well off the beathen path

Free camp sites may seem hard to come by in Southern California - or anywhere along the ocean on the popular west coast, but these no charge camps are quite common in the rest of the golden state. The very best camps are found inside the Sierra Nevada mountains and most any forests of Northern California. Free camping usually means remote, secluded and private. Many accessible via dirt road. Creekside, lakeside, 4x4 not required. Minimal tourists, maximum privacy. USDA rangers like to call it dispersed camping . Some parks refer to it as open camping . RV campers refer to free camp sites as boon-docking . If you wish to camp overnight outside of a developed campground , then you will avoid fees and steer clear of any crowds. Many Californians crave the seclusion and privacy of the back roads, totally saturated inside real nature with the wildlife and all. Developing your self sufficient camping techniques means you will have more options and skills to choose your perfect camp ...

Brewer Lake Campsite , a photo by totalescape.com on Flickr. If you still need me to spell it out - in every photo, in every forest, at each lake, enticing descriptions - every year, year after year.... just so you can be inspired to go outside and enjoy California, I will do so repeatedly. Or you could just cruise thru the years of archives on this California Back Roads Blog . Some of my suggested destinations require a 4x4 to reach, but many do not. Maps are essential. Road trip ideas and cheap travels await. Please also visit my ancient totalescape.com web site. California LAKES LIST Eastern Sierra Lakes Lassen Lakes Sequoia Lakes Shasta Lakes Sierra Nevada Lakes Wilderness Lakes Yosemite Lakes