Where can i go camping in california without reservation?

Question

Where can i go camping in california without reservation?

Answer 1

I love answering people's questions by contradicting their basic assumptions: You, sir, can camp almost anywhere in California without a reservation! Yes, that's right. Even in the most crowded parks like Yosemite there are dozens of first come/first serve campsites. I've camped at White Wolf campground in Yosemite on Labor Day weekend without reservations myself, once. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/nr...

Including Yosemite your options are nearly unlimited; You can choose private campgrounds, State Beaches, State Parks, National Forests, BLM lands, National Parks, National Monuments, National Preserves, and many more campgrounds throughout the state. You could even camp where there's no campground, either in the Wilderness with a free permit, or what's known as "dispersed camping" in National Forests with a campfire permit.

Answer 2

It's a big state.  Some sites are reservation only, some are walk ups.  This time of year, with school starting, there's a lot of availability throughout the state, even on weekends if you get there early.  Two of my favorites usually have spots available.  If you visit Kings Canyon National Park, drive to the Cedar Grove area.  There are several campsites.  We usually go to the furthermost one as we use that spot to acclimate for backpacking trips out of Road's End.

Another favorite site is in the Angeles National Forest.  Buckhorn Campground is at 6,300 feet, and has a nice trail just past site #25, the Burkhardt trail.  On a weekend you won't get your pick of sites though, and both campgrounds get pretty chilly or close during the winter months.  During winter, places like Anza Borrego and Joshua Tree NP are great.  Forget it on a holiday weekend.

So it just depends on your preferences.  If you belong to AAA, they have a campground book for north and for south that has lots of information and is very helpful in planning a trip.

Happy camping!