The 5 Best National Parks In California For Camping, According To Travelers

As the state with the most national parks, California is a paradise for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. From sites overlooking the ocean at the Channel Islands to woodsy hideaways beneath massive sequoias in the Sierra Nevadas or stretches of endless desert showcasing countless stars, Golden State campers are simply spoilt for choice.

However, many campgrounds are only available by reservation through recreation.gov. While some parks offer first-come, first-served sites, and still more provide permits for backcountry camping, for the most popular campgrounds, you'll need to be ready to make your reservation just moments after the National Park Service releases new dates. Regardless of the option you choose, these parks allow Californians and out-of-state visitors to soak up the multifaceted beauty of the Golden State.

Of California's nine national parks, each one hides multiple campgrounds and wonders more fantastic than the next, including the Sherman Tree, "the largest living thing in the world," per Visit California. In order to select the five best national parks for camping, we relied on our own experience tent camping across California (and the U.S.), as well as the expertise of past park visitors. To keep our perspective in check while sorting through thousands of reviews and suggestions, we looped back to the question, "Would we love this campground if it weren't famous?" In the end, we've highlighted national parks with campgrounds that supplement the region's overall natural beauty while offering unique experiences that are unavailable to day-use visitors.

There's a reason why Yosemite National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. From Tunnel View to Half Dome's imposing granite walls presiding over the valley, Yosemite's landmarks invoke awe in even the most jaded travelers. And that doesn't even include thrilling rafting trips along the Merced River or how very small you feel staring up the trunk of a 250-foot sequoia.

Because it offers all of these impressive options, Yosemite earns a place among the best California national parks for camping, even though the popular campgrounds in Yosemite Valley — Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines — all experience incredibly high traffic. Plus, the Upper Pines location allows you to boil a cup of cowboy coffee over the fire pit before hiking to famous sites like misty Vernal and Nevada Falls, two of the park's iconic waterfalls. Besides the Pines Campgrounds, there are 10 other main campgrounds, including walk-in sites and traditional campground loops. Backpackers can also apply for wilderness permits for overnight hikes. Some campgrounds can be booked two months in advance, and others require only two weeks, but most spaces are booked up a year in advance.

For a quieter night and fewer people, experienced Yosemite campers recommend Bridalveil Creek Campground. A 45-minute drive from Yosemite Valley, near Glacial Point, lodgepole pines shade 110 first-come, first-served campsites. "If you want more quiet and don't need to see half dome each time you step out of your tent, this is a great place," advises a frequent camper on Quora.

For desert stargazing, Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park run neck and neck, but with over 3.4 million acres, Death Valley's sheer size makes it the better choice. From marveling at a moonscape of mineral formations at the Badwater Basin Salt Flats to hiking to a secret desert oasis at Darwin Falls or simply staring up at the night sky, you could spend weeks camping in Death Valley and never run out of things to do.

All but one campground in the park are first come, first served, which eliminates the online booking stress but means you need to arrive early on busy weekends. In general, the campsites offer basic amenities and have very little vegetation, but abyssal night skies and the best Death Valley sunset and sunrise views are what they're all about. Frequent visitors will tell you there are no bad views in Death Valley, but Stovepipe Wells Campground offers phenomenal night sky vistas because there are no trees to get in the way. "The night skies are some of the clearest for stargazing," raved a camper via Google Reviews. "Despite its name, Death Valley is full of life and wonder."

You'll want to pick your campground and time of year carefully. Although ideal for stargazing, campgrounds like Furnace Creek feel like parking lots during the day. However, the barren desert landscape is part of the appeal. The Death Valley Dark Sky Festival happens in February, but spring is the best time to visit for the most bearable temperatures.

Situated 160 miles off of Ventura County's coast in Southern California, Channel Islands State Park is the stark opposite of Yosemite and other preserves covered in ancient forests. Instead, this chain of five islands features rugged bluffs overlooking crescent-shaped coves filled with clear, blue water. Beneath the surface, over 2,000 different species of aquatic plants and animals rely on the kelp forests, including California spiny lobsters and sea otters.

Five islands offer campgrounds, but visitors feel Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground is something special. "The most idyllic and beautiful campground I've ever seen! Smells like eucalyptus, lots of visits from island foxes (the park provides boxes to lock up your food), easy to reach from the dock, and potable water access," one camper shared on Google Reviews. Dwarfed by thousands of years of evolution, the island foxes are about the size of house cats and can only be found on the Channel Islands.

Showcasing views of open waters and verdant mountains for $15 per night (as of this writing), it's easy to see why some campers call the islands "great value Maui." Two nights gives you just enough time to kayak through the sea caves or embark on a guided snorkel tour of kelp forests with outfitters like Channel Islands Adventure Company. If you prefer to stay on land, the 7.7-mile Smugglers Cove Trail and other routes are reason enough to book a Channel Islands camping trip. To get there, you'll have to take the Island Packers ferry, which departs from Ventura Harbor and travels to the five main islands.

While securing a desirable campsite in Yosemite Valley is practically an Olympic sport, Lassen Volcanic National Park receives significantly fewer visitors. Situated in Northern California, the nearest international airport is three hours away in Sacramento, but civilization feels even more distant. But it's not just the lack of crowds that makes camping at Lassen desirable.

Volcanic peaks adorned with sturdy pines tower over valleys filled with summer wildflowers, while alpine lakes create a mirror image of the sky and the adjoining forest. "Combine the waterfalls and sheer rock faces of Yosemite with the interesting geological features and glacial lakes of Yellowstone and subtract the crowds and you have Lassen National Park," a visitor stated on Google Reviews. But despite the impressive vistas, each year offers just a small window to camp at Lassen. Snow impacts many of the roads as late as June or July, so you'll want to schedule your trip between the end of July and September.

Although there are eight campgrounds, frequent visitors recommend Butte Lake Campground for an alone-in-nature feel without sacrificing too many amenities. "It's not very crowded and it's quite remote (7 mile gravel road, but you can easily take it in a sedan), but still has running water, good bathrooms," noted one camper on Reddit's r/camping. Several trailheads depart from the campground, including one leading to the Cinder Cone crater and the Painted Dunes, a lava field that glows pink and orange as the sun rises. Plan to stay at least three nights to make the drive worth it.

Spread over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 1.5 hours outside Fresno, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are home to the largest trees in the world: the giant sequoia. Often treated as the same place because they're jointly managed and share a border, these parks are actually quite different — especially when it comes to camping.

While the General Sherman Tree and other giant conifers draw visitors from around the world to Sequoia, Kings Canyon stuns with its dramatic terrain. "It's like the deeper, more rugged cousin of Yosemite," explained a visitor on Tripadvisor. "Between the giant sequoias at Grant Grove and the roaring mist of the falls, it's raw, wild, and absolutely epic." Boasting wildflower meadows between granite canyon walls, the breathtaking 30-mile Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, and rushing rivers with crystal-clear water are some of the wonders visitors find at Kings Canyon National Park.

Dubbed the "quiet park" by locals, Kings Canyon's eight campgrounds are typically more peaceful than those at Sequoia. Campers seeking a woodsy experience that looks like it came straight out of a nature brochure love Azalea Campground, while Sentinel Campground and others in the Cedar Grove area offer sites just steps from the Kings River. Although Azalea remains open during the winter, snow and freezing nights make the experience more a test of survival than cozy relaxation. The park's regular campers recommend planning a trip during the summer (late July to the end of September), as the snow often doesn't melt in some parts of the park until July.

The author supplemented her own experience visiting Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks with other campers' firsthand accounts on Tripadvisor, Reddit, Quora, and Google Reviews. Our research took us through thousands of reviews and recommendations, which we cross-referenced with information provided by the National Park Service.

We looked for national parks that not only feature clean facilities and comfortable sites but also something special, like the ultra-dark night sky at Death Valley National Park or the chance to beat the crowds to Vernal and Nevada Falls at Yosemite National Park. In addition, we prioritized campgrounds that visitors described as "uncrowded," "well-spaced," "quiet," or providing a feeling of being deep in nature. You won't find specific wilderness or backcountry campsites or areas because these places are readily accessible.

We excluded Redwood National and State Parks because the campgrounds are managed by California State Parks, which is outside the scope of these recommendations. However, the four parks above offer incredible campgrounds, such as Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park's camping loops tucked in the old-growth redwood groves.