New to camping

[uhtred1111]

Any advice on a place near LA for a newbie to start out camping? Near being a 3 hour or so drive away.

Thinking of doing some weekends camping to practice using gear etc. and to see if I actually will enjoy doing it as much as I did when I was younger with my parents.

[MJB]

National Forest is a good start or the PCT

[furyous68]

You'll love it. Find a place to go where there is a general store close by... helps you if you forgot anything back home.

Go to Recreation.gov & look in your area. They have an interactive map.

[seal20]

Lake Arrowhead, Dogwood is great.

[Garv]

Buckhorn up Angeles Crest Highway after it warms up a bit.
Chilao OK, but can get crowded.
Midweek better.

Several places in Idylwild.

I suggest avoiding beach camping, too noisy and crowded.

[Unforgiven]

Practice setting up everything before you go camping. Tent, stove, lantern, etc.

[CHEONG_FUN]

Our little family of 4 plus our dog, like going to Wrightwood or Green Valley lake, for 2 night trips. Since no showers, 2 maybe 3 days is Max with using baby wipes to clean up.

Test your gear before going is best suggestion I can give. I'm no guru but it would definitely suck if you get up there and missing tent poles or something. We almost forgot the stove once, our 3 year old reminded us.

Good luck and have fun!

[FatCity67]

Heard that Borrego place is really nice before summer heat hits.

[DolphinFan]

before you go, test all of your equipment at home. I set up my tent and hose it down to check for leaks. Check stove for functionality and fuel .
I would wait for the weather to warm and might try something like Malibu State Park, (they caught the shooter), has great trails and is near civilization.

Beach Camping in Ventura at McGrath Stat Beach, or El Capitan in Santa Barbara.

Mountain Camping better suited for warmer weather for beginners.

High Sierra Great camping in Kennedy Meadows, and just abut anywhere along 395.

Local camping in Hungry Valley.

Have fun. Be prepared.

[Kwikvette]

National Forest is a good start or the PCT

Horrible advice considering he's just starting

Practice setting up everything before you go camping. Tent, stove, lantern, etc.

Great advice here.

OP, sounds like you'll be car camping.

As stated, test out all your gear and know how everything works.

On top of that, plan out how the day will pan out -

What will you do for food? How will you cook it? Are you taking perishables? If so, do you have a method for storing/transporting and will it last throughout your trip? Do you have a means of entertainment? It could get boring being out in the woods, even with loved ones. Are you prepared for what the weather may bring?

These are just things to think about in case you haven't thought of them already.

This forum has a wealth of information so feel free to ask any questions you may have! I backpack on a regular, and enjoy it thoroughly.

[Neuvik]

Any advice on a place near LA for a newbie to start out camping? Near being a 3 hour or so drive away.

Thinking of doing some weekends camping to practice using gear etc. and to see if I actually will enjoy doing it as much as I did when I was younger with my parents.

What style of camping?

Car Camping - Most common, drive into your spot at a campgrounds and set your tent up relatively close by to your vehicle. Usually has vault style toilets, trash, and sometimes fresh water. Will have many people.


Dispersed Camping - Rare to have dedicated US forestry sites, but they do exsit. Mostly BLM and National Forest areas where the locations are not set, you drive or hike to whatever looks like a good spot. (Note: this is getting rarer and more restrictive due to the liberal infection in Forestry and Dept of Interior trying to keep the public off public land. Be mindful of areas where vehicle traffic is not permitted off forest roads etc)

If you look at some of my posts where I'm 4x4 camping this is what it looks like on the extreme end. Obviously the harder and more remote place you go, the less people there will be. And usually no facilities for waste or water.

Backpacking- Park your vehicle at the trail head and backpack your camping gear to a site. By far my favorite, obviously more physically demanding. Some areas have services at the camp sites, others do not. Amount of people there can vary due to the difficulty of the trail and if there are services or not. Popular trails you have to sign up for in advance, Point Reyes in Norcal has pretty much a 1 year wait list for WildCat campground. Wheres if I go on the PCT here in the Sierras near Graegle or Lassen, I might not see anyone and have an entire lake to myself. Think I got a post with a awesome lake outside Chester too.


Assuming you mean car camping think about something akin to this campground:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/angeles/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=41772&actid=29

Its over an hour from the center of LA, sort of in the back country but still a first come first serve car campground. Once the roads open up and if you go while its cold you have a higher chance of not having it crowded. Plus in the cold you will learn more on where to set your camp up, what gear you need to be comfortable, and what works.

Each campsite has a fire pit and grill, and picnic tables are available on the grounds. Water is available on the campgrounds, but probably needs to be treated. Its $15 so not bad, and just 1/3 of a mile away there is a 7-mile round trip hike to the summit of Smith Mountain. So you can also test out your hiking gear. And you will learn what layering of clothing you will need. Some people need heavy insulated gear, others will burn up. I also advise you bring a bear jar or put food and smelly stuff handing off a line from a tree decently off the ground.

I've done tons of solo camping but it is by far funner with a friends. Set a time table though and stick to it. Like you will have the tent set up before 5:00PM, or you will be on the trail at 8:00AM etc. getting in a regimented habit now will save you a lot of stress when the weather refuses to co-operate, or delays happen. I set my tent up first thing when I make it to my planned camp site. Shelter is always the most important followed by securing your water supply.

Have Fun!

[Jeepergeo]

Joshua Tree National Park. It's chilly this time of year, but still beautiful.

Anza Brorrego State Park.

Mt. Pinos area near Frazier Park...there are several nice campgrounds up there.

[vino68]

I am also considering my first camping experience, since childhood summer camps.
I have been looking at Pyramid Lake as an option, off the 5.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233283

[uhtred1111]

Thank you so much for all of this advice.

[WOODY2]

Sounds silly but spend a night or two in your backyard to work out any wrinkles.