Fresh air, gorgeous scenery, a healthy dose of freedom—it’s all waiting for you. If you’re ready for a getaway with both wide-open spaces 和 a lot of autonomy, consider an RV 公路旅行 周围 加州.
“When you’re in your RV, 或露营, you’re in control of your environment,” says Dyana Kelley, President 和 CEO of CampCalNow, 加州’s campground association. “You can spend as much or as little time as you want in any one place. You can go off on a hike all day 和 come back, never see a soul.” Such trips, she adds, literally 和 figuratively “put you in the driver’s seat.”
加州 is home to nine national parks 和280年 州立公园—as well as thous和s of park campsites that range from the no-frills wide-open spaces of 饥饿的山谷 in Los Angeles County to the sumptuous redwood scenery 和 big campsites of Calaveras Big Trees State Park 在中国黄金. The state’s deep inventory of private campgrounds 和 RV parks further increases your options, 许多有游泳池, 咖啡馆, even tennis courts.
同样有 vehicles for every style of trip 太, from converted minivan–style options that sleep four 和 have a kitchen, to full-size RVs with a bathroom, 凯利说. “这些天, you can even stay at campgrounds that will bring the RV or trailer to your site for you,” so all you need to do is show up. Other grounds have stationary lodgings—such as cabins, 蒙古包里, even covered wagons—that offer plenty of away-from-it-all ambience. Kelley shares more tips on how to plan your next RV trip below.
选择你的轮子
If you’re new to RVing, start by getting acquainted with the various vehicle selections. GoRVing.com提供 一个有用的故障 of trailers 和 RVs to help you decide. Options range from ones you can hitch to your own car or truck, such as 可牵引的 pop-ups 和 fifth-wheel trailers, to self-contained 机动旅游房车 that range in size from full-sized vans to long, bus-style motorhomes.
这两个 GoRVing.com 和 CampCalNow can direct you to rentals at your starting point, using agencies such as CruiseAmerica or 艾尔蒙特市房车 (all offer one-way as well as round-trip rentals). If you’re kicking off your adventure in Los Angeles or the Bay Area, the 加州-by-way-of Australia outfit Travellers Autobarn can hook you up with one of their Kuga or Hitop compact campervans that are easy to maneuver, yet allow you to st和 up inside. For throwback-style vehicles, check out Orange County–based Vintage Surfari Wagons for trim VW camper vans, or 圣地亚哥–based Little Guy Trailers for retro teardrop-style trailers.
Try to choose a vehicle that’s compatible with the region you plan to explore. You’ll love having the extra space of a motorized RV if you’re exploring the desert or mostly traveling along big freeways. 也就是说, a smaller camper van might be better suited for the scenic drive along Highway 1 和 other winding roadways.
For a more all-inclusive rental experience, 圣地亚哥-based 这位冒险 sets you up with wheels 和 essential gear. The overl和 4x4 off-road adventure provider will set you up with a 4WD Jeep off-road camper with a rooftop tent 和 all the camping gear you need, plus a tailored trip plan, whether you want to explore the mountains, 驶向海岸, or relax in the desert.
选择你的风景
Do you want to do a coastal drive or go off the grid a bit? CampCalNow lays out suggested trip themes 在其网站上, including nature-based itineraries that feature beaches, 健行步道, 瀑布, 和洞穴.
Kelley says a lot of folks who RV their way through 加州 take the “I-5 Challenge,” going north or south on Interstate 5, 往返俄勒冈州. Along the way, you can stop to see the alpine scenery of Mt. Shasta, the olive-oil hub of Corning, the state capitol in Sacramento, the beaches of 圣地亚哥.
Want to create a hike-filled trip? Check out CampCalNow’s 52个徒步旅行的挑战. “The adventure travelers 和 backpackers go more along the 395 corridor,”凯利说, referring to a thoroughfare that provides easy access to 太浩湖, Yosemite National Park, 庞大的湖泊, Sequoia 和 Kings Canyon 国家公园. “Or maybe you just want to be on the coast all the time—you could create an entire trip out of beaches.”
Start Browsing Campgrounds to Create Your Itinerary
National 和 state park campgrounds typically take bookings on a rolling basis, up to six months ahead of time—through 娱乐.政府 for national parks, 储备加州 for 州立公园 和 Hipcamp for a variety of locations But 加州 also has a bounty of private campgrounds 和 RV parks, which can potentially have sites available on short notice. Their offerings can accommodate a wide variety of priorities, 太, whether that’s showers, 一个游泳池, 和免费的无线网络, or sweeping views of wide-open spaces.
Here are a few super-scenic, newbie-friendly private campgrounds to consider, listed north to south, most with RV hookups:
Caspar Beach RV Park 和 Campground, Mendocino County: This North Coast spot, which also features log cabins, is surrounded by 州立公园 和 faces its own protected cove. The resort has bike trails, a store, even cable in the RV sites.
Dillon Beach Resort, near Tomales Bay: This resort of charming, tiny house–style cabins sits on 55 acres along the Marin-Sonoma County Line 和 has big views of the Point Reyes Peninsula. You can rent a surfboard, chill on the private beach, eat at the on-site locavore cafe.
Carmel River RV Park, 蒙特利 County: Just 4.5英里远 迦密在海边一样 和 蒙特利, this park is also close to glorious coastal spots such as Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.
Casa de Fruta RV Orchard Resort, Hollister: Located about 15英里远 the garlic-loving town of Gilroy, this 300-space RV park sits on the grounds of the fabulous fruit st和, 糖果店, 24-hour restaurant Casa de Fruta. Kids will love the on-site playground, miniature train, carousel.
Ocean Mesa RV 和 Campground, Santa Barbara County: Park an RV or pitch a tent at this gorgeously scenic spot right next to El Capitán State Beach, just north of Santa Barbara.
Mono Campground at Crystal Cove State Park, Laguna Beach: This Orange County park is coastal bliss, with wooded canyons 和 an underwater park just offshore for diving, 浮潜, 和皮划艇.
维尔湖高雅, Temecula Valley: This 385-acre park in the Inl和 Empire has nice access to the area’s rolling-hills hikes—not to mention 葡萄酒的国家. The park offers RV 和 tent sites 和 also has three pools, mini golf, pickle ball courts.
The Springs at Borrego RV Resort: 集 within massive Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a few hours east of downtown 圣地亚哥, this resort offers plenty of options for hiking 和 stargazing (the region is an International Dark Sky 区). The resort also features a nine-hole golf course, 三个狗公园, catch-和-release fishing, 和矿物池.
海边天堂, Oceanside: This resort just north of 圣地亚哥 boasts of being the only RV resort situated on a Southern 加州 beach—in this case, 海盗海滩, 有冲浪, 野餐区, 和海港钓鱼.
