Bird/Wildlife Watching

Camp Ikigai Animal Sanctuaruy 501c3

20 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 100 Tent Sites, 1 Glamping Site, 1 Yurt

On 72 off-grid acres in Yokuts Valley in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County, Camp Ikigai Animal Sanctuary offers an entirely different kind of RV and camping destination—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit farm sanctuary where horses, sheep, dogs, and cats roam freely through the property and guests stay in tent sites, RV and van spots, hammock camping areas, or a tiny cabin on a private deck with sweeping valley views. At 40580 Ruth Hill Road, approximately 30 minutes from the entrances to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and 90 minutes from Yosemite Valley, the sanctuary provides an off-grid, animal-centered retreat that makes the Sierra Nevada's greatest parks accessible from a setting that's genuinely unlike any other campground in the region. Sites are primitive and the experience is intentionally off-grid—Camp Ikigai functions as a working animal sanctuary first and a campground second, and the accommodation reflects that priority. RV, van, car, skoolie, and tent sites are available alongside hammock camping and the small cabin, with each option providing a different relationship to the farm's natural and animal-centered environment. The private deck and valley views available from the cabin offer a sunset and sunrise experience that rewards those who plan ahead. Water and fire safety practices appropriate to the Sierra Nevada foothill environment apply throughout the property, and guests should arrive prepared for primitive conditions in a genuinely remote setting. Yokuts Valley sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at elevations that transition between the valley floor's agricultural character and the higher-elevation conifer forest that begins above 4,000 feet. The property's 72 acres encompass oak woodland, chaparral-covered hillsides, and the private valley terrain that creates the views from the upper portion of the property. The sanctuary's animals—horses with established individual personalities, sheep, and a resident dog and cat community—move through the space freely, creating unexpected encounters and the kind of interspecies observation that's simply not available in any conventional camping environment. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, jointly administered and together encompassing more than 1,300 square miles, protect the world's largest trees by volume—the giant sequoias of the western Sierra Nevada—alongside the deepest canyon in North America, the High Sierra's most dramatic alpine terrain, and the headwaters of the Kings and Kaweah Rivers. General Sherman Tree, the world's largest living thing by volume, stands in Giant Forest. Kings Canyon's Canyon View Trail descends into one of North America's most spectacular river canyons. The parks receive far fewer visitors than Yosemite despite matching its scenic grandeur, making the experience measurably less crowded during peak summer season. Camp Ikigai operates year-round, with the foothill location providing milder winter temperatures than the high Sierra and a spring wildflower display on the hillsides that makes March and April particularly rewarding. Summer days are warm in the foothills but the higher elevation provides meaningful relief from the Central Valley heat. Advance reservations are required for all site types, and the nonprofit nature of the operation means that booking directly supports the animal sanctuary's ongoing work. Reserve your site at Camp Ikigai and let the Sierra Nevada foothills, the resident animals, and the valley views create a camping experience that no conventional RV park can approximate.

from $21/night

Vinyl Vineyards

4 RV Sites, 6 Vintage RV Rentals

Vinyl Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, offers six vintage Airstream trailers themed to legendary musicians — Billie, Bowie, Cash, Jagger, Janis, and Zeppelin — alongside dry camping sites including an ADA-accessible option, on 120 acres of working vineyard. Sites take rigs to 50 feet, with a pool, hot tub, and disc golf course on the property. The six themed Airstream trailers are the signature accommodation, each named for the musician it is styled after. Dry camping sites accommodate self-contained rigs to 50 feet with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits, including a dedicated ADA-accessible site — note these are dry sites without hookups, so plan water and power. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and WiFi handle the practical side. You may receive SMS messages before, during, or after your stay; reply STOP to opt out. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the property, with a disc golf course and walking trails through the vineyard. The dark rural sky makes for strong stargazing, and birding is productive across the acreage. A golf course is nearby, and wine tasting is effectively on site. Pets are welcome. The vineyard sits on the Union Road Wine Trail in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles — the largest wine appellation in California by acreage, where calcareous limestone soils and marine-influenced temperature swings produce Rhône varietals, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo. The trail's boutique wineries built their identity in deliberate contrast to corporate wine tourism. Harvest season and warm-weather weekends drive demand. With six trailers, reserve well ahead.

Outdoorsy Yosemite National Park RV + Campsite Packages

5 RV Rental + Campsite Packages

Outdoorsy Yosemite National Park RV Campsite Packages in Bass Lake, California, provides a comprehensively equipped resort camping destination in Madera County's Sierra Nevada foothills, positioned on the shores of Bass Lake approximately 14 miles south of Yosemite National Park's South Gate entrance in a setting where the southern Sierra Nevada's forested mountain landscape delivers natural beauty fully competitive with the national park itself at substantially lower competition for campsites. The resort's full-service infrastructure—cabins, full hookup RV sites, pool, boat rentals, lake access, and a complete activity program—makes it one of the most capable family vacation bases on Yosemite's southern approaches. The resort's amenity scope reflects a self-contained destination designed for multi-night family stays: full hookup RV sites, cabin rentals, an outdoor pool, lake access with boat rentals and kayak rentals, paddle boats, a game room with billiards and ping pong, sports courts with basketball, a dog park, laundry, walking trails, general store, dining, propane fills, RV storage, a community fire pit, a clubhouse, and the stargazing enabled by the Sierra Nevada foothills' relatively dark skies. The combination of Bass Lake's recreational water access and Yosemite's proximity creates a two-resource camping vacation that families consistently cite as among the most productive outdoor experiences in California. Bass Lake is a PG&E hydroelectric reservoir at 3,400 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada foothills south of Yosemite, known for warm summer water temperatures suitable for swimming and water skiing and a mountain shoreline of ponderosa pine and incense cedar that creates a dramatically scenic backdrop for water recreation. The lake's year-round warm-season accessibility—its lower elevation keeps it reliably swimmable from Memorial Day through Labor Day—distinguishes it from the higher-elevation Yosemite Valley lakes, which are accessible only in summer and often cold even then. Bass Lake's marina services, food and beverage operations, and the developed shoreline create a full lake recreation ecosystem. Yosemite National Park's South Gate, accessed via CA-41 through Wawona, provides entry to the park's southern tier including Mariposa Grove—home to over 500 giant sequoias including the famous Grizzly Giant—and the historic Wawona Hotel district before the road ascends to Yosemite Valley's iconic granite walls, Half Dome, and the Merced River corridor. The Wawona section of the park is considerably less crowded than Yosemite Valley during peak summer season, making it a more accessible introduction to Yosemite's superlative landscapes for guests who want genuine park immersion without the Valley's reservation-constrained entry logistics. Outdoorsy Yosemite operates year-round in Madera County's foothill climate, where the 3,400-foot elevation provides seasonal snow that occasionally closes CA-41 in winter but generally allows spring-through-fall outdoor recreation in conditions more moderate than Yosemite Valley's higher and more exposed position. Summer drives peak demand for both Bass Lake swimming and Yosemite National Park visitation, with the park's timed-entry permit system making early reservation planning essential for guests whose itinerary includes Yosemite Valley exploration. The resort's dining and lake infrastructure make it a genuinely self-contained option for guests who want equal parts mountain lake recreation and national park sightseeing.

from $38/night

Outdoorsy Yosemite

141 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites, 6 Glamping Sites

Outdoorsy Yosemite in Bass Lake, California, offers 141 full-hookup RV sites, four cabins, 10 tent sites, and six glamping sites in the Sierra foothills, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 40 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Superior back-in, premium pull-through, and standard back-in categories join a pool, clubhouse, boat and kayak rentals, and lake access. One hundred forty-one sites run in standard back-in, superior back-in, and premium pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV, sized to 40 feet, with picnic tables. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Four cabins, 10 tent sites, and six glamping sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. Reservation holders must be at least 18, and guests of all ages are welcome. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with boat rentals, kayak rentals, and bike rentals opening the lake for boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A clubhouse, game room, billiards, ping pong, basketball, horseshoes, sports courts, walking trails, hiking, mountain biking, a playground, community fire pit, dog park, and on-site dining fill the rest, with strong stargazing and birding. Eighteen miles from Yosemite's South Entrance with Bass Lake's warm water immediately adjacent, this works as both a park basecamp and a lake destination. Summer fills both Yosemite and Bass Lake. Reserve well ahead.

from $44 $38/night

Three Links Campgrounds

30 RV Sites, 15 Tent Sites

Three Links Campgrounds in Mi-Wuk Village, California, offers 30 full-hookup RV sites and 15 tent sites across 25 wooded acres at 4,500 feet in the Sierra Nevada foothills, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Open all year, with an outdoor pool, cabins, and a craft room in ponderosa pine country. Thirty sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables and site WiFi. Fifteen tent sites and cabins round out the accommodations. Laundry, restrooms, and WiFi handle the practical side, and the campground operates year-round — worth noting at this elevation. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with a craft room for indoor hours and hiking, swimming, picnicking, and birding from the property. Skiing and snowboarding are nearby, with a lake and boating close by. The property also serves as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. The campground has run on these 25 wooded acres since 1958, originally established by the California Odd Fellows and Rebekahs and continuing today open to individual travelers, families, and groups. Mi-Wuk Village sits directly on Highway 108 in Tuolumne County, in the canyon country of the upper Stanislaus River drainage — one of the most beautiful and most underappreciated mountain landscapes in California. The Highway 108 and Highway 49 corridors make this a practical base for Twain Harte, Sonora, Jamestown, and Columbia. Summer and ski season both draw — reserve ahead.

from $25/night

Beach RV Pleasure Point

15 RV Sites

Tucked between Rodeo Creek and Corcoran Lagoon at 2505 Portola Drive on the East Side of Santa Cruz, Beach RV Pleasure Point is a boutique, 16-site RV park that puts the most famous surf breaks in the Santa Cruz area—Pleasure Point's The Hook, The Point, and 38th Avenue—literally steps from your door, with the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 10 minutes away and the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains providing the afternoon cooling that makes this stretch of the Central California coast one of the most livable outdoor environments in the state. Locally owned and operated with attention to site quality and guest service that a 16-site property can provide in ways that larger parks cannot, Pleasure Point has developed a following among serious surfers, Santa Cruz regulars, and travelers who have learned that the East Side's residential beach character rewards camping at a scale the city's more commercial campgrounds cannot replicate. All 16 sites provide full hookups with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer service, accommodating rigs from 25 to 60 feet in length. Complimentary WiFi supports remote work for guests staying during the week, and clean bathroom and shower facilities with strong hot water and pressure serve all site types. A communal fire pit creates the evening gathering space that beach camping naturally generates, and the on-site dog park accommodates the traveling pets that make so many RV journeys genuine family affairs. Online check-in streamlines the arrival process, and the locally owned operation's personal service creates the kind of direct guest communication that matters when you're navigating a small coastal city with a specific activity agenda. Pleasure Point is Santa Cruz's quintessential East Side surf neighborhood—a stretch of Portola Drive between the Capitola border and the city center lined with surf shops, coffee roasters, fish tacos, and the street-level culture that develops when a community genuinely organizes itself around surfing as a way of life. The breaks at Pleasure Point have been producing world-class waves since the 1960s, and The Hook remains one of the most reliable right-hand point breaks in Northern California—accessible on foot from the campground for guests who surf and worth watching for those who don't. The Esplanade along East Cliff Drive provides the cycling, running, and walking route that connects Pleasure Point to the Boardwalk and Seabright Beach. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk—California's oldest surviving amusement park, operating since 1907—anchors the beach scene at the Municipal Wharf with classic rides including the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster, a National Historic Landmark, and the Looff carousel. The natural bridges and tide pools of Natural Bridges State Beach, Wilder Ranch State Park's coastal prairie and redwood canyon trails, and the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park's old-growth grove in the San Lorenzo River canyon provide the natural recreation counterpoints to the surf culture and boardwalk experience. Capitola Village, adjacent to the east, adds its own beach-town charm with independent restaurants and the colorfully painted cottages along Capitola Beach. Beach RV Pleasure Point operates year-round in Santa Cruz's mild, fog-influenced coastal climate, where summer temperatures hover in the 60s and early 70s and winter rarely drops below 45°F. The fog that cools the summer afternoons burns off quickly on many mornings, leaving the kind of clean Central Coast light that makes the surfing, cycling, and tide-pooling that define a Santa Cruz stay consistently rewarding. Advance reservations are essential for weekend and summer stays in a 16-site park with a loyal repeat guest base. Book your site at Beach RV Pleasure Point and spend your mornings checking the surf report and your afternoons on the East Side in one of California's great coastal communities.

from $109/night

Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground

18 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Situated on the shore of Bridgeport Reservoir in the high-elevation eastern Sierra country of Mono County, California, Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground offers panoramic views of the Sawtooth Range and Bridgeport Valley from a remote and scenic location that has been serving anglers and travelers since the reservoir's establishment in the 1920s. The campground's position in the upper Great Basin at approximately 6,500 feet of elevation gives it a cool, dry, high-desert character that distinguishes it from the forested western Sierra campgrounds and delivers the wide-open skies and mountain vistas that define the eastern Sierra landscape. Sites include 80-foot pull-through accommodations with electric, water, sewer, and Wi-Fi connections, alongside tent camping positions that take full advantage of the reservoir's open shoreline setting. Off-road trails from the campground lead into the Bodie Hills—the volcanic upland terrain east of Bridgeport that provides access to open-country driving routes through high-desert landscape with views across the Great Basin to the Nevada ranges beyond. The marina provides boat launch access and services for guests arriving with trout fishing vessels, and the combination of campground hookups and marina services in one operation simplifies the logistics of an extended fishing stay. Bridgeport Reservoir is one of the most productive trophy trout fisheries in the eastern Sierra, with rainbow and brown trout reaching exceptional size in the cold, nutrient-rich reservoir water that has developed a thriving fishery since the dam's construction. Anglers targeting trophy rainbows and large brown trout find consistent productivity from both boat and shore, and the reservoir's reputation among knowledgeable California trout anglers makes it a destination worth planning around for guests whose primary interest is fly or lure fishing in a high-elevation Sierra setting. The surrounding Bridgeport Valley is rich in regional attractions for guests extending their stay beyond the reservoir. Bodie State Historic Park, approximately 13 miles east of Bridgeport via dirt road, preserves one of the most intact gold-rush ghost towns in the American West—a remarkably preserved collection of 19th-century mining-era buildings maintained in a state of arrested decay by the California State Parks system. The East Walker River below Bridgeport Reservoir is managed as a wild trout catch-and-release fishery of exceptional quality, with large wild brown trout accessible to wading fly anglers on a stretch of river that ranks among the premier catch-and-release waters in California. Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground is most active from late spring through early fall, with the trout fishing season and the peak of eastern Sierra tourism overlapping from June through September. The reservoir's high elevation means snow is possible through May and can arrive again in October, making the June through September window the most reliably accessible for camping. Advance reservations for fishing season weekends are recommended, particularly for waterfront and pull-through positions that provide the best reservoir access and views. The campground's long history, panoramic Sawtooth Range views, and access to trophy trout fishing on both the reservoir and the East Walker River make it one of the most compelling all-in-one fishing and camping destinations available on the eastern Sierra landscape between Mammoth Lakes and the Nevada border.

from $20/night

49er Village

136 RV Sites, 11 Cottages

49er Village in Plymouth, California, offers 136 full-hookup RV sites and 11 cottages on Highway 49 in the Sierra Nevada foothills, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 55 feet. Premium and standard back-in and pull-through categories join two pools, a hot tub, and on-site dining in Gold Country. One hundred thirty-six sites span standard full hookup back-in, standard full hookup pull-through, premium full hookup back-in, and premium full hookup pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 55 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Eleven cottages round out the lodging. A laundry, propane fills, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a clubhouse, on-site dining, playground, and horseshoes filling the grounds. A pond supports fishing, with shuffleboard, volleyball, and birding besides. Boating, a golf course, a state park, and wine tasting are all nearby. Pets are welcome. Plymouth sits in Amador County at the heart of the California Gold Rush trail and the Shenandoah Valley wine region — a combination that makes this one of the most culinarily and historically appealing RV communities in the state. Highway 49 runs the length of Gold Country, and the tasting rooms are minutes away. Harvest season and spring wildflowers drive the heaviest demand in the foothills, with summer bringing heat and Gold Country touring. Reserve ahead for fall crush weekends.

from $52/night

Arrowhead Tree Top Lodge

1 Cabin, 19 Hotel Rooms

Arrowhead Tree Top Lodge in Lake Arrowhead, California, offers 20 cabin and hotel-room accommodations at 5,100 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, with an outdoor pool, walking trails, and a creek on the property. A wedding venue and mountain setting serve guests two hours from Los Angeles. Twenty cabins and hotel rooms make up the accommodations — this is lodging rather than an RV park, with no sites or hookups. Restrooms and showers serve the property, with WiFi throughout. The lodge also operates as a wedding venue, which the pine and cedar setting supports well. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with walking trails through the forest and a creek running the property. Birding is productive across the mountain terrain, with swimming from the area and a lake, golf course, wineries, and skiing all nearby. The elevation is the point. At 5,100 feet in the rim country above the Inland Empire, mountain air runs 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the valley floor below — which is the entire reason Southern Californians make the drive. The Rim of the World Drive's panoramic views stretch across the San Bernardino Valley to the Pacific horizon, and the contrast between elevation and valley is what gives the Lake Arrowhead corridor its character. The lodge serves guests year-round. Summer heat in the valley drives the heaviest demand as visitors escape uphill, with winter bringing snow and ski traffic to the same corridor. Reserve well ahead for summer weekends and holiday periods.

from $119/night

Grey Squirrel Resorts

19 Cottages

Grey Squirrel Resort in Fawnskin, California, has welcomed families, couples, and group retreats since the 1950s, bringing more than seven decades of mountain hospitality to a collection of 19 private cabins spread across three wooded acres on the quiet north shore of Big Bear Lake. Tucked in the small mountain community of Fawnskin—across the lake from the busier Big Bear Lake resort corridor—the resort provides an intimate and unhurried alternative to the high-traffic south shore lodging scene, giving guests direct access to San Bernardino County's premier mountain resort while preserving the peaceful forest character that defines the north shore experience. The 19 private cabins accommodate a range of group sizes and comfort preferences, offering more privacy and enclosed space than hotel rooms while maintaining the forest-immersed setting that draws visitors to Big Bear Lake in every season. On-site amenities include a pond, spa, walking trails, and wedding venue capabilities that make the property versatile for romantic retreats, family reunions, and celebration events alongside standard vacation stays. Pet-friendly policies, a general store, and Wi-Fi support extended stays, while the resort's access to golf, hiking, and mountain biking from the property ensures guests can build active itineraries without driving across the lake to the south shore infrastructure. The Fawnskin area's forest setting—ponderosa pine, white fir, and black oak woodland at approximately 7,000 feet elevation in the San Bernardino Mountains—provides a true mountain environment that contrasts sharply with the Southern California coast and desert communities that send the majority of Big Bear's visitors up the mountain. The north shore's relative quiet and the absence of the commercial density found on the south shore give Fawnskin an off-the-beaten-path character that has attracted loyal repeat guests to properties like Grey Squirrel for generations. Big Bear Mountain Resort, accessible via the south shore road around the lake, offers skiing and snowboarding in winter alongside mountain biking and lift-accessed hiking in summer, making the surrounding mountain landscape a legitimate four-season outdoor recreation destination. Big Bear Lake itself provides boating, fishing for trout and bass, kayaking, and paddleboarding from multiple marinas and launch points, and the PCT-adjacent trail system of the San Gorgonio Wilderness to the south provides backcountry hiking access to some of Southern California's highest and most dramatic mountain terrain. The Moonridge Animal Park and the Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve provide additional nature-focused excursions in the immediate area. Grey Squirrel Resort operates year-round in Big Bear Lake's four-season mountain climate, with winter skiing season from December through March and summer's lake and mountain recreation driving the two peak demand periods. Fall's aspen and black oak color in the surrounding San Bernardino National Forest creates a third visitation surge in October, when the mountain's foliage rivals the more celebrated deciduous displays of the eastern United States. Cabin reservations for winter ski weekends and summer holidays fill months in advance, and the resort's intimate 19-cabin scale means early booking is essential for any stay during Big Bear's peak windows.

from $75/night