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CALIFORNIA
FREE CAMPGROUNDS
Highway Rest Areas:
Stays up to eight hours are permitted. Many RVers stay the
night at rest stops. But see the warning below about this by a
California Highway Patrolman.
See
warning by a Highway Patrolman.
Wal-Mart stores.
Unless posted, RVers may spend the
night for free in any Wal-Mart parking lot. For a list of
Wal-Mart stores that
do not permit free overnight stays, click here.
Northern California
Occidental
The Union Hotel offers some of the best Italian dining in
Northern California. RVers who partake of a meal at this
wonderful old hotel can park overnight in the parking lot.
Occidental is a picturesque little community inland from
Bodega Bay. No hookups. For more information call
707-874-3555.
Orick
Just south of Orick (between Crescent City and Eureka) on
US-101 is a free campground run by the state of California.
The camping spots are along the highway, between the highway
and the beach. There is no drinking water but
the state provides portable toilets. The state suggests a
donation of $5 per night. Although there is a lot of traffic
on the road during the day, there is little traffic after 10
p.m. so sleeping is no problem unless you are a light sleeper.
The scenery is great.-A KESSLER
UPDATE 11-00: We
recently visited the Freshwater Lagoon Spit campground just
south of Orick Although it is currently a donation suggested
campground, after the first of the year (2001) the camping
fees will be mandatory. It is indeed a beautiful spot to camp.
Camping is limited to 15 nights at a time and 30 nights in a
calendar year. There are both tent and RV camping spaces. You
are requested to park R's parallel to the ocean and at least
30 feet west of the paved edge of Hwy 101. The crash of the
surf helps cover the traffic noise from 101. -
- MICHELLE REOTT
Update: Jan, 2001:
Freshwater Lagoon Spit will revert to day use only sometime in
the Spring of 2003. -- The editor
Redding
The Win River Casino offers free overnight stays in its
parking lot. The casino is located west of I-5, north of
Anderson and south of Redding. Exit I-5 at Bonnyview Road and
travel south to the third street signal. Turn right and you
are there.
Ripon
Jimco Truck Plaza allows an overnight stay "as long as
it's in a parking space," according to the person we spoke
with. Look for Jimco at 1022 Frontage Road alongside
California Route 99.
Yreka
The Wal-Mart on the north end of town just west of I-5 allows
overnight stays. Yreka is a good overnight stopping point for
RVers traveling north or south on I-5 between California and
Oregon or Washington. Yreka is near the very northern border
of California.
Central & east of the Sierra
Bakersfield vicinity
East of Bakersfield: Hiway 58
just east of the intersection with Hwy 395 around and behind
the ARCO gas station. FREE parking. When we were there,
parked were everything from truck campers to 18 wheelers.
Not fancy, but free. N. BURNS
Boron
"A rest area just outside of Boron, Calif., permits
overnighting. There are no hookups or dump, but it's free."
-- BOB IN CARMEL
Bridgeport
You can stay overnight iat
Busters Market which is along U.S. 395 in this one-street
town. There is a large parking lot on the west side of the
store, and a Texaco gas station across the street with a
dump station. There's a nearby laundry with showers. Bridge
is a good stopping point when traveling between Northern and
Southern California, and not far from the best ghost town in
the West, Bodie. (8-01)
Places to
park overnight between Los Angeles
and Sacramento/San Francisco on I-5
The Apricot Tree
Restaurant, at exit 368 (north of the Coalinga exit)
allows RVers to stay overnight for free in its parking lot.
Be sure to order some apricot pie. A bit farther south,
Harris Ranch, at exit 333 (state route 198), allows
RVers to overnight for free in its quiet parking lot between
the hotel and restaurant (good food).
Lone Pine
Turtle Creek BLM campground is located off US-395, west of
Lone Pine. Go west about 3 miles on Whitney Portal Road,
turn left onto Horseshoe Meadows Road, just under 2 miles
turn right onto the campground road. There is water
available but is not tested and is not certified safe for
drinking. There is no charge for camping but they do accept
donations to help maintain the campground, water, trees,
etc. -- B. CASHMAN
Click to see a 360 degree
photo taken
Don Bain's Virtual Reality Panoramas!
Southern California
Adelanto (near
Victorville)
Adelanto allows overnight camping in its city park just one
short block off Highway 395. The restrooms are not the
cleanest I have ever seen but then, for that price, what do
you want? -- W. SCHAAFSMA
Anza-Borrego Desert State
Park
Twelve campgrounds are available in this huge park
(campsites are $7-$22 a night), but it is one of the few
California parks that allows free open camping throughout
its 600,00 acres. A daily park fee of $5 is required for
such primitive camping, and slightly more at designated
sites, so free is really "free," but five bucks isn't bad.
-- THE EDITOR
Baker
A large, free, overnight parking lot for trucks and RVs
isl ocated across the street from the Bun-Boy Restaurant and
Motel. It's right downtown -- can't miss it. -- THE
EDITOR
Death Vallley and vicinity
 Free
camping areas between Las Vegas and Death Valley
Death Valley Junction
Actress/ballerina Marta Becket permits overnight RV camping
in the parking lot of her
Armagosa Opera House for a $2 donation. Be sure to see
her one-woman show, staged in the winter season only (too
hot in summer). And if you're interested in a really unique
experience, pop for a few bucks and stay in her historic
motel. -- THE EDITOR
Joshua Tree National Park
(29 Palms)
"Seventeen miles east of the Twentynine Palms on Highway 62
is the Star's Way Out Cafe. Owner Dave will let you dry-camp
on his property at no charge.If your rig is not
self-contained he will even leave the restroom open after
closing time." -- DUTCH
Niland/Slab City
Slab City, on the shores of the Salton City near Niland, is
a haven for boondockers. Camp for free forever here on an
abandoned military training center. Hundreds of RVers hole
up in the mild winter, many in organized groups with special
interests (single RVers, for example). Bring your own water
and power (solar panels are popular) and a little extra cash
to shop at the ongoing, informal swap meet. Slab City isn't
just a place, it's an experience. -- THE EDITOR
A READER RESPONSE ABOUT SLAB CITY (9-99): Your suggestion
of Slab City as an RV stop scares me a little. Reading your
post it seems like a pretty cool place to stay. I would hate
to be the person who sent an unsuspecting elderly couple
into this place. This is no place for the average RV person
to visit, let alone stay.
Needles
The city park by the old railroad station downtown provides
free overnight parking for self-contained RVs. -- THE
EDITOR
Oceanside
A reader reported that the Oceanside Wal-Mart kicked her
out late at night. So avoid it. (7-00)
Dec. 2000: Replied a reader
named Kathleen: "But if you park at the the Sam's Club right
next to the Walmart in oceanside you will have no problem.
Actually it's inland a bit in the town of Vista right off of
Hwy 78 just east of Oceanside."
Palo Verdes
Palos Verde County Park is
three miles south of Palos Verdes on State Route 78. Up to
three days of free camping is permitted. Thirty sites are
available, 45 foot maximum on RVs. -- THE EDITOR
Pasadena
(Jan., 2001) A reader reports that it is illegal to camp
on city streets in Pasadena.
Santa Barbara/Malibu
Read a long letter from a reader: "For those of you who
are going to visit the Malibu-Santa Barbara coastline in
Southern California, there are several places to stay free
overnight.
(Read more)
Tecopa
Many RVers and tenters often camp on an open piece of BLM
land at the intersection of Tecopa Hot Springs Road and
Highway 127. There is a lot of free camping in this area.
Learn
more and see great photos. -- THE EDITOR
Walker Pass
A BLM campground is located on California route 178 east
approximately 30 miles past Lake Isabella; the campground
visible from the road. This is fairly close to U.S. 395 and
Ridgecrest. -- THE EDITOR
A WARNING FROM A
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROLMAN:
"Overnighting at highway rest
stops in California: The law says "NO", but it really becomes
the discretion of the Patrol Officer, or Commander for that
area. Where we have high crime report activity we will
'suggest' moving along. Some of our rest stops, particularly
those close to major metropolitan areas, are prime "Gimme all
your cash and credit cards!!" opportunities for the missguided
youth of the area. If you ARE going to hole up there, make it
one night only, lock every entry to your coach to eliminate
surprise visits, and don't open your door for ANYONE except a
law enforcement officer no matter what the sob story,
screaming or other enticement. We see a lot of "Good
Samaritan" robberies, where someone will knock rapidly on the
door late at night or early in the morning and holler,
"There's smoke and sparks coming from under your ***!!" Once
you open the door to see what they're talking about, you get
shoved back to inspect the business end of their weapon of
choice. So.. don't overstay your welcome, and....be careful!
-- JIM IN SACRAMENTO, CHP. |
