4 Best Campgrounds in California

California is prime for year-round opportunities for adventure. With world-renowned national parks, pristine lakes, and miles of scenic trails, the Golden State has it all. Whether you’re pitching a tent on the rugged beaches of the Lost Coast, camping beneath the snow-capped Sierra Nevada peaks, or seeking solitude in a ponderosa pine forest, California’s diverse beauty offers endless options—there’s a perfect campground for every adventurer.

In this guide, I’ll explore some of the best campgrounds in California, from coastal getaways to serene mountain retreats and even whimsical desert landscapes. Whether you’re planning a family-friendly trip or seeking a remote wilderness escape, these spots will give you a choice place to check out the stars outside your tent flaps.

Leave No Trace

Any time we’re traveling or camping in wilderness we need to do our best to preserve the areas we recreate in. I know you’ve heard the old adage of “Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints” but we can do even better! Whenever I’m outside I try to follow along with Leave No Trace’s Seven Principles. These allow us to preserve these places we love to visit. Both so future generations can enjoy them just as much as we do, and so we don’t show up next year to a total dump.

These principles are:

• Plan ahead and prepare.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Leave what you find.
• Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire).
• Respect wildlife.
• Be considerate of other visitors.

Mattole Campground, Lost Coast

Location: The Lost Coast, Humboldt County, Norcal 

BLM Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/mattole-campground

Need to Know: 

• First come, first served. No reservations. 
• $15 per site per night
• Almost no amenities, completely off grid and no cell service, but does have trash and pit toilets
• Absolutely NO SWIMMING! The Pacific along this stretch of coast is brutal, with rip tides, strong waves, and undercurrents. Not to mention sea monsters. Also be sure to check NOAA’s Tide Forecast before setting out to hike through any impassable zones

Mattole Campground, nestled on California’s remote Lost Coast, offers a truly off-the-beaten-path experience. This stretch of coastline is the only place along the Pacific where Highway 1 couldn’t be built due to its rugged terrain, preserving some of the last untouched, unspoiled shoreline in California, Oregon, and Washington. Located in the King Range National Conservation Area, the same mountains that halted highway construction ensure that even the drive to Mattole is an adventure, with long, winding, single-lane roads cutting through wooded cliffs.

Mattole’s remoteness is one of its defining features. With no cell service, limited amenities, and rugged access, it’s ideal for those seeking a primitive camping experience. The campground, situated at the northern trailhead of the Lost Coast Trail, offers 23 campsites right on the beach where the Mattole River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Spend the weekend catching a wild Pacific sunset, falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the shore, and waking up to enjoy your morning coffee while watching for passing whales. The area abounds with opportunities for hiking, beachcombing, and wildlife viewing, including seals, sea lions, and even bears. A 3.2-mile hike will take you to the abandoned Punta Gorda Lighthouse, where elephant seals migrate every spring to molt and mate. Wildland also offers guided hikes of the Lost Coast Trail, which often leave from Mattole. Wave hi if you see us!

 backpack the lost coast

Pines Campgrounds, Yosemite National Park

Location: Yosemite National Park

Rec.gov Website: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232447

Need to Know:

• Reservation only, up to five months in advance through Rec.gov. Read the reservation rules in the link above and be ready at 7am sharp!
  
• Be exceptionally Bear Aware! Use Bear Boxes on site
  
• There are three Pines Campgrounds: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines
  
• There are bathrooms, trash, and bear vaults on site. Showers can be bought in Curry Village, a short walk away.

Upper Pines Campground, located in the heart of Yosemite Valley, offers one of the best camping experiences in a park well known for some stellar camping. This is the place to be in the park, offering easy access to many of the most iconic landmarks, such as Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. As one of three of Yosemite’s largest and most popular campgrounds, Upper Pines allows campers to experience Yosemite’s breathtaking beauty up close while enjoying the convenience of staying within the valley.

The campground features over 200 sites that accommodate both tents and RVs, making it a great option for all types of campers. Despite its popularity, the sites are spread out enough to offer a communal camping vibe while still giving you your own space. Half the fun of an Upper Pines weekend is making new friends around a campfire among the ponderosa pines with the Valley granite rising around you. Visitors can enjoy proximity to numerous hiking trails, including the Mist Trail, which leads to Vernal and Nevada Falls. The Merced River beckons as well, offering a perfect opportunity for a refreshing dip after a day of exploring.

Open year-round, Upper Pines provides a convenient base camp for those wanting to experience Yosemite in any season. While summer is the most popular time to visit, winter camping at Upper Pines offers a peaceful, snow-covered wonderland. Regardless of the season, camping at Upper Pines puts you in the middle of Yosemite’s grandeur, easily making it one of the best campgrounds in California.

Wildland Trekking offers numerous Yosemite Trips, including our Yosemite Valley Basecamp that lets you see all the sights of the Valley with the comfort of a shower and cozy tent waiting for you every night. 

Pro Tip: If you have some flexibility or are on short notice, Camp 4 in Yosemite books 7 days in advance 365 days a year and offers tent camping in the heart of the park, just in a much less organized way. 

Manzanita Lake Campground, Lassen National Park

Location: Lassen Volcanic National Park

NPS Website: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/manzanita-lake-campground.html

Need to Know:

• Reservations can be made in advance on Rec.gov or the site linked above up to 12 months in advance. They don’t disappear instantly like other sites on this list, but be sure to check well in advance.
• There are showers, bathrooms, and bear boxes available on site, as well as a camp store with all the basics like ice and firewood. No cell service, though.

Manzanita Lake Campground, located in Lassen Volcanic National Park, offers a serene camping experience with the added bonus of views of Lassen Peak reflected in the waters of Manzanita Lake. Known for its proximity to some of the park’s most famous features, this campground is an excellent base for exploring the unique geothermal wonders of the park while enjoying the beauty of Northern California’s wilderness. It might not be all that well known but it certainly deserves a spot on any list of the best campgrounds in California.

The campground offers 170+ sites for tents and RVs nestled among a forest of pine and fir trees right next to Manzanita Lake. The campground provides campers access to hiking, fishing, swimming, and whatever other lakeside activities your heart desires. The 1.5-mile loop trail around the lake is perfect for an easy morning stroll, offering quiet views of Lassen Peak and the surrounding volcanic landscape. For those looking for a more challenging adventure, the campground is a short drive from the trailheads that lead to iconic spots like Bumpass Hell, the park’s largest hydrothermal area, or the summit trail to Lassen Peak.

Open seasonally from late spring to early fall (depending on snow pack), Manzanita Lake Campground is a fantastic spot to stay while checking out Lassen’s diverse ecosystems. Considerably less crowded than other National Parks in California, Lassen is a lesser known wonder of California. Whether you’re there to hike, fish, or simply relax by the lake with views of the volcanic peaks, Manzanita Lake Campground offers a peaceful escape with a touch of geological wonder. Wildland Trekking offers a splendid Base Camp where we stay here and go explore the rest of the park. 

Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierra

Location: Lone Pine, California

BLM Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/alabama-hills-national-scenic-area

BLM Map: https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2023-02/AH_Camp_Map_508.pdf

Need to Know:

• There are three campgrounds, ranging from $8-$37 per night if you’d like a picnic table and bathrooms, but free, off grid, dispersed camping is allowed at designated sites along the Movie Road (see the map above)
• The local town of Lone Pine offers easy access to groceries, restaurants, and cell service.
• Pit toilets are scattered at various trailheads, as well as the established campgrounds

Want a camp with sweeping desert views, massive mountains peaks, and a Seussical vibe? Located near Lone Pine in Eastern California, the Alabama Hills is known for its close proximity to SoCal, the eastern sierra, and epic views of Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, it provides dispersed camping options as well as three campgrounds (Tuttle Creek, Lone Pine, and Portuguese Joe) allowing campers to choose their own spot among the rounded boulders and open desert spaces.

What makes Alabama Hills one of the best campgrounds in California? The ability to poke around and find that perfect site among the massive boulders strewn about makes it feel like a real adventure. The area is also a popular spot for photographers, thanks to the dramatic contrast between the desert landscape and the granite peaks of the Sierras. For those looking for an excursion, the nearby Whitney Portal provides access to hiking trails leading up to Mount Whitney, while rock climbing, stargazing, and exploring old movie locations (many classic westerns were filmed here) are also popular activities.

Though camping here is primitive, with next to no amenities other than the beauty of the natural landscape, the Alabama Hills offer a sense of freedom and adventure that’s hard to find elsewhere. Whether you’re enjoying a desert sunrise or stargazing from a campfire, camping in the Alabama Hills is an unforgettable experience for those seeking a raw and unfiltered connection with nature.