Camping in So Ca

M

mindwip

Joined
Oct 22, 2004
Messages
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Hello all i was wondering if any one knew good places to camp in Sourthen California? I live in Orange county. Oh and no desert camping looking for forest i want trees!


Also i would like to camp with out camp grounds, just finding a place along the trail and pitch a tent. When ever i try to look for camping in CA every place i see mentions camp ground camping only. I am sure there is just "trail camping" in CA. Is there a word for that type of camping that i such be searching with? Just got my Mora knife and the Järvenpää Aito Puukko with some flint and steel and sharpener from ragweedfordge. All items bought because of this site!







Thanks for your help
 
You would call that "remote camping". Some places also have "yellow post" sites, which are undeveloped camp sites.

In many areas, you can just drive out on a forest road and camp where you wish. Some areas near towns and such are restricted, but for the most part it is wide open. You will need to get a fire permit from a ranger station, whether you build a fire or not...this is just to make sure you have read the rules. Some areas will be fire restricted, so check on that as well.

I would suggest the San Bernardino Mountains. Take a trip up there, stop at a ranger station and get a map, then go explore. I would suggest the Mill Creek ranger station, and that end of the mountains to start with, as they are least effected by the fires.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/forestvisitormaps/sanbernardino/
 
If you want trees in Southern California, you need to think "mountains." Head up toward Mt. Whitney or Mammoth to find real woods. There is both National Forest and BLM land that will fit your requirements.

Go to A16 or REI and look at the tons of info they have on backpacking.

-- FLIX
 
Southern Sierra is great too! Lonepine, Bishop, Mammoth. Less restricted and crowded than SBNF. Google Inyo National Forest.....
 
Angeles National Forest may be closer than a trek up to Lone Pine.

Backpacking is the way to go. As long as you're not in Little Yosemite Valley or on the Reyes Lake Loop, a few miles of trail will get you some solitude.
 
go to sgwa.org. for the San Gorgonio Wilderness. You can get an explorer's permit and cannot camp in the back country camp grounds, only in unmarked sites. It's about an hours drive from OC.
 
Southern CA is tough. Especially for trees if you mosy up the road (99) for a couple of hours there is Sequia national forest, thats got some trees. The place I like to go is the Devils Punchbowl outside of Pearblossom on the 138, I tend to be one of the badguys that go offtrail (which I do not recommend, endorse or condone) so finding a place is never tough if you go back far enough. Are you an experienced woodsman?
 
Thanks to all for the info i am looking up your links right now.

Thanks to reconranger for the name!

FLIX i love REI and have been a member for well since i was 11! well ok my mom was a member but only because i could not be one yet. I hate A16, i went in there when i was 13 ready to buy about 1,000 worth of climbing gear! I was never more ignored in my life. After that i went to REI and i had no problem getting help and being treated like an adult. Guess who got my money.

Are you an experienced woodsman? More like experienced hiker. I have rock climbed and hiked and camped (in trailer) growing up, in about every state 2 over from CA. I have taken a ROTC like program with the explorers for the military and camped and hiked with that. That was fun sleeping in a shallow ranger grave you dug your self with only summer gear in the winter desert in open air. No fire. Also i have been a firstresponder for 7 years and just finished my EMT course waiting till i can take the test. I can start fire with real flint and steel, and a mag block. Know the basics for survival very well, want to camp to learn more bushcraft and plant life.

Know my way around knives and swords.
 
mindwip, if ya want to learn plant life, you're in luck. You have one of the best instructors in the country near you, Christopher Nyerges. He runs classes just about every weekend in and around Pasadena.

christophernyerges.com

Also, Dude McLean and myself are in the area and teach with Christopher. All three of us write for "Wilderness Way" magazine, with Christopher being the editor.

You can find some of our articles at dirttime.com
 
If you want to camp where the trees are i would agree you got to go to the mountains. At this time of the year expect it to be cold and some rain. There isnt much snow up there yet just plain cold now. I would say go to kings canyon at sequia forest. Lots of places where there are no people.. The high sierra be better ready for some real snow and rain at this time. No fun unless you are ready for it.

Sasha
 
Halcon I wish i could take some of the classes with him but got to work on saturdays.. In the winter i mostly go to the desert love and anza desert. Summer time is the mountains.... it would be nice to meet ya all one day for a walk about.

Sasha
 
wow.. there sure are a lot of cali folks on here.....:eek: especially in so cal...

do i hear CALI. BF gathering....
 
I think it would be a cool idea.. It would be nice to learn from others hands on and put some faces to names.

Sasha
 
Sasha, get a hold of me. Many times, no, most of the time I am free during the week. I live by JPL and the Arroyo Seco, actually across the street.

Also, you missed an Anza trip we did back in April. we had about 30 people.

My boy just reconned Seqouia for a big class we're going to do, and the roads are indeed closed. No worries, we have the area already scoped, locked, and loaded.

If any So. Cal fellas wanna get together, drop me a pm.

Alan
dirttime.com
 
Sounds fun, will drop you a line. BF hike sounds like a good way to try out lots of knifes for free lol

Thanks for those site links, will look up taking some of the classes
 
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