Time to Go Camping!

Long days, fine weather, and that restlessness you feel when you haven’t slept out under the stars for a while. Yes, it’s camping season, and we’ve got three great national forest campgrounds in mind, each within a couple of hours of DTLA. Bonus: They’re all first-come, first-served—just arrive early if you’re weekending.

Week: 06.08.2017
Regions: Southern CA

Pretty View Campground

Chula Vista Campground in Los Padres National Forest

Chula vista means “pretty view,” and whoever named Chula Vista Campground in the Los Padres National Forest was right on the mark. The views extend all around and even upward to the heavens. Situated at 8,300 feet near the summit of Mount Pinos, Chula Vista is the best stargazing
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Park it in Nevada

Nevada National and State Parks

Ready to go big this summer? We’re talking road-tripping the most mountainous region in the Lower 48: Nevada! This place is made for adventurers who prefer their pit stops to be national and state parks. Nevada is a wide-open land with a gem of a park—mountainous Great Basin Nati
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High in the Angeles

Buckhorn Campground in the Angeles National Forest

Yes, Angeleno—you can camp in beauty and solitude without having to leave LA County! Buckhorn Campground, high in the Angeles National Forest just 36 miles up the Angeles Crest Highway, is just over an hour’s drive from downtown LA. But what a different world. Buckhorn is perched
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Holcomb We Haven't Camped Here?

Holcomb Valley Campground Near Big Bear Lake

Holcomb Valley is just a few miles north of Big Bear Lake, but this broad expanse of meadows and ponderosa pines feels far removed from all the lakeside hubbub. It’s the perfect peaceful camping spot: You can play at the lake all you like and return for a night under the stars. H
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  2. Golden Gate's Blue Heron

    Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

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  3. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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  4. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Walking the Los Angeles River Trail Through Frogtown

    Frogtown Strutter’s Stroll

    Don’t go dismissing the Los Angeles River as merely a 51-mile concrete channel. It’s a genuine urban artery that links real neighborhoods, and its riverside bike/ped paths endear i

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  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

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  3. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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