Category: Campgrounds

15-17 July 2022: Bass Lake

by JamesCalifornia / Campgrounds / Day Trips / Hikes / Sightseeing / State Parks / Travel / Yosemite

Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort is ~372mi from Oceanside, CA. So after a 1-night stop in Bakersfield, we arrived at Bass Lake at ~2pm 15 Jul 2022 – it was 95°F.

Bass Lake RV Resort Map, site 67


Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort has both a members-only section and public campsites (RV & tent). The campground is on the lake’s eastern slope so many sites are terraces, especially the non-member sites. We were assigned site 67, a terraced campsite where backing in was a bit of a challenge. It is angled on a curve section of road (see campsite map), and sloped, making the wdh hitch disconnect difficult.
Once unhitched and leveled, we cranked up the AC and relaxed in Howie until it cooled down. The wooded campground is beautiful with a short quarter mile hike to the lake. So our 1st evening we did the short hike on the Willow Creek trail to the lake. Mosquito repellent is a necessity and bear spray an extra precaution although the trail is short and well-traveled.


Most of the eastern shore of Bass Lake is private property and marinas. The northern and western shores are US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) property with several primitive campgrounds & day-use beaches. Parking on the shoreline street does not appear subject to the $10 day use fee.
On Saturday, we stopped to rent a boat at the Bass Lake Marina but everything was booked so we reserved a pontoon boat for 8am Sunday. Next, we drove the west side of the lake and enjoyed some time soaking in the cool water. Having passed the lakeside Forks Resort cafe earlier, we went back for lunch on their shaded outdoor patio. Turns out we could have rented a boat here. So if Bass Lake Boat Rentals (basslakeboatrentals.com) has nothing available, check around.


Tripadvisor highly recommended the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Moonlight Special. They serve BBQ before taking passengers on a 100+yr old steam engine ride through the forest, stopping for a campfire sing-along. It was a fun time and the starlit train ride back was memorable.

The Bass Lake Boat Rentals and Watersports marina was adjacent our campground so easy to get to by 7:15am. They recommend arriving well before your rental time so the line queue, paperwork & orientation does not take time from your rental window. Their pontoon boats are very similar to one we rented at Big Bear Lake so orientation went quickly. The lake gets really busy by late morning so boating early, when the lake is glassy, is a more relaxing, pleasurable experience. As we pulled out, a fisherman caught & released a good size bass right by the marina’s dock. The lake is long and narrow so great for water-skiing. I fished near the dam as recommended by the marina host but didn’t have a nibble. Bass Lake was an enjoyable stop on our way to Yosemite.

14-22 July 2022: Yosemite National Park

by JamesCalifornia / Campgrounds / National Parks / RVing / Travel Trailer / Trips / Yosemite
Oceanside > Bakersfield > Bass Lake > Yosemite

Our last RV trip was in February so by mid-June, after our new grandson’s Jun 2nd arrival, we were ready for a road-trip. Fortunately, Carol made a July reservation for Yosemite and accepting the $6/gal fuel costs and 90-100°F temperatures forecast. We found a campsite available for a week at Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort so we decided to go.
All campsites inside Yosemite National Park were booked and with hot weather expected. We wanted full hookups or at least electric so we could run the A/C. Bass Lake is ~18 miles from the south entrance, and 90mins from Yosemite Valley. A bit of a drive but doable, plus we could drive through the sequoias at Mariposa Grove.

Washburn Fire – change of plans

Unfortunately, the Washburn Fire (see map below) started the week before we were to leave. This resulted in the closure of highway 41 and the south entrance to Yosemite for civilian traffic. To avoid driving 2hrs via highway 49 & 140 from Bass Lake to the west entrance three times in three days. We found an opened campsite at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort and rescheduled only 2 nights at Bass Lake and added 4 nights at Yosemite Lakes (on the Merced River – no lake). Our 3-day pass into Yosemite National Park started Monday so we used the three days at Bass Lake to enjoy the lake & surrounding area.

Bakersfield One Night Layover

This was our first road-trip on I-5 over Tejon Pass aka the Grapevine, so I was concerned how difficult our tow was going to be. We packed lightly as usual, had empty tanks, brought our lighter Zizzo folding bikes (vs e-bikes), and the inclines turned out to be no problem. This was our 1st trip after installing Sumo Springs to the rear of our Tacoma. They helped reduce the Tacoma’s hitch sag when hooked to Howie, our 3400# travel trailer w/ 420lbs tongue weight. Plus these taller ‘springs’ improved the tow angle and ride.
We stopped midway at Bakersfield River Run RV Park. A Good Sam RV resort w/ full hookups so we could run the A/C and keep cool during our 1-night layover in 104°F heat. River Run is a convenient location close to highway 99, Starbucks, Costco (fuel), & Temblor Brewery so we stayed here on our way home too.

Bass Lake at Yosemite RV Resort

We enjoyed three days at Bass Lake RV Resort: beating the heat in the cool but boat-busy waters of the lake; renting a pontoon boat and doing a little early morning cruising & fishing; and taking the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Moonlight Special Saturday night. Sunday we moved to Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, driving the switch-backs of highway 49 then 140 for 90mi (~2.5hrs).

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort – 1000 Trails

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort is a 1000 Trails campground with campsites available to anyone, not just members. But since a new annual membership was roughly the same price as the cost of 4 nights, we decided to join. Figuring we’d end up ‘ahead’ if we booked an additional stay at a 1000 Trails campground, like Palm Springs, within a year.
There were prime sites on the Merced River but they are closer together than other sections of the campground. There is the ‘Sun Valley’ section, which has no trees, so great for Starlink reception but unshaded & hot during the day. We opted for site 57, on the end, across from the river, partially shaded. Starlink worked okay although partially obstructed. Still we were able to watch the Home-run Derby and All-Star game after spending the earlier part of the day in Yosemite Valley. There was zero T-Mobile or Visible cell reception (July 2022) and wifi costs $6/day. We were told by the office the wifi wasn’t very good but their only option. So having Starlink was a wonderful solution and worked fine, although we did not stress the bandwidth.
This campground is only 5mi away from the west entrance and ~40mins to Yosemite Valley. Expecting long lines to get in since the south entrance was closed due to the fire. We were pleasantly surprised that at 9ish am, there wasn’t a queue to get in.

Washburn & Oak Wild Fires


Other than fire fighters in town, fire engines on the road, aircraft in the sky. We never smelt smoke or saw any signs of the Washburn Fire. Another wildfire – the Oak Fire – broke out the day after we left Yosemite. The Yosemite area is extremely dry and with the heatwave & strong afternoon winds, it is easy for a wildfire to spread. We were fortunate to not be affected and had a great trip.

19-22 Feb 2022: 29Palms/Joshua Tree

by JamesCalifornia / Campgrounds / Joshua Tree National Park / National Parks / RVing / Trips

We left Anza-Borrego on such a high note, seeing & photographing Bighorn Sheep. I felt less enthusiastic moving on to Joshua Tree. Last time we camped there in Feb 2021 was such a short visit, we wanted to see more of the National Park. After the excitement of successful wildlife photography, landscape photography seemed less interesting to me. But if anyplace can get a person excited about the landscape, it’s Joshua Tree.
Unfortunately, all the campgrounds in Joshua Tree were booked and we did not feel like chancing one of the ‘first-come first-serve’ no-reservation campsites on a long President’s Day weekend.
Fortunately, we were able to reserve a full-hookup campsite at Twentynine Palms RV Resort. After dry-camping for 4-days in Anza-Borrego, we missed having full hookups. Twentynine Palms RV Resort is a few miles from the north entrance to Joshua Tree NP. So it’s a great option when campsites are unavailable inside the park. Yucca Valley, 15mi west near the main park entrance, also has RV campgrounds but these were all booked for the dates we needed.

An interesting side-note: in the evening at this RV Resort dozens of turkey vultures soar above the golf course next door. They eventually settle for the night into the tall trees that stand between the campground and the golf course. Tom, a resort regular, told me they can number in the hundreds at times and return every year to roost in these tall trees which are unusual for the area.

19 Feb 2022: Finally Bighorn Sheep

by JamesAnza-Borrego State Park / California / Campgrounds / Camping / State Parks / Wildlife

11am – an hour before departure from Borrego Palm Canyon Campground: on our way back to campsite 105, we drove to the day-use parking lot to turn-around. A Ranger directing traffic for Palm Canyon Trail parking had me pull into a parking spot and before I could tell him “I’m just turning around”. He pointed out the Bighorn Sheep near the road. We were finally able to see & photograph a pair of young male Bighorns. They were less than 100yards from our new campsite – if we were still at site 97, we probably would have missed them. They were not disturbed by the dozen hikers in the Palm Canyon parking lot & trailhead. In fact, they crossed the trail & were unconcerned with our presence. I brought my 200-500mm Nikon zoom lens this trip just for this reason. It was a bright enough morning that I was able to hand-hold this long lens. Here are some of my favorites taken just 30mins before we were to leave for 29Palms/Joshua Tree.

After Anza-Borrego, we headed to Twentynine Palms/Joshua Tree, a 2.5hr drive. I was on Cloud-9. Our Anza-Borrego stay was fun but this morning’s Bighorn Sheep encounter made it extra special. Some regulars at Anza say they see them all the time. I’m just glad we did before we left.

16-19 Feb 2022: Anza-Borrego State Park

by JamesAnza-Borrego State Park / California / Campgrounds / Camping / State Parks

After a short Valentine’s Day visit with family in Indio, we moved to Borrego Palm Canyon Campground in the State Park. Although Sat-Sun were completely booked for months, we were able to get three nights – two at one site (97), one nearby (105). So on Friday we had to move a couple hundred feet to a different site. It was a pain to have to move but the new site was only a few hundred feet away. It turned out to be quick and easy since we were dry-camping without any hookups. But we were much farther from the restroom, in a more remote spot. This would turn out to be a lucky change in my quest to photograph Bighorn Sheep.

Borrego Palm Canyon Campground has full hookup camping (parking-lot-style camping, completely booked) and dispersed campsites (some spotty availability during the week). There’s a very well-maintain restroom with flushing toilets, sinks, and hot private showers that require tokens (2 for $1). Scattered around the dry-camps are also vault toilets and water faucets to fill containers. It’s a very nice State Park campground – highly recommended.

13-22 Feb 2022: Indio/Anza-Borrego/Joshua Tree

by JamesAnza-Borrego State Park / California / Campgrounds / Joshua Tree National Park / RVing / Trips

Our original plan to head east through Arizona to New Mexico this month changed because of the cold front that hit much of the US mid-Feb. On our way back from New Mexico, our hope was to stop in Peoria & see a few Padres Spring Training games. So with Spring Training being canceled & Albuquerque down to 18°F, we decided to camp closer to home where we knew it’d be warmer.

Since we enjoyed our stay last month at Indian Waters RV Resort, we booked 3 nights this trip. This would give us a chance to visit family on Valentine’s Day. We picked a premium grass site this time since last visit they looked nicer. Turns out grass vs gravel really didn’t make much difference for us. Perhaps if we spent more time outside the RV in the evening. The only issue with the grass sites is lawn maintenance every few days plus sprinklers. Mowing means you have to move any gear onto the concrete pad.
After staying in Indio for 3 nights, we moved to Anza-Borrego Palm Canyon Campground and dry-camped for 3 nights. On our Jan 2022 trip to Indio, we day-tripped into Anza-Borrego and saw there much more we wanted to explore. So, although we couldn’t get more than 3 nights, we were able to dry-camp in the park. I really hoped to see & photograph the Bighorn Sheep that are often spotted around Borrego Palm Canyon.
After Anza-Borrego, our next stop was TwentyninePalms/Joshua Tree National Park. Every campsite inside the park was booked so our only option was to stay in Yucca Valley or TwentyNine Palms. TwentyNine Palms RV Resort had full-hookup sites available and is just a few miles from the North Entrance. We wanted to camp inside the park but enjoyed the full hookups after dry-camping 4 days.

19-23 Jan 2022: Indian Waters RV Resort, Indio

by JRWilkinsonCalifornia / Campgrounds / Indio/Palm Springs / RVing / Trips

Our first trip in 2022 was a short 5-day trip to visit family in Palm Desert & Indio, CA. This area is popular with snowbirds this time of year, their peak season. The weather in this area is perfect for escaping the frigid north and east winter conditions. Even though we live in SoCal and could find warm places to RV closer to home. We prefer the Palm Springs area because of family, the hiking & photography possibilities. Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego State Park, and Salton Sea Recreation Area are an hour out of town.
We stayed in-town to be close to family, at a RV resort with full hookups – Indian Waters. It has great reviews on the Good Sam’s website. It’s just a few miles further away than Shadow Hills RV Resort, where we stayed the last time we rv’d to Indio to visit family.
Indian Waters has a variety of activities and perks like complimentary breakfasts. Pickleball games & socials, water aerobics & yoga classes keep the many snowbirds busy. We didn’t stay long enough to enjoy all their hospitality but will definitely stay here again. I highly recommend the lawn sites versus gravel but they are all spacious with large close-to-level concrete pads.

Between visits with family, we did a day-trip to Anza-Borrego State Park instead of Joshua Tree this trip. I also spent a day on the north shore of Salton Sea to Salton Sea Recreation Area & Bombay Beach.

17-20 Oct 2021 – Silver Strand Beach

by JamesCalifornia / Campgrounds / Day Trips / E-Biking / RVing / Southern California / State Parks / Trips

When we first brought our 20ft travel trailer home in Nov 2020, we wanted to camp locally to practice & learn. We ended up staying at Campland-On-the-Bay, which was a great 1st trip. But we also were interested in staying at some other beach campgrounds like Silver Stand State Beach in south San Diego. Unfortunately, it was booked solid for months but Carol found a block of three nights available. This opening was Oct 17-19 2021, late into our camping season. In fact, pretty much ending our summer camping season. This state beach is open year-round and a great place for winter camping although the ocean is obviously colder in autumn or winter.
Across the bay from Sun Outdoors RV Resort, which we enjoyed in August. Silver Strand State Beach campground is a small, beach-front ‘parking lot’ with water & electric hookups. There is a fee-based ($10) dump station but we noticed most rv’ers preferred to hire a mobile pumping service. The campground is the last of three large parking lots next to the road so road noise is noticeable, louder that the waves.
We brought our e-bikes since we figured this flat stretch of beach would have good bike trails and we were right. There is a great bike trail next to highway 75, Silver Stand Blvd, dedicated to pedestrians, joggers, & (e)bikes. Being later in the season, the beach weather was cool and windy so we did not spend too much time on the beautiful, wide sandy beach. We brought our dog Bodhi, our ~38lb terri-poo, since he did not travel with us to Zion. Bodhi tolerates RV travel because he loves being with us 7/24. But because we started rv’ing later in his life (9yrs old), he does not adapt well to the tight confines of Howie & trailer living. But he does enjoy getting out with us, he just doesn’t have the stamina for long outings. Coronado has a great dog beach about 6mi north so we took him in the late afternoon when the tide was low. Both the bike trail, which we rode to the Hotel Del Coronado, and the dog beach are highly recommended if you stay in this area.

27 Sept 2021 – Zion Canyon RV Resort

by JamesCampgrounds / E-Biking / National Parks / RVing / Utah / Zion National Park

Although visiting Zion National Park is only a 25min drive from St. George or Hurricane campgrounds. If you can stay closer, it’s easier to get an early start. In late September, afternoon temperatures are in the high 80s low 90s so morning excursions are recommended.
We were lucky to book 3 nights in Zion Canyon RV Resort in Springdale, 0.4mi from Zion NP south entrance. This is a private campground with full hookups, unlike more primitive campsites inside the park. Since we postponed our original dates by one week, because it was over 100°F, a riverside site was available. Definitely worth the extra expense if you can book a site next to river. But the riverside sites are smaller and back-in only, unlike the many pull-thru sites at this campground. Howie’s only 20ft so we backed in & really enjoyed the view from the rear dinette, Howie’s best feature.
Zion National Park Visitor Center, Zion Canyon RV Resort, and other places on the Virgin River were heavily damaged by a flash flood on Jun 29 2021. Most of the damage has been repaired but cleanup continued and there was a lot of construction going on. The main lodge that used to greet people at Zion Canyon RV Resort was gone and new construction underway. The offices are housed temporarily in small office trailers.
Since it took less than an hour to move from the Hurricane KOA here. We unfolded our two Lectric E-Bikes and rode into the park. Having an America the Beautiful Park Lifetime Pass makes coming and going simple & free, bypassing the regular line. We rode the Pa’rus Trail which runs along the Virgin River, through the South Campground into Zion Canyon.

28 Jul-01 Aug 2021: Glamping in San Diego

by JamesCalifornia / Campgrounds / RVing / Southern California / Trips

With full campgrounds, wild fires, and heat waves in areas we’d like to camp. We were lucky to find a vacancy at a campground an hour south at Sun Outdoors RV Resort San Diego Bay Sun Outdoors is a chain of upscale RV resorts which opened a new campground in Chula Vista CA in Spring 2021. They have a lot to offer rv’ers who like “glamping”, offering resort-style amenities. Like Campland-By-The-Bay, it’s “urban camping” and near San Diego points-of-interest such as the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Coronado, & Petco Park. They are also located next to the Living Coast Discovery Center – an educational place to learn about our coastal environment & wildlife. Entry is complimentary for Sun Outdoors RV’er families.

With our grandkids starting school in a few weeks, we took them here on a 4-day trip, July 29-Aug 1st. It’s very family-oriented, with lots of activities for young people (crafts, foam party, playgrounds), adults (fitness classes/gym, casino nights, live music, bar, bird watching), and families (arcade, movies, pool, Discovery Center tour, shuttles into San Diego). There’s even a small fenced dog-park & multiple dog stations scattered throughout the park. Unlike dry camping at San Onofre, where activities are the beach, biking, & hiking. This place is a resort with places to dine & play away from the RV. Great for camping with young kids 3 & 5yrs old.
If you like camping in the mountains or by a peaceful river, this is not the place. There is a lot of open area west of the RV park with views of south San Diego Bay & Coronado Bridge so you are not in the middle of town. But it is urban camping/glamping.

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