All "Overnight Escapes" Stories in Southern CA
Where to Sheep
Located in the hills of Anderson Valley, with Adirondacks and hammocks perched perfectly for relaxation, and plenty of room to roam, Sheep Dung Properties is no ordinary name—becau
ViewThe Center of It All
Since woodsy Idyllwild is so defined (and blessed) by nature, its Nature Center is a must-visit while you’re in town—and it’s just a half-mile from idyllic Idyllwild Campground. Yo
ViewEl Capitán, My Capitán
The best part about camping at El Capitán State Beach? It just might be sunset. The campground, perched on a forested bluff above the beach, gives you the best seats in the house for watching the sun settle down into the Santa Barbara Channel.
ViewDune It on the Beach!
Here’s where camping on the beach means … camping on the beach! Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is famous for its broad, flat beach, rolling sand dunes that seem to st
ViewDown Doheny Way
For the best beach camping in SoCal, come down Doheny way, where everybody’s gone surfin’, surfin’ USA! Doheny State Beach, that is, situated on 62 acres of coastline in Dana Point
ViewBaldy Base Camp
The grand stone house known as Harwood Lodge, set at 6,000 feet amid the pine-forested splendor of the San Gabriel Mountains, is just a short walk from Mount Baldy Trail, the quintessential SoCal mountain trek. It's also close to trails for more leisurely walks.
ViewHunt for the Hot Springs!
Wanna find hidden hot springs? Hunt for them! Tucked alongside a creek in the Madhesi Valley an hour from Burney Falls and 5 miles from the nearest town of Big Bend (population 102
ViewCarson Calling
Along the banks of the East Fork Carson River, brushing the California–Nevada border, sits a series of hot spring pools surrounded by high desert. The springs have for years been a
ViewSan Gabriels Sojourn
To overnight at Sturtevant Camp is to relive Southern California’s “Great Hiking Era”—the 1880s to late 1930s—when millions flocked to the San Gabriel Mountains to hike, fish, and
ViewAt Home on the PCT
Cienaga Creek Ranch rests at 8,250 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains. Nice. But even better: The ranch is smack dab on the Pacific Crest Trail, 8 miles southeast of Big Bear! Th
ViewGulls Getaway
The Anacapa wildlife spectacle begins almost as soon as you pull away from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. First up are playful common dolphins, and if you’re lucky, humpback and migrating gray whales. As you approach, you’ll see (and hear) noisy California sea lions and harbor seals.
ViewFancy 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
View
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