Boondocking restrictions? where can't i go in CA?!

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MikeFisher

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Posts
10
Location
Bourne End, UK
Hi there, my name's Mike. I posted on the forum a couple of months ago looking for advice and tips and as the date for our trip looms just 2 weeks away i have a couple more questions for those in the know. This may be obvious or basic stuff but we're new to it all.

i have looked thought the library and can't find anything which specifically details the restrictions in place regarding stopping the Rv and camping overnight away from a park (boondocking). Is this because you can park just about wherever you want an there's no issue or because its not the done thing? I know that if you parked a 25ft RV at a scenic spot by the coast here in the UK, you would soon have some nosey neighbour call the police or a ?40 parking fine!

Initially i am looking at the Santa Cruz area (the hills to the north) and depending on the info i get back from this topic, i'll plan other places on our route. Can someone please tell me whether i can park up at a nice point overlooking Santa cruz and the ocean for a night without attracting any unwanted attention?

Thanks for any help you might have,

Mike
 
Be advised that many towns prohibit parking on public streets. California has a law prohibiting parking on the side of the road, i.e. that quiet place away from towns, apart from which it could be downright dangerous.

That inviting piece of land you might think of as a campground for the night will likely be private property, and you'd get a rude awakening if you camped there.

It's been many years since I went over the hill, but I don't recall anywhere in the Santa Cruz mountains where you can boondock with a view. There are, however, various campgrounds around Santa Cruz or nearby Monterey. The closest one to Santa Cruz is Moss Landing, but you'll have a nice view of the power station.
 
Both Tom and I live in CA -- he in the north and I in the south. 

Boondocking is, as the name implies, is largely confined to the boondocks -- areas beyond even rural.  In Southern California, the only legal boondocking that I know of is found in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  It is illegal on streets, and on highways.  Highway rest areas are posted against it as being just plain dangerous as well as being illegal.  On vacant private property without permission it is called trespassing.  I know of no legal boondocking near the beach areas and my knowledge is good.

For beach camping, your best bet is the California State Park System which has a website http://www.parks.ca.gov/.  All those campsites require fees and reservations.  There are some commercial CGs that are beach sited.  They are best discovered by a campground guidebook such as Trailer Life's or Woodall's.  For picturesque camping near Santa Cruz, I would recommend the redwood forests around Felton, CA.  Smithwoods is one such commercial CG.  http://www.smithwoodsrvpark.com/index.htm

Figure on camping in legal state and local parks or commericial parks.  There are plenty of those available.



 
It's definitely nice up in Felton, and the nearby Roaring Camp Railroad is worth a visit. But you won't have any vista of Santa Cruz, as you'll see by the density of trees in the photos on their web site. It's pretty much like that throughout the Santa Cruz mountains, especially on the coastal side.
 
Mike,

Being from the U.K., there's another related issue pertaining to boondocking that you might not know about.  California and the other western states have a lot of forest fires and this year has been particularly bad because of the drought.  Our firefighting resources have reached their limits and the fire season isn't over yet.  If you're boondocking somewhere and accidentally start a fire - well, you just wouldn't want to do that.  We call them "forest" fires, but really any area that has low-lying brush, even without trees, can have wildfires so "they" are really tough about not camping except in designated areas.  Wildfires endanger lives and property which is why throwing a cigarette out a car window in California is illegal.  If any in your group are smokers, please do us all a favor and alert them to be especially careful about extinguishing their smokes safely and properly.  By the way, most national and state parks have signs that say camping is allowed only in designated areas.  These days most are also prohibiting campfires and occasionally they close a park because the tinder is just too dangerous and they don't want to take a chance on having a fire burn out of control.

I agree with Tom.  In driving along the coast on California's route 1, there really aren't many places to pull off except designated areas.  There's lots of private property and, unlike in England, the public is not welcome to use trails across private land.  We were quite amazed in England when our friends took us on a short hike where the trail took us across private property.  Your land use laws are different in that respect.  Carl's suggestion about the State Park beaches is a good one.  They're in great settings.  Also Tom mentioned that camping alongside the road usually is illegal.  This applies to highway rest areas as well.  You're allowed to stop for a brief rest, but most have signs prohibiting overnight camping in rest areas.

Boondocking in the U.S. often implies shopping center parking lots like Wal Mart.  This company is RV friendly, but many communities are alarmed over the growing use - and abuse - of such boondocking sites.  As a result they have enacted city ordinances prohibiting overnight camping except in established campgrounds.  Be sure to look for signs indicating such ordinances.  It's always a good idea to ask permission of the store manager and do some shopping there to help them continue to want RVers.  The large RV organizations (Escapees, Family Motor Coach Assn.) have adopted an etiquette code for boondocking in an effort to stave off more anti-RV city codes.  Most are common sense such as no waste tank dumping in parking lots (yes people do that and I actually saw it happen once), don't put out awnings and slides, no BBQs, lawn chairs, etc.  In other words, don't set up a campsite.  You are merely parking there and don't want to make it appear like you're there to camp.

While many of us were attracted to RVing because of the ability to have a "wilderness" experience, the fact is the world has changed and people are more touchy these days about protecting many things and places.  Sad, but true.  Even with these boondocking restrictions I think you'll enjoy your RVing experience here.  They're not really as bad as it sounds.

ArdraF
 
Thanks everyone,
Ok so its booking somewhere every night then i guess. Slightly more expensive than i first expected in that respect. I know a lot of the major RV parks require advanced booking for full hookups etc. what's the cheapest way to go i.e,  how are campsites about bringing an RV even if you don't require their hookup facilities? i don't feel its really necessary to pay for full hookup every single night am i right? we have booked a couple at the beginning, middle and end though already to recharge and drain the tanks etc.

Thanks

Mike
 
Mike,

We seldom make campground reservations because we like the flexibility of being able to change directions if we choose.  If we want to stop for the night at a specific RV park we call an hour or two ahead to see what they have available.  We're seldom told they're full.  Also, campgrounds here often have full hookup sites as well as some that are water and electric only.  The full hookup pull-through sites generally are the highest priced.  The exception to our not making reservations is if it's a holiday weekend, if it's a very popular area (Disneyworld's Fort Wilderness comes to mind), or where we want to stay for some length of time such as when visiting family or attending a reunion.  The beach state parks in California might be another exception.  Also Yosemite, Yellowstone, and places like that.  You'll undoubtedly find less expensive and maybe even some free boondocking places, but I think we'd rather have you be prepared for paying and then be happy if you don't need to - rather than the other way around.

ArdraF
 
more expensive than i first expected

Wait while I get my towel out and cry boyo. The way the exchange rate is nowadays, you can go to Barclays, Lloyds, or Nat West with 100 quid and they'll give you a sackfull of $dollars.

There's certainly a range of prices when it come to campgrounds. If you can get into national forest campgrounds, state or regional parks, they'll be among the cheapest. Pick a few locations and we'll try to locate some campgrounds for you.
 
What about US Forest Service areas in California? Do any of them have dispersed camping?
 
Wendy,

In California, yes. But, looking at the map on the recreation.gov web site, I don't see any USFS campgrounds anywhere near Santa Cruz.
 
According to the BLM web site, dispersed camping on BLM land on the Monterey peninsula (south of Santa Cruz) is currently closed.
 
Around Santa Cruz, in a campground is probably the best place to be. But in other parts of California, there are campgrounds and dispersed camping places in the USFS. I don't which direction Mike's going, but he could stay in a campground (state or private) in Santa Cruz, then maybe boondock somewhere else in California, couldn't he?

Wendy

 
In an earlier message, Mike said he traveling the coast between San Francisco and LA (or vice versa). I believe that's one reason Ardra mentioned state beaches.

Mike, to ardra's point on forest fires, here's a message from Smokey the bear and friends. The message applies irrespective whether anyone is a smoker, but I want to scream when I see someone throw a cigarette butt out of a car window.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEWZ0xhbQVk
 
wendycoke said:
What about US Forest Service areas in California? Do any of them have dispersed camping?

Given the current Condition-Red fire hazards, I suspect established campgrounds are it for camping in forest lands.
 
MikeFisher said:
Thanks everyone,
Ok so its booking somewhere every night then i guess. Slightly more expensive than i first expected in that respect. I know a lot of the major RV parks require advanced booking for full hookups etc. what's the cheapest way to go i.e,  how are campsites about bringing an RV even if you don't require their hookup facilities? i don't feel its really necessary to pay for full hookup every single night am i right? we have booked a couple at the beginning, middle and end though already to recharge and drain the tanks etc.

Parks rent out campsites for short time use on the basis of the ulitities available at the particular site.   If it has sewer, water, and electric, you pay for them, use them or not.   That said all types of parks, public or commercial, can have sites with just water and electric or nothing at all for reduced prices.  Use a campground guide or make inquiry when you book.

Dumping intervals depend on tank size and personal use.  I find that a 40 gallon black tank goes for about 5 days with two adults.  Grey and fresh water are completely dependent on your habits.

Any rate do not sweat it.  As Tom says the exchange rate is the best for you that it has been since the start of the 20th century.  Furthermore, even the pricey California petrol is only  $1.06 per liter.

 
Carl L said:
Given the current Condition-Red fire hazards, I suspect established campgrounds are it for camping in forest lands.

Sorry, I forgot you guys are still burning....and it's not even Labor Day yet. Here's hoping you get some nice wet, non-lightning, storms to help put things out....maybe Fay could skip Florida and dump on California instead?

Wendy
 
....maybe Fay could skip Florida and dump on California instead?

Is she camping in Florida? It's a long way from FL to CA just to dump  ???

We really could do with some rain. Many lakes and reservoirs were low going into this summer.
 
Tom said:
Is she camping in Florida? It's a long way from FL to CA just to dump  ???

We really could do with some rain. Many lakes and reservoirs were low going into this summer.

With our luck we will get a Frasquita from the Sea of Cortez and get a dozen inches dumped on us for a rash of landslides and mudflows.   :(
 
Carl,

Glad we live several hundred miles north of you. Be sure that you and that wonderful wife of yours stay safe and dry.
 
Tom said:
Carl,

Glad we live several hundred miles north of you. Be sure that you and that wonderful wife of yours stay safe and dry.

The last Frasquita that we suffered was about 25 years ago -- at Lake Tahoe.  Lord, it rained.  We finally had to bail out of our tent trailer and into a motel.
 
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