Bucket-List: California Camping


Lifetime Goal: Each of the 58 counties in California

Counties: 25… Percentage: 43%

MapCountyDateLocation and Trip ReportLatLonElevFeels Like Max (F)Feels Like Min (F)
Alameda
Alpine
Amador
Butte
Calaveras2026-07Calaveras Big Trees SP
Colusa
Contra Costa
Del Norte2025-08Del Norte Coast Redwood National and State Park41.69750-124.09538405'6451.9
El Dorado
FresnoSheeps Creek, Sentinel, Canyon View, Moraine.... Kings Canyon National Park
Fresno2024-05Dorabell Campground, Shaver Lake, Sierra National Forest37.11364-119.311515434'85.759
Glenn
Humboldt2026-08Humboldt Redwoods State Park - Albee Creek Camp #25AC
Imperial2025-02Boondocking (which means nowhere in particular)33.38156-115.64485(-54)'79.852.3
Inyo2023-12Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park36.46348-116.87006(-207)'58.238
Inyo2025-10Lone Pine Campground36.59750-118.185325873'4727.6
InyoGrandview Campground - Bristlecone Pines
KernTehachapi Mountain Park
KernRed Rock Canyon State Park
Kern2025-11Fort Tejon State Park34.87134-118.897443274'6543
KingsBoondocking
Lake
LassenGoumaz Campground, next to the Susan River
Los AngelesCastaic Lake SRA
Los AngelesCatalina Island -

https://catalinaconservancy.org/recreation/biking/

To ride in Catalina’s interior, all cyclists must have a Freewheeler Bike Pass, available with the purchase of a Catalina Island Conservancy membership, starting at just $50.
Los Angeles2024-10Crystal Lake Campground, San Gabriel Mountains National Monument34.32588-117.837125714'85.459.1
Los Angeles2026-01Leo Carrillo State Park34.05014-118.9346531'6353
Los AngelesMalibu Creek State Park
Madera2024-04Codorniz Recreation Area37.21305-119.96810664'79.352.8
MarinBicentennial Campground
Mariposa2024-06Wawona Campground, Yosemite National Park37.55087-119.684233920'80.959.3
MendocinoMacKerricher State Park – near Ft. Bragg
Mendocino2026-07Hendy Woods State Park
Merced2026-06San Luis Reservoir State Recreational Area
Modoc2026-07Lassen Creek Campground

From Alturas go north on US Hwy 395 approximately 20 miles to Davis Creek. Turn east on County Road 11 and continue approximately 9 miles to County Road 30/Modoc Backcountry Discovery Trail and turn left/north. Continue north approximately 15 miles to the campground on the right.

Alternately, continue past Davis Creek to Co. Rd. 47, turn right (east) and follow the few signs to the campground.
MonoBig Bend Campground
Mono2026-04Convict Lake37.59456-118.849337629'4520
MontereyPlaskett Creek Campground
MontereyLimekiln Campground
MontereyKirk Creek Campground
Monterey2024-01Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park36.24986-121.78181208'62.143
Monterey2025-07Ponderosa Campground, Los Padres National Forest35.99743-121.383201518'75.352.4
Napa2024-12Bothe-Napa Valley Campground38.55170-122.52133360’58.753.4
Nevada2024-06White Cloud Campground, Tahoe National Forest39.31949-120.846984375'82.567.8
OrangeCrystal Cove State Park, Moro Campground
Orange2023-03San Clemente State Beach33.40131-117.60002119'60.749.3
Orange2024-02San Clemente State Beach33.40261-117.60025119'62.944.2
Orange2024-08Doheny State Beach33.46290-117.6813313'86.267
Placer
Plumas
Riverside2023-01Lake Perris State Recreational Area33.873758-117.1731961614'57.636.7
Riverside2024-12Joshua Tree National Park33.74457-115.812643115'79.143.1
Riverside2026-03Mt. San Jacinto State Park33.74848-116.714855400'8848
Sacramento
San Benito2024-04Pinnacles National Park36.48781-121.15083998'69.841.6
San Bernardino2023-05Silverwood Lake State Recreational Area34.28454-117.349703497'82.756.7
San Bernardino2025-06Serrano Campground, Big Bear Lake34.26285-116.921596803'7637.6
San Diego2023-02Anza-Borrego Desert State Park33.13836-116.375081423'68.428.4
San Diego2025-01South Carlsbad State Beach33.105930-117.32084769'78.444.7
San Diego2025-09San Elijo State Beach33.02246-117.2850166'73.261.1
San Francisco2025-04Rob Hill Campground, Presidio of San Fransisco37.79660-122.47592344'61.553
San JoaquinCaswell Memorial State Park Campground
San Luis ObispoOceano Campground - Pismo State Beach
San Luis ObispoIslay Creek Campground
San Luis Obispo2023-07Montana De Oro State Park35.28736-120.87800189'80.453.6
San Luis Obispo2024-07Morro Bay State Park35.34780-120.8385022'8856.7
San Luis Obispo2025-06San Simeon State Park35.59663-121.1231934'81.453.6
San MateoHalf Moon Bay State Beach – Francis Beach Campground
San Mateo2025-04Portola Redwoods State Park37.26574-122.21097622'65.654.1
Santa BarbaraRefugio State Beach
Santa BarbaraGaviota
Santa Barbara2026-02Jalama Beach34.50929-120.5009715'6346
Santa Barbara2023-11Cachuma Lake Recreation Area34.58428-119.95844748'79.643.9
Santa Barbara2024-11El Capitan State Beach34.46168-120.0232270'72.839.2
Santa Clara2025-12Uvas Canyon County Park37.08572-121.794811117’6554
Santa CruzBig Basin Redwoods State Park
Santa Cruz2024-12New Brighton State Beach36.98162-121.93333137’62.655.1
Shasta
SierraSalmon Creek Campground
SiskiyouRed Fir Flat Group Campground
Solano
Sonoma2026-06Gualala Point Regional Park
StanislausModesto Reservoir Baptista Point - Lakeview Campground

Deer Creek Campground (Frank Raines OHV)
Sutter
Tehama
Trinity
Tulare2024-03Potwisha Campground, Sequoia National Park36.51736-118.800252121'64.853.2
TuolumneTuolumne Meadows Campground - Site: A005, Loop: A
Ventura2023-04Pt. Mugu State Park34.08139-119.031893'59.651.6
Ventura2023-10Mt. Pinos Campground, Los Padres National Forest34.80984-119.109317812'78.458.4
Ventura2025-03Wheeler Gorge Campground, Los Padres National Forest34.51384-119.272171844'60.554
Yolo
Yuba

Notes on How this Table is Filled-In:

  • My phone embeds GPS data into my photos which provides the Latitude and Longitude.
  • Knowing the Lat/Lon, I then go to https://whatismyelevation.com/ to determine my elevation. Satellite data from NASA and other public agencies is combined to create what is called a Digital Elevation Model which is a detailed list of elevation values for points on the Earth’s surface. Their tool then uses Lat/Lon to fetch the value elevation reading in the DEM.
  • Knowing the Lat/Lon/Date, I then go to https://www.visualcrossing.com/ to determine the “Feels Like” Max/Min. Their weather engine processes billions of hourly and sub-hourly weather observations from more than one hundred thousand worldwide observation stations, including satellite and maritime sources to create our global weather observation database. The weather engine then aggregates and interpolates from these records to create the most accurate report.
  • The “feels like”  is the temperature equivalent perceived by humans, caused by the combined effects of air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed.