispersed spot.
posted by vespabelle at 4:46 PM on July 28, 2020 [5 favorites]
Get ye to Weekend Sherpa. More hikes than camping, but there's plenty there to help you build your plan.
posted by quarterframer at 4:47 PM on July 28, 2020
posted by quarterframer at 4:47 PM on July 28, 2020
I live in the PNW but I think this will work for you too: pick a general area you want to go to, then find the nearest park ranger station. Stop by the ranger station, tell them exactly what you told us, and ask their advice. They will gladly point you in the right direction, sell you an awesome topographical map for $3, make sure you have appropriate anti-bear technology, and remember you went in case you never come back out!
posted by jeffamaphone at 5:11 PM on July 28, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by jeffamaphone at 5:11 PM on July 28, 2020 [6 favorites]
I'm in NorCal. You want National Forest or BLM land (where you can "dispersed camp" basically anywhere you find a good spot). There won't be any facilities, but there won't be any annoying people either. I've never used any resource except just going straight to those agencies websites, and maybe printing out a motor or topo map from it. As far as where specifically.... well, that's part of the fun. You gotta go find a spot instead of driving up to your numbered piece of concrete. Or you could always ask a ranger at whatever station is responsible for that area, they're usually very friendly and helpful.
You're right that the sites at basically every single CA site are extremely competitive to get, and the campgrounds often crowded with tourist families because of it. One way around this is to bicycle (or hike) in. The vast majority of CA (and OR & WA, especially on the coast) state parks have a "hike-n-bike" site set aside for people who arrive late in the evening on their own locomotion. These cost from $3-7 and are usually limited to 1-2 night stays. The hike-n-bike sites vary in quality depending on the park - some are pretty amazing and separate from the car campers, some are just whatever piece of grass they had available. Most of them are big and intended to be shared by whoever rides in, but they're usually empty unless you're going to the coast in middle of a non-pandemic summer.
If you like bicycle touring/camping I would definitely start by checking out the hike-n-bikes within riding distance of you as a low-investment way to scope the parks out. No reservation, low fees, it's only one night so if it's awful you'll be gone in the morning and back out on a beautiful CA back road anyways. This sort of approach to last minute/low stakes bike camping has been popularized as the "sub-twenty-four-hour-overnight or #s24o. Adventure Cycling has been collecting bike overnight stories if you want to read about others trips.
edit: CA camping pro tip - every time you go to a park, do a walk around and take notes on what sites look like the best ones. Then refer to it next time you're on the Reserve California site trying to figure out which ones don't suck.
posted by bradbane at 5:34 PM on July 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
You're right that the sites at basically every single CA site are extremely competitive to get, and the campgrounds often crowded with tourist families because of it. One way around this is to bicycle (or hike) in. The vast majority of CA (and OR & WA, especially on the coast) state parks have a "hike-n-bike" site set aside for people who arrive late in the evening on their own locomotion. These cost from $3-7 and are usually limited to 1-2 night stays. The hike-n-bike sites vary in quality depending on the park - some are pretty amazing and separate from the car campers, some are just whatever piece of grass they had available. Most of them are big and intended to be shared by whoever rides in, but they're usually empty unless you're going to the coast in middle of a non-pandemic summer.
If you like bicycle touring/camping I would definitely start by checking out the hike-n-bikes within riding distance of you as a low-investment way to scope the parks out. No reservation, low fees, it's only one night so if it's awful you'll be gone in the morning and back out on a beautiful CA back road anyways. This sort of approach to last minute/low stakes bike camping has been popularized as the "sub-twenty-four-hour-overnight or #s24o. Adventure Cycling has been collecting bike overnight stories if you want to read about others trips.
edit: CA camping pro tip - every time you go to a park, do a walk around and take notes on what sites look like the best ones. Then refer to it next time you're on the Reserve California site trying to figure out which ones don't suck.
posted by bradbane at 5:34 PM on July 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Nthing suggestions to look to National Forests... they're usually less crowded than National Parks and popular State Parks.
posted by kokaku at 6:24 PM on July 28, 2020
posted by kokaku at 6:24 PM on July 28, 2020
Listen to vespabelle! The MVUM is the golden ticket to finding peaceful dispersed car camping on national forest land.
posted by medusa at 7:22 PM on July 28, 2020
posted by medusa at 7:22 PM on July 28, 2020
National Forest dispersed camping or wilderness camping. You can drive through a National Forest and pull off your car and camp anywhere as long as there is not sign prohibiting camping there. You might even be able to find a forest access road so you don't have to hike that far to find a choice spot. Which is where vespabelle's MVUM map will help. To do this, please research fire permit requirement and if fire is even allowed.
I've never used this site before, but you can check HipCamp. It is the airbnb of camping. People open up their private land to offer you camping.
Outdoor Project is another website. The content is contributed by outdoor enthusiasts. It lists campsites with a pretty detailed write-up.
posted by gloturtle at 10:04 PM on July 28, 2020
I've never used this site before, but you can check HipCamp. It is the airbnb of camping. People open up their private land to offer you camping.
Outdoor Project is another website. The content is contributed by outdoor enthusiasts. It lists campsites with a pretty detailed write-up.
posted by gloturtle at 10:04 PM on July 28, 2020
> To do this, please research fire permit requirement and if fire is even allowed.
from here:
Fire Restrictions
Please be aware that fire restrictions are in effect. Campfires are currently prohibited everywhere on the SNF [and all CA NF lands] except within the stoves (including grills) and fire rings provided in developed campgrounds and recreations sites that are listed as exempt in the forest order. Please refer to Forest Order 05-15-00-20-06 for details. IMPORTANT: Not all developed campgrounds are exempt from fire restrictions.
and here
National Forests in California enacted state-wide campfire restrictions in May, until further notice, to protect the health and safety of communities and firefighters. Igniting, building, maintaining, or using a campfire on National Forests in California remain prohibited, except for developed campgrounds and certain permitted facilities.
posted by anadem at 10:42 PM on July 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
from here:
Fire Restrictions
Please be aware that fire restrictions are in effect. Campfires are currently prohibited everywhere on the SNF [and all CA NF lands] except within the stoves (including grills) and fire rings provided in developed campgrounds and recreations sites that are listed as exempt in the forest order. Please refer to Forest Order 05-15-00-20-06 for details. IMPORTANT: Not all developed campgrounds are exempt from fire restrictions.
and here
National Forests in California enacted state-wide campfire restrictions in May, until further notice, to protect the health and safety of communities and firefighters. Igniting, building, maintaining, or using a campfire on National Forests in California remain prohibited, except for developed campgrounds and certain permitted facilities.
posted by anadem at 10:42 PM on July 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
I recommend freecampsites.net
They highlight dispersed camping with reviews from fellow campers. I've used it for California and found some beautiful areas.
posted by DixieBaby at 10:50 PM on July 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
They highlight dispersed camping with reviews from fellow campers. I've used it for California and found some beautiful areas.
posted by DixieBaby at 10:50 PM on July 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Couple websites to understand car camping. Dyrt.com or Hipcamp.
Dyrt.com aggregates campsites from public and private campgrounds
Hipcamp.com is sort of Airbnb for Camping where people with large backyards/farms allow you to stay.
Reservations.gov is for public campsites operated by US states or Federal areas and good to start but website is not as user friendly as the others.
Car camping would be good to start off and understand your camping needs. Most campgrounds you can pitch tent and use that as home base to hike around the area.
Backpacking/camping requires little bit more planning and you can get into the hole of ultralight equipment etc.
posted by radsqd at 8:33 AM on July 29, 2020
Dyrt.com aggregates campsites from public and private campgrounds
Hipcamp.com is sort of Airbnb for Camping where people with large backyards/farms allow you to stay.
Reservations.gov is for public campsites operated by US states or Federal areas and good to start but website is not as user friendly as the others.
Car camping would be good to start off and understand your camping needs. Most campgrounds you can pitch tent and use that as home base to hike around the area.
Backpacking/camping requires little bit more planning and you can get into the hole of ultralight equipment etc.
posted by radsqd at 8:33 AM on July 29, 2020
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posted by Happydaz at 3:54 PM on July 28, 2020