All "Overnight Escapes" Stories in Southern CA

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  Kayak to a Remote Beach Camp

  Lava Wall. The name alone shouts adventure—and the place loudly delivers. This towering volcanic cliff is the backdrop to a remote beach campground on Catalina Island that you can only reach by boat.

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  California's Serengeti

  When people talk about our great golden state, rarely included in that conversation is the Central Valley’s Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, or, as we call it: California’s Serengeti. It’s home to some of the most spectacular concentrations of waterfowl in the entire continent, and fall and winter are prime times for viewing action.

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  Lighthouse ZZZs

  It’s the closest point of land to the Hawaiian Islands in the continental United States and it might well be the best view on the coast. The historic 115-foot lighthouse tower at P

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  El Lobo

  Embark on a 13-mile hike that takes you across part of Santa Rosa Island’s interior, down a canyon, and along a spectacular coastline of cliffs, coves, and tide pools.

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  This Skunk Doesn't Stink

  On Santa Rosa Island, an all-day hiking expedition to Skunk Point unfolds like chapters of a geographic fairy tale. You’ll cross several distinct terrains on a 11-mile lollipop loo

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  The Comeback Pine

  The Torrey pine is now the rarest pine in the United States. On Santa Rosa Island, you can visit one of its last seaside groves—with some trees dating back 250 years—on a 4.5-mile

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  Fisherman's Friend!

  Finding a secret hike and hidden campsite in one outing? Get outta here! No seriously, get outta here. Head to the southern part of Orange County’s Cleveland National Forest, where

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  Camp Right Beer!

  Camping + beer = better together! Pineknot Campground at Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest closes for the season at the end of this month, so make haste and pitch

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  Lone Oasis

  Every summer, thousands travel to Whitney Portal in the Eastern Sierra to summit Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. But thousands more are denied the

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  Old and Gnarly

  Few places will magnify your sense of time and space quite like the rugged White Mountains. A part of Inyo National Forest, this remote, seldom-visited range along the upper Owens

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  Glamp Camp

  So your idea of camping is barbecues, beach cruisers, and better-not-have-to-pitch-a-tent? Say hello to Autocamp! (Or what we call Autoglamp.) Set right in downtown Santa Barbara,

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  Lookout There!

  Perched at 4,900 feet in the Greenhorn Mountains amid majestic oaks and huge, cleaved boulders, Oak Flat Lookout in Sequoia National Forest (named for the Giant Sequoia groves and

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  High Sierra Sorensen's

  At the eastern edge of Hope Valley, just 20 minutes south of Lake Tahoe, is what you would call an elegantly rustic respite suited to all seasons.  Situated in an alpine valley rin

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  Desolation Drama

  Oval-shaped Dicks Lake is one of the scenic gems of the Desolation Wilderness. Set in a dramatic glacial cirque with 9,974-foot Dicks Peak soaring behind it, the lake makes a perfe

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  Sleep Like a Rock

  No crowds, no cell phone service—now that’s a wilderness getaway! The hugely underrated Rock Creek Lake in the Inyo National Forest of the eastern Sierra is known for its peaceful

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  Surfwood's Up!

  MacKerricher State Park in Mendocino County delivers nine miles of diverse coastline and a seaside gem for spending the night: Surfwood Campground is a laid-back oasis with 45 lush coastal campsites—including 10 secluded walk-ins.

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  Ohh, Gualala

  Coastal camping just got cozy in Sonoma County. Enjoy the sea breeze and take refuge from it too at Gualala Point Regional Park Campground, where 18 sites sit shaded beneath a rich

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  Just Dune It!

  Coastal wildflowers are still going strong at Manchester State Park in Mendocino County, where dune-top hiking trails colored in baby blue eyes and purple lupine dance across the n

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  Phantom of the Canyon

  Want to really go grand in Grand Canyon National Park? Stay at historic Phantom Ranch! A clutch of simple, private bunk-bed-filled cabins along with dorm-style lodging. Scoring a stay here is not easy, and highly sought!

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  Yosemite Backcountry Glamping

  Love to hike, but hate to lug a bulging backpack? Then Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is your ticket to high-country heaven. Carrying only a daypack with minimal supplies, you can hike

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