Where is the best tent camping in Southern California?

Tent camping in California?

• I would like to know where some good tent camping spots are in CA. I'm thinking maybe long beach or san diego. I've never been to CA but want to find some nice camping near ...show more

• Answer:

  You do know that Los Angeles is 500 square miles of city, don't you? If it weren't for Camp Pendleton Marine Base it would be city all of the way from LA to San Diego. The police or the border patrol will pick you up if you try to hitchhike through the base along Interstate 5. Long Beach is all city, port and 500,000 residents. You can't legally tent camp anywhere around here. State and national parks usually offer tent camping, but they aren't next to the airports. City beaches and parks don't allow camping because nobody wants our outdoor recreation areas to look like a homeless encampment. We have plenty of homeless, the most in the USA. Some state beaches like Doheny and Bolsa Chica only allow RV camping. You have to pay to camp in any state or national park. The San Diego airport is next to their downtown, a warehouse district, military base and the waterfront. You can't camp around there either. The website below lists the state parks of California. It will tell you where you can tent camp.