I've put a deposit down on a travel trailer that should be in next week. I was looking for a place to take it in Northern/Central California the weekend of Sept 8-9 and got pretty discouraged. The only thing I could find that was reservable was in the interior valley hot places. Most of the coastal areas are reserved on the weekends well into November or beyond. Ideally I would be in the central coast area near Big Sur for this next trip, but north of SF would work too, as long as it's not more than about 150 miles from Fremont.
There are some "first-come-first-serve" spots of course, but I'm a bit worried that I'll be driving over 100 miles and not find a spot once there.
We do not want to get into an RV park where it is all cement pads and you are 5-ft from your neighbor. We are more into sitting around the campfire with some space around us. We are willing to boondock on reasonable dirt roads. The trailer is 18-feet long (cabin -- 22.5' overall) 3,750 lb dry.
I'm starting to think this may not be a good idea at all and am considering backing out. Any advice for finding a place to camp around here from you experienced campers?
Limiting yourself to 150 miles is a problem for you. You may want to consider how long you wish to drive rather than how far. If you are willing to pay the price, you will almost certainly be able to get a spot at Olema to visit Pt Reyes.
Olema looks perfect thanks -- that's what I was looking for. It's expensive, but the difference between $40 and $65 isn't that big of a deal.
We do plan a trip to Lassen also, but not for this first trip. I used to camp in the forest nearby which was really private. Bears all over the place there though.
The 150-miles is not a hard limit. For a weekend trip I just don't want to drive more than 3-4 hours.
We do have 2 dogs as well -- forgot to mention that.
How about the Shasta Redding area. I like JGW RV park. It is private and the fully paved with concrete slabs. However the spaces are spacious the area is lovely and many spots are right on the river...you can fish from the grass, not that I caught anything. I know, it's not boondocking, it's more like resorting.
Happy Trails.
Casini Ranch campground west of Santa Rosa on River Road is very nice. It has tree sites, river sites, and concrete sites too! easy drive from Fremont. PM me for more info on campgrounds near you. I am in Pinole.
Try the web site of Recreation.gov. I found many available sites on my second guess. Arbitrarily put in next weekend as a date (Arriving Friday with a 2 day stay. at Hirz Bay.
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There is a lot of cool camping in the Tahoe area, not too far away from you! Beach real estate is expensive precisely because there is so little of it. Lots of mountains, though.
If you must go to the coast, check out Jackson State Forest near Ft. Bragg. Not right on the water, but pretty near, cool, and quiet.
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If this is your first rodeo pulling a trailer, you might want to pass on the Big Sur area. Don't get me wrong, area is nice, the Hwy is a bit stressful for a first outing. Check the Santa Cruz/Felton area, go hide in the redwoods with full hookups.
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