By Jan Lee
Northern California offers some of the best facilities for camping, with well-designed sites, flush toilets and showers and eye-popping scenery. Keep in mind that reservations are recommended in most parks during the summer months, on weekends and holidays.
During the summer some parks may have restrictions on open campfires and smoking. The restrictions depend upon climate conditions and can vary from week to week as dry conditions change.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
The 16,000-acre Big Basin Redwoods State Park, located approximately 18 miles north of Santa Cruz is one of the best places to hike among the Redwoods. Campsites are spread across four campgrounds. Two campgrounds have walk-in sites located a short walk from the parking lot and two have drive-in sites. There are RV sites but no hookups. The park, which is open all year, also features one-room tent cabins.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
21600 Big Basin Way
Boulder Creek, CA 95006-9064
Tel: (831) 338-8860
Albee Creek - Humbolt Redwoods State Park
Albee Creek is popular not only for its towering Redwoods but its open, airy camping sites. Located on Mattole Road, 5 miles off of the Avenue of the Giants on an old homestead, it offers a variety of scenic areas to camp. It is open from mid-May to mid-October and is popular during the summer.
Activities in the state park include swimming, boating fishing, and horseback riding. Nature walks and campfire events take place during the summer season.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
17119 Avenue of the Giants
Weott, CA 95571
Tel: (707) 946-1811
Albee Campground:
Turn west off of Avenue of the Giants onto Mattole Road; go five miles to campground.
Gold Bluffs Campground -- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Located 25 miles south of Crescent beach on California's spectacular northern coast, Gold Bluffs provides the perfect setting for a summer getaway. The state park comprises a World Heritage Site and is valued for its old growth forest. There are 25, first-come-first-serve sites nestled among the sand dunes that front 10 miles of Gold Bluff beachfront. It is open year-round. The climate is cool and breezy during the summer (45 to 55 degrees F).
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
127011 Newton B. Drury Parkway
Orick CA 95555
Tel: (707) 464-6101
Gold Bluffs Campground:
Located 3 miles north from Orick on US Highway 101
Resources
About the Author:
Jan Lee has been writing articles for approximately 20 years. Lee's articles and content have been published at Suite101, Examiner, BCAdventure, Columbus World Travel Guide and Go Northwest and appeared in publications in Canada, United States and Mexico. Lee received her Bachelors in Spanish from Simon Fraser University, Canada and is a 2004 Society of Professional Journalists' winner for Editorial Writing (Greater Oregon Chapter).
