Plan Your Summer Camping with Guest Reviews!

Camp-California.com, our statewide travel planning website has a built-in grading system that enables consumers to rate their camping experiences at each park using letter grades from A to F. Most of the 350 plus campgrounds, RV parks and resorts have letter grades assigned to them based on consumer reviews. The letter grades are a quick way for you to separate the best parks from those that are still working to become top rated parks. This is valuable information to have, particularly as you begin making your spring and summer travel plans.

Click Here to begin your search.

8 California Parks Receive "A" Grades in 5th Annual Consumer Satisfaction Survey!

The eight California parks were among 42 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across the country to earn an all-around A grade in the survey, which was based on the responses of more than 30,000 camping and RV enthusiasts. "Consistently earning an overall A grade from guests is difficult, and our 42 winners this year represent less than 2 percent of all of the nation's campgrounds." said Bob MacKinnon, president and CEO of GuestRated.com, the Murrieta, CA-based company that conducted the online survey on behalf of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

Click Here to read more.

The Way Home

I may not be black, African American. I may not have descended from slavery. I have never struggled to put food on my table or heat my house. I have been blessed. And yes, like most others, I have taken those blessings for granted.

My childhood included many, many journeys into nature: the Redwoods, Yosemite, California's coast, deep hikes into the Sierra. I have had the wilderness touch my spirit. More than once, I have been renewed, rejuvenated by God's creations. I have embraced the magic that floats through the trees, is churned by the waves or hugs the desert sands. To quote Shelton Johnson, Yosemite Nat'l Park Ranger, I have "chosen this for myself" and I must not take that for granted. This video reminds me not to...

I invite all people, black, white or brown to experience at least one nature-invoked, peaceful moment in their lives.

Debbie Sipe, California Campin' Editor

Telling their Stories

California has over 800 RV parks and campgrounds, scattered throughout our vast state. Some are as small as 10 sites, others over 1000. Each has a history with different owners and managers throughout their existence. Camp-California.com begins a new section featuring different park's telling their stories. This month we start with Rancho Los Coches RV Park.

Southern California Park has Long Roots into California's History

Beginning as a land grant from Mexico, the Rancho Los Coches RV Park property has a unique and long history. The one of a kind park, with its own windmill house, is located in the heart of East San Diego, offering an array of great amenities including a heated pool, spa, horse shoes, pool table, ping pong, sparkling clean restrooms and showers, laundry facilities, a large open dog run, rose garden and a recreation room complete with kitchen, games and lending library.

Click Here to learn more about this relaxing retreat.

Featured Region - LA and the "OC"!

Greater Los Angeles - From Oxnard in the west to Lancaster and Pomona in the east and from Frazier Park in the north to Long Beach in the south, the Los Angeles area offers such a stunning amount of activities that the question is not what to do, but where to begin. As the region where glamour was perfected and hip trends developed, the Los Angeles area dazzles. With its film stars, world-class museums, famous shopping venues, and miles of parks, recreation areas, and sunny coastal fun spots, this area is one of the planet's great vacation destinations. Read More

Click Here for a list of great festivals and events in L.A.

The "OC" - Popularly known as "The OC," Orange County is the heart and soul of Southern California. A world-class visitor destination of fun bordered by Los Angeles to the north, San Diego to the south, the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Inland Empire on the East. The ultimate in California dreaming, this area offers sun-soaked adventures in a land of endless summers. Warm sunshine, swaying palm trees and breathtaking ocean views create a relaxed lifestyle where shorts, sandals and sunglasses are always in season. With its sparkling beaches, luxurious resorts, exciting theme parks and unlimited opportunities for shopping and dining, Orange County offers opportunities for everyone. Read More

Click Here for a list of great festivals and events in O.C.

Featured Hikes

Californians love and value their coast, and the California Coastal Trail is an expression of the desire for preservation and responsible access. The Trail is a network of public trails for walkers, bikers, equestrians and wheelchair riders and other along the 1200 mile California coastline. It is currently more than half complete. California Coastal Trail info offers a complete Hiker's Guide including detail maps, information, favorite hikes, ways to volunteer and inspirational stories of 10 hikers that that hiked from Oregon to Mexico in the summer 0f 2003.

Click Here for more info on the California Coastal Trails with links to LA & OC Regions

Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest

You are invited to submit your very best photos of California wildlife for the 2013 California Wildlife Photo of the Year contest.

The 2013 contest has six entry periods, beginning in November, 2012. The 2013 contest is presented by California Watchable Wildlife and Outdoor California, and sponsored by Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Winning images will be published in Outdoor California's six 2013 issues. Grand Prize Winner to be announced in January, 2014.

Click Here to view images from last year's contest you can download a slide show.

For more information visit CAWatchableWildlife

Join the Global Digital Scavenger Hunt

GEOCACHING is a free real-world outdoor treasure hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using a smartphone or GPS and can then share their experiences online. It is a puzzle to solve, a brain teaser, a hidden treasure. It exercises our body and our mind. Perhaps most of all, geocaching is fun. As of this publishing, there had been 5,101,140 new logs submitted in the last 30 days.

Click Here to join the hunt!

Discover More with Camp-California.com

Visit Camp-California today and plan your next camping trip!