Trip planning

Best camping spots in California: 2026 guide

Where to camp across California, from Redwood National and State Parks to Joshua Tree and the Glamis dunes, with reservation windows and seasonal timing for each.

The best camping spots in California range from old-growth redwood groves on the north coast to desert dunes and bluff-top sites. The right pick depends on region and season: redwood parks stay cool and damp, while desert sites work best from fall to spring.

This guide covers northern, southern, and central California, including the best beach camping spots and a dedicated section on the popular Glamis dunes. Each pick lists the best time to go and how reservations work. Plus, booking windows, permits, and California’s new no-show penalties.

Campers can explore deserts, ancient forests, and rugged coastlines across California.

In this article

Quick picks: the best places to camp in California

Short on time? This table pulls one best place to camp in California per region, plus Glamis.

Campground	Region	Best Time	Reservation System
Jedediah Smith Campground, Redwood National and State Parks	Northern California	Year-round; first-come, first-served November to April	ReserveCalifornia
Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree National Park	Southern California	October to May	Recreation.gov, required year-round
Pismo State Beach (North Beach Campground)	Central Coast	November to February, for the monarch butterflies	ReserveCalifornia
Glamis (Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area)	Southeastern California	November to March	No reservations; BLM permit October 1 to April 15

Best camping spots in Northern California

California’s North Coast runs for more than 100 miles, where ocean fog rolls in over redwood forests and headlands. Some of the best camping spots in California sit here, and all three picks below put your tent under old-growth redwoods.

Redwood National and State Parks (Jedediah Smith Campground)

Jedediah Smith Campground sits in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, one of four parks managed together as Redwood National and State Parks. Together they protect 45% of California’s remaining old-growth redwoods, including 10,000 acres in this park. The Smith River, California’s largest undammed river system, runs through the park, and visitors can fish, kayak, or snorkel in it.

Best time to visit: Open year-round; reservable through ReserveCalifornia, with sites first-come, first-served from November to April.
Facilities: Family campsites, showers, drinking water, and four accessible cabins, with trailers up to 24 feet.
Practical tip: Located 9 miles east of Crescent City; book ahead for summer visits.

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is part of the same Redwood National and State Parks system, 25 miles south of Crescent City. It has two campgrounds: Elk Prairie, which also has cabins, and Gold Bluffs Beach. Herds of Roosevelt elk graze the park’s meadows.

Best time to visit: Coastal temperatures stay between the mid-40s and low 60s°F year-round, and most of the 60 to 80 inches of yearly rain falls from October to April.
Best for: Hiking on 75 miles of trails and biking the 19-mile loop.
Practical tip: In summer, fog seeps up the river canyons, so dress in layers.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Burlington Campground)

Humboldt Redwoods State Park spans 53,000 acres, and 17,000 acres of it is old-growth redwood forest, the largest expanse of ancient redwoods left on the planet. Burlington Campground sits next to the visitor center on the 32-mile Avenue of the Giants, about 2 miles south of Weott. Across the street, a short nature trail leads to the river for swimming and fishing.

Best time to visit: Open year-round, with site-specific reservations all year.
Facilities: 57 sites among old- and second-growth redwoods, plus 3 hike-and-bike sites.
Practical tip: Unreserved sites go first-come, first-served one night at a time, and the narrow road may not suit some vehicles.

Camping among the giant trees in Redwood National Park.

Best camping spots in Southern California

Southern California camping ranges from the giant boulders of Joshua Tree in the Desert region to the alpine scenery around Big Bear in the Inland Empire. If you’re weighing where to go camping in Southern California, our three picks cover desert, mountain, and island camping, all booked through Recreation.gov.

Joshua Tree National Park (Jumbo Rocks Campground)

Jumbo Rocks is Joshua Tree National Park’s largest campground, with 124 sites at about 4,400 feet. Its sites sit on flat, sandy ground between large boulders that tower over the campground. The rocks formed through volcanic activity millions of years ago, then were shaped by wind and water.

Best time to visit: October to May, when days run 70 to 90°F; summer is the park’s off-season because of the heat.
Reservations: Required year-round on Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead; book before you arrive, since cell service in the park is very limited.
Practical tip: The campground has no drinking water, so bring your own.

Big Bear Lake (Serrano Campground)

Serrano sits in a pine forest on the north side of Big Bear Lake, 2 miles east of Fawnskin in the San Bernardino National Forest. Its 93 single and 16 double sites include some with RV hookups, plus showers. The lake is within walking distance, and fishing and boating are popular there.

Best time to visit: The campground is open from late March to late November.
Reservations: Through Recreation.gov on a 6-month rolling window, with a 3-night minimum on holiday weekends.
Practical tip: The campground has no direct lake access, but there’s a boat ramp about a mile away.

Channel Islands National Park (Scorpion Canyon Campground)

Scorpion Canyon Campground sits on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of California’s Channel Islands, and you can reach it only by boat. Its 25 individual and 6 group sites have vault toilets and drinking water, which most of the park’s islands lack. The island is home to the island fox and island scrub-jay, found nowhere else in the world.

Best time to visit: Camping is open year-round on all five islands in the park.
Reservations: Required up to 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov, so match your dates to available boat tickets.
Practical tip: There’s no transportation on the island, so carry your gear about half a mile from the pier.

Best beach camping spots in California

The Central Coast contains some of the best beach camping spots in California. It runs from Big Sur to the Santa Barbara coastline, with sea cliffs, small towns and wine country. Two of the top central sites are Big Sur bluff and Pismo, with San Onofre farther south.

Kirk Creek Campground, Big Sur

Kirk Creek Campground sits on an open bluff about 100 feet above the Pacific in Los Padres National Forest, and each site overlooks the ocean. It’s 35 miles south of the community of Big Sur, and Sand Dollar Beach, the largest sandy beach in the Big Sur area, is 5 miles farther south.

Reservations: Through Recreation.gov on a 6-month rolling window, with 2 sites kept first-come, first-served.
Facilities: Vault toilets, with no hookups and no drinking water, so bring your own.
Practical tip: RVs must be 30 feet or shorter, so check your rig length before you book.

San Onofre State Beach

San Onofre State Beach, 3 miles south of San Clemente, hosts international surfing competitions, including for the LA28 Summer Olympics. Campers can choose San Onofre Bluffs, with six dirt trails down to the beach, or San Mateo, a short distance inland. A 1.5-mile nature trail links San Mateo to Trestles Beach, a surfing site known for its consistent waves.

Best time to visit: San Mateo offers camping year-round, with hot indoor showers and RV hookups.
Reservations: Through ReserveCalifornia, where most state park sites open up to six months ahead.
Practical tip: The park draws almost 2.5 million visitors a year, so book early for summer weekends.

Pismo State Beach (North Beach Campground)

North Beach Campground has beach access from camp and views along Carpenter Creek. The Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, one of California’s largest Western monarch overwintering sites, is accessible from the campground. The park’s six miles of sandy beach are known for surf fishing, swimming, and digging for the Pismo clam.

Facilities: Restrooms, pay-operated hot showers, picnic tables and fire rings, with no hookups.
Reservations: Through ReserveCalifornia, where most state park sites open up to six months ahead.
Practical tip: Visit from November to February, when docents staff the butterfly grove.

California offers diverse camping environments, from desert dunes to coastal cliffs.

Camping in Glamis, California

Glamis sits in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, part of the Algodones Dunes in the state’s southeast corner. It’s the largest mass of sand dunes in California, stretching more than 40 miles and often rising 300 feet above the desert floor.

Best time to visit: November to March, with average highs of about 69 to 81°F. Summer highs pass 100°F, per official NOAA averages for El Centro, the nearest station.
Permits: Required October 1 to April 15 for each primary vehicle: $55 a week in advance, $70 on-site, or $185 for the season.
Camping: Stays are limited to 14 days.
Practical tip: Coverage can be limited in desert areas, so download maps and your permit first.

How to plan a camping trip in California

Popular campgrounds like Kirk Creek book up six months ahead, so plan early whether you’re visiting or living in California. Before you decide where to go camping in California, check these basics.

Book early: Most state park sites, Joshua Tree, and Kirk Creek open for booking up to 6 months ahead, and Kirk Creek usually fills that far out.
Know which system applies: ReserveCalifornia handles state parks, Recreation.gov covers national parks and forests, and Glamis uses the BLM’s own permit system.
Cancel on time: On ReserveCalifornia, cancelling within 48 hours or not showing up forfeits all fees. Three no-shows in a calendar year block you from booking for a full year.
Know the stay limits: Most state parks let you camp up to 30 nights per park in a calendar year.
Check fire restrictions: Check current rules before you go, since Joshua Tree, for one, bans campfires every year from June 15 to October 1.
Pack for the environment: Desert sites like Jumbo Rocks have no drinking water, while redwood parks call for layers and rain gear.
Count your vehicles: At Joshua Tree, a car towing a trailer counts as two vehicles, and there’s no overflow parking in the park.
Plan for low signal: Data helps with availability checks, fire updates, and directions, but coverage can be limited in the northern redwood parks, along the Big Sur coast, and inside Joshua Tree. For remote spots, see our guide to the best hotspot for camping, and pair offline maps with a satellite messenger.

Whether tent camping or traveling by RV, California has sites for every setup.

Stay connected with Holafly on your camping trips

Signal can fade or vanish at many of the best camping spots in California, so download maps, permits, and reservation details before going.

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FAQ about the best camping spots in California

These quick answers cover what people ask most about the best camping spots in California, from campsite rules to booking.

What is the 200 rule for camping?

The 200 rule means camping at least 200 feet, about 70 to 80 adult steps, from lakes and streams. Leave No Trace recommends it to protect waterside plants and leave access routes open for wildlife. Local campsite rules still come first.

What is the #1 campground in the US?

We found no official ranking that names a single #1 campground in the US. Among the best camping spots in California, our pick is Jedediah Smith Campground. It sits inside Redwood National and State Parks, which the United Nations named a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

What is the most beautiful state park in California?

Our pick is Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which combines old-growth redwoods, prairies, and 10 miles of Gold Bluffs Beach. It also holds more than 280 memorial groves, and its Fern Canyon was a filming location for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

What is the hardest campground to book in California?

Our pick is Joshua Tree National Park. The park says all its campgrounds are usually full on weekends from September through May. Its first-come, first-served sites typically fill by Friday afternoon, so reserving ahead is the safer bet.