Being a preserve, Mojave National Preserve lacks a few of the facilities you would find in Joshua Tree or Death Valley, but this absence creates the opportunity for a more intimate visit with the desert. For the traditionalists (those who like camping near a bathroom), Mojave National Preserve has a couple standard campgrounds. For more adventurous campers, Mojave offers a unique experience akin to wilderness car camping. ...Read more.

Nine campgrounds are open to visitors within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. Texas Spring Campground near Furnace Creek is centrally located and one of the nicer campgrounds in Death Valley, with bushes and short trees providing shade. Some of the other campgrounds are not California's most impressive, offering little more than open gravel landscapes for setting up tents. ...Read more.

The only campground in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island is Hermit Gulch. The campground is located a mile from the center of town on Avalon Canyon Road just before the Botanical Gardens. For hikers, the adjacent Hermit Gulch Trail provides a single-track ascent to the Trans-Catalina Trail on the ridgeline above Avalon. The campground is made up of 43 sites, each with its own picnic table. ...Read more.

Hoegees Camp lies along Winter Creek in the canyon adjacent to Sturtevant Falls. Both trails begin from Chantry Flats. And while the hike to Hoegees Camp does not offer a waterfall, it does offer a 4.25-mile out-and-back hike through a lush canyon with 700 feet of elevation change. You may also continue on Upper Winter Creek Trail to return to Chantry Flats for a 4. ...Read more.

If the short hike to Sturtevant Falls leaves you yearning for more, get more by continuing up Santa Anita Canyon to Spruce Grove Camp. Beyond the falls, the trail takes on a greater feeling of wilderness immersion. This section of Gabrielino Trail gets less foot traffic, making it a great retreat for those times when you need to feel far from LA. To get to Spruce Grove Camp, start from the trailhead at Chantry Flats, descend to Roberts Camp and follow the directions up Gabrielino Trail to Sturtevant Falls. ...Read more.

Need to get out of LA? Fresh air can be found camping within a hardy forest of pines and incense cedars at Buckhorn Campground. A small nearby creek provides a popular swimming hole for summer visitors, and away from the light pollution of LA, there are opportunities to eye shooting stars in the night sky. Day-hikers can venture off on nearby trails including Mount Waterman and Cooper Canyon Falls. ...Read more.

Millard Campground (also called Millard Trail Camp) sits alongside a stream at the trailhead for Millard Falls. There are only five tent sites that are all first-come first-serve. The grounds appear to function as a picnic area for many visitors. If you are coming out to hike the creek, the campgrounds are an ideal venue for a BBQ. Millard Campground The sites are a quarter mile from the parking lot, so a short "hike it" is required. ...Read more.

Malibu Creek State Park is a popular destination for campers and hikers who want to experience the beauty of Malibu's mountains and canyons. The 7,000-acre park boasts a good amount of trails, including the popular hike to the former set of MASH. Located just 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Malibu Creek State Park offers a quick getaway for residents eager for a night in the outdoors. ...Read more.

Leo Carrillo State Park boasts a large campground just across PCH from the park's 1.5 miles of beautiful waterfront. A path from the campground goes underneath PCH to allow easy access to the beach. Once there, campers can swim, surf, and walk along the shore, exploring numerous rock formations with sea caves and tide pools. The campground is made up of 135 sites, each with its own picnic table and fire ring. ...Read more.