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Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions
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Alluvial Van
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 5:34 pm    Post subject: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Howdy, the wife and I are planning a 2 week road trip at the end of September and are looking for places to go. We plan to camp part of the time and possibly rent a cabin or AirBnB part of the time. We don’t have any specific places in mind but are thinking somewhere north of SF, either coastal or mountains. We’ve done the eastern Sierras a few times and Yosemite, Sequoia as well as a little bit of Tahoe. I was thinking maybe western Sierra area, Humbolt area or even towards Shasta. Even Nevada if there are some cool areas. We’d love to find some natural (not reservoir) lakes or rivers to swim in and hot springs would be a bonus. Also love hiking. We generally prefer more remote and secluded areas but don’t mind people (at times), haha. Cheers!
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

I’ve spent a lot of time in Humco and your gonna want to tread carefully in the back woods there in late Sept/Oct. my brother owns 150 acres around Dinsmore store and that’s no place to wonder off the beaten path during harvest season. Having said that there is some great camping out there if ya know the spots to avoid. It’s not 1990 or 2012 and things have definitely settled a bit but there’s still a lot of hipp-necks making a living off the land in those woods.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 6:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Our North Coast is very inviting that time of year. I would suggest Redwood National Park/Prairie Creek State Park and the HWY 299 corridor is always beautiful to return on. A lot of AirBnB, VRBO options are popping up as well. Very few people as most will vacate after Labor Day. All the grow stuff is just hub-bub now IMO... it is no where near major HWYs and FS roads you would use..although they did run Les Stroud (survivorman) outta town hahaha.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Shasta and Del-Norte Counties. I've been here near 20 years now.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 7:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Second for Prairie Creek State Park. You can camp at Elk Prairie of Gold Bluffs Beach. Both great! Not secluded but there are private spots. Amazing hiking there and also bike riding opportunities. Smith River at Myrtle Beach pull out and a walk down to swimming hole, day use only. Go over the bridge There and turn left on South Fork road to a Forest Service campground at Hurdy Girdy Creek. Good but maybe mosquitos there.
Mendocino county lots of opportunities for camping. My fav although quite rustic is at the mouth of the Navarro River where Hwy 128 and Hwy 1 meet.
Lots more to discover and many opportunities for dispersed camping in both counties. Great time to travel weather wise. Enjoy!
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covelo
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

+1 on the Navarro State Park suggestion at Hwy 128 and 1. Gorgeous up there. Good selection of AirBnBs as well, especially around the town of Mendocino. The coast is really the best that time of year. I would also recommend the Sinkyone Wilderness on the Lost Coast. There is a campground at the end of a logging road, right on Usal Beach. The road used to be terrible but I drove it with our Jetta a couple of years ago and it was fine. Should be no problem in a bus.

Harbin Hot Springs in Lake County is a fun place to camp on your way back if you're into hot springs. It is still recovering from being completely burnt out in 2015 but it's a lovely place and one of my favorite camping spots.

Since you're coming from San Diego, you may also want to boondock on the Big Sur coast. There's some very nice spots just south of the town of Big Sur. Also a really nice glamping resort at Treebones further south on the Big Sur Coast. You make me want to go plan my own trip now.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

DON'T go to big sur to camp unless it is in a designated campground. Road closures and big fines through mid-october. Can thank all of the people that destroy the area and people starting illegal campfires. The locals will turn you in.
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Igeo
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:57 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

If you do end up near Big Sur needing to camp, investigate the ridge road that goes north from the summit of Nacimiento Furgeson Road. Most people go south on the ridge road to a popular camp (Prewitt ridge) down there. Not many go north. Great views!
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:34 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

A good homegrown resource:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=517506

Happy Trails!

Dan
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:35 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

If you plan to cross the Sierras, bear in mind that popular Hwy 120 through Yosemite currently requires a permit. 108 or 88 are good options.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:11 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

gonewesty4good wrote:
Our North Coast is very inviting that time of year. I would suggest Redwood National Park/Prairie Creek State Park and the HWY 299 corridor is always beautiful to return on. A lot of AirBnB, VRBO options are popping up as well. Very few people as most will vacate after Labor Day. All the grow stuff is just hub-bub now IMO... it is no where near major HWYs and FS roads you would use..although they did run Les Stroud (survivorman) outta town hahaha.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Shasta and Del-Norte Counties. I've been here near 20 years now.



Agree 100%. Anywhere along Humboldt, Del Norte counties. Wife and I are going to Patrick's Point in early October.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:53 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

My go-to spot in NorCal has always been Trinity County and the surrounding areas (Siskyou, Shasta, Humboldt), mainly because my parents have a summer house in Weaverville I can use as "base camp" even if camping.

Most of the non-manmade lakes in the county are rather small and usually many miles up from the trailheads in the Trinity Alps, though, and the nearest hot springs I'm aware of are on the other side of Redding...
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 9:00 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

tristessa wrote:
My go-to spot in NorCal has always been Trinity County and the surrounding areas...


Good one- and try a search for "Bridge Camp" along Stuarts Fork. Hike from there to Emerald and Sapphire lakes. Or just jump off the rocks into the river at Cherry Flat.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:04 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

peffleyjeanne wrote:
Second for Prairie Creek State Park. You can camp at Elk Prairie of Gold Bluffs Beach. Both great! Not secluded but there are private spots. Amazing hiking there and also bike riding opportunities. Smith River at Myrtle Beach pull out and a walk down to swimming hole, day use only. Go over the bridge There and turn left on South Fork road to a Forest Service campground at Hurdy Girdy Creek. Good but maybe mosquitos there.
Mendocino county lots of opportunities for camping. My fav although quite rustic is at the mouth of the Navarro River where Hwy 128 and Hwy 1 meet.
Lots more to discover and many opportunities for dispersed camping in both counties. Great time to travel weather wise. Enjoy!


I second these recommendations. Gold Bluffs Beach Campground with a walk up the beach to Fern Canyon is awesome.

Gold Bluffs Beach
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Fern Canyon
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S.R. 128 along the Anderson Valley is a great route to take from 101 to 1. It is a single road that offers a little bit of everything that is great about Northern California.

The Trinity Alps recommendations in this thread are pretty great too, if you are heading that far north.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:34 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

The above Gold Bluffs/Fern Canyon is great, I'll agree. I have been turned away due to the place being filled though, and it's a bit of a drive off 101 to get there.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 1:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Igeo wrote:
If you plan to cross the Sierras, bear in mind that popular Hwy 120 through Yosemite currently requires a permit. 108 or 88 are good options.


And don't forget about 4 (Ebbetts Pass). Probably the quietest of the bunch with lightly used campgrounds and amazing hiking all over the place. Be sure to stop at the Lube Room in Dorrington for lunch/dinner if you go that way.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 2:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

IMO: I'd drive up 5 to 101 in Ventura; 101 North to SLO; hwy 1 to Mendocino, 101 all the way to Crescent City.

Then I'd take 199 over to Shasta/Lassen/Lava Fields and back down the front range Sierra's home to SD via your choice/time. Cool
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 4:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Del Norte Redwoods SP offers some amazing hikes, views and big trees and Mill Creek campground has some great sites and good washrooms with showers. There are also some great coastal beach hikes in the area. Emerald Bay in the Tahoe area is equally awesome and (as noted above) the drive to Calaveras SP using 4 through Ebbets Pass is certainly a thrill, but be prepared for a slow climb and a rapid descent, so both motor and brakes need to be in top shape. I am currently bummed as I was to have been through Big Basin to Humbolt last week, but then COVID reared it’s ugly head... Fingers crossed for 2021... Best of luck!
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

gonewesty4good wrote:
IMO: I'd drive up 5 to 101 in Ventura; 101 North to SLO; hwy 1 to Mendocino, 101 all the way to Crescent City.

Then I'd take 199 over to Shasta/Lassen/Lava Fields and back down the front range Sierra's home to SD via your choice/time. Cool


299 E goes to Shasta, Lassen (44) etc. 199 E goes to Cave Junction Ore. Grants Pass Ore. then I5S to Shasta, etc. Not sure which route you were suggesting but either is an adventure and probably a very long drive for a two week adventure. Especially if you end up in Oregon. I thunk you need a month Smile So much to see and do. Don’t forget to smell the roses, or worship the ancient redwoods.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2020 9:00 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Happy to see this thread and also lend support for the places already mentioned. I'm chiming in because I've we typically stick to state parks with our young boys and haven't ventured too far off the path. But, reservations at state parks anywhere in NorCal are almost impossible to find for a weekend trip. Or even a long weekend. Might anyone be able to share family friendly spots that don't require reservations, and that may also be less known/popular spots??

Unfortunately because of the heatwave and it's bad timing, I had to postpone our trip we had planned all summer for this weekend. Bad timing! thanks. Hope this doesn't take away from the OP.
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Alluvial Van
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 9:27 am    Post subject: Re: Camping, hiking, site seeing in Northern CA. Need opinions Reply with quote

Great suggestions so far. I should have mentioned before we’re bringing our dog so state parks are generally a no go. They’re not dog friendly at all.
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