All "Overnight Escapes" Stories in Southern CA
Fancy Camp
Wanna go rugged on the coast, minus the whole pitching your own tent and sleeping on the ground bit? Mendocino Grove is spot-on for upgrading your roughing-it experience, with beautifully appointed tent-cabins set across the bluffs overlooking Mendocino Bay.
ViewSoaking Up History
When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history. Although this rustic resort south of Bishop has changed hands a f
ViewPeaceful Pistes
Downhill not your cup of cocoa? Go Nordic! Mammoth’s stunning Lakes Basin has 19-plus miles of groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails where you won’t find crowds or expensiv
ViewA Rose in the Pines
A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis
ViewBONUS: Redwoods on the House!
In celebration of turning 100 this year, Save the Redwoods League is hosting a celebration week and also giving away complimentary day-use admission to more than 100 redwood parks
ViewStarry Sky Snowshoe & Bonfire
Snowshoeing at night is a surreal and magical experience. Headlamps weaving through a forest wonderland and snowshoes kicking up the soft powdery snow underfoot. Your destination?
ViewLight at the End of the Road
Looking for the light at the end of the road? How about a light station?! Dramatically perched at the tip of a headland and surrounded by 30 acres of open space, Point Cabrillo Lig
ViewSea-nic Stay & Stroll
Charmed. That’s about the best word to describe the way you’ll feel when you stay at Mendocino’s Sea Rock Inn. Its location couldn’t be better: just outside the village and overloo
ViewCabin on the Coast
So you’d like to camp on the wild Mendocino coast … except for—you know—that whole pitching a tent and sleeping on the ground thing? A-OK! Actually, it’s KOA! Yes, Manchester Beach
ViewMeet Margaret!
You have an adventurous side and enjoy lakeside solitude, but you don’t want to be too far from your comfort zone. Time to meet Margaret! Tucked just north of Kirkwood and just off
ViewEmerald in the Woods
Green Valley Lake, nestled at 7,000 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains right between Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead, has all the watery charm of those popular bodies of water, just on a smaller scale, and decidedly without crowds—or motorized boats. It's also got camping, including first-come, first-served options.
ViewClearly Castaic
Dip out of the heat and into the water at Castaic Lake, aquatic heart of the Santa Clarita Valley. It’s hard to beat it for a cool day trip or a getaway weekend campout—a reservoir
ViewOjai’s Wet Side
Just a few miles west of the serene, artsy community of Ojai is the very different world of Lake Casitas—fabled among bass fishers, and delightful for anyone who enjoys playing on
ViewMalibu Creek State Park
Yes, Angelenos, you can escape city lights and view the Perseid meteor shower at Malibu Creek State Park Campground—so close to the big city, but it feels like it’s a galaxy away.
ViewShealor Stunner
Robust mountains, striking slabs of granite, and deep green pine reflections make Shealor Lake near Kirkwood resort a jewel of the El Dorado National Forest. Reach this alpine oasis on a 1.3-mile hike.
ViewGreat Is an Understatement!
Tucked against the Utah border in eastern Nevada, Great Basin is a hiking wonderland of 13,000-foot peaks, ancient forests, sub-alpine lakes, and marble limestone caves.
ViewIsland Traverse
As the largest of the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz also has bragging rights to two mountain ranges. For a grand (and grandly scenic) tour, lace up the boots and go on a 15-mile (one-way) backpacking trek that traverses the eastern side of the island.
ViewHigh in the Angeles
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 Hig
ViewPretty View Campground
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 th
ViewHolcomb We Haven't Camped Here?
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 pe
View
Yes, Seattle!
Ready to try something new this winter? Seattle’s ready for you! Beautiful by nature with its Puget Sound setting, surrounding mountains, and nearby national parks, winter in Seattle can be a magical and festive time. Ever been in a hot tub boat?...
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