CITY & BAYS & BEACHES:

San Diego picnic parks

BACK COUNTRY MOUNTAINS & DESERTS:

• Desert View Picnic, Laguna Mountains – large open spaces surrounded by pines
• Aqua Dulce Meadows, Mount Laguna, CA inside Cleveland National Forest – hike in camp area, bring your hammock
• Pine Creek Road – large open spaces surrounded by pines; Cleveland National Forest
• Sunrise Highway, Laguna Mountains – plenty of meadows or side roads off to the right have plenty of good meadows & woods; Cleveland National Forest
• Potrero Hills Park, W of Campo, CA – Oaks, boulders & hills on Hwy. 94
• Anza Borrego State Park- almost anywhere is great, as long as it is not in the hot summer months. (May – Sept)

[ NOTE: 2007 wildfires in San Diego may have burnt some these areas, so have a plan B as a backup ]

Maps Mountains / San Diego Maps

• CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST MAP
• AGUA TIBIA Wilderness Map
• ANZA BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK MAP
• SAN DIEGO BACKCOUNTRY MAP (Tom Harrison)
• PCT Trail Map – Southern California
• PINE CREEK /HAUSER Wilderness Map
• CLEVELAND FOREST TOPO ATLAS

Maps are the key to finding your very own slice of heaven in the Wilderness. Online map sources can barely get you to your city destination correctly, much less the remote waterfall you desire. You will need a real map for your adventure. A topographical map, with all the details, dirt roads & hiking trails. If you are seeking to stay away from the touristy crowds, this is the best possible place you can be…. on this site, searching for ways to make it happen – this weekend.

BACKPACKERS BACKPACKING MAPS -

Mount Whitney & beyond the High Sierra. DanaMite stocks all the California Wilderness maps. Most are printed on waterproof plastic now & are tear-resistant.

• California Wilderness Maps
• Tom Harrison Topo Trail Maps
• California Recreation Maps

CAR CAMPING MAPS -

Planning on camping outside of the developed campgrounds & finding that perfect stream side spot without the reservation & the fees? Then you will need a free fire permit (from a ranger station), plus a good map of the forests & a vehicle capable of handling the rugged the back roads. We even carry regional maps in a set, so you can get the whole area at a discounted price.

• California National Forest Maps
• Map Sets for California
• Recreation Area Maps
• Topographic Map Atlases
  

CALIFORNIA OFF ROAD MAPS -

Wanna take that 4×4 vehicle somewhere really special this season? Camp well beyond the masses, way down that dirt road. We stock OHV maps for SoCal, the deserts & all the National Forest maps too.

• California Desert Maps
• California & Baja Offroad Maps
• California National Forest Maps

CALIFORNIA CAMPGROUND MAPS -

Start your search on the perfect campground or camp site with the destination in mind. Mountains, deserts, coastal. Parks & forests all have their own maps with all nearby camp grounds listed. We stock all the National Forest maps, as well as some State Park & National Park maps

See all California topo, hiking, camping maps

RV camping at it's best in the Sierra; This rig found themselves deep in the alpine lush meadows with towering trees and a view and a very private camp site.

San Diego Desert Camping

Primitive desert camping close to SD – yipee!

Interstate 8 EAST from SD / exit Ocotillo. SD county road # S2, the south end near the State Park boundary. Gorgeous every season but summer. Great winter camping close to SoCal. This  dirt road in in a desert wash area, which starts west – off the paved road. The signed white desert wash is a suitable drive for passenger cars (most years). But you best have 4×4 f the rain gets going good. Low riders should watch for the ridge lines – as the are naturally rockier places and could take out an oil pan of a mini SUV (at a high rate of speed).

The large morterro boulders at the far end of this route have nice views of the Imperial desert floor. Better from the top of the boulders too; numerous primitive camp sites surrounding the big boulders too. No toilets; no shade; no water; minimal vegetation. At night the stars are heavenly, but you can see city lights from Calexico and Mexicali. From the boulder you can hike or mountain bike up to the “old goat trestle” and numerous historic train tunnels @ Carizo Gorge (not to be confused w/ Carizo Plains in Kern Co). Moderate hike, all day adventure. Bring lunch and water!

SAN DIEGO Backcountry Map
this waterproof map has the entire State Park covered

When you decide to stop the car, look around for the best spot. Park off the road way and preferably in a turn out or camp spot. Turn off the engine, get out of the automobile, stretch your legs, breathe, look, close your eyes – tight and breathe deeply, then look around you again. This particular place is special, you can just feel it. Walking around the boulder area, be cautious of snakes. On the boulders – closely examine them, climb on them, get to the top; you will find the (NativeAmerican) Indian grinding holes.

great side trip option: Across the paved road (SD County Road S2) on the opposite side of the valley is a nice hike to Sand Dollar Hill. (I’m sure this isn’t the real name, but I will add that later). Dirt road leads up to a dirt parking area for hikers. Busy lil place sometimes. These desert dirt hills have wind caves and chunks of sand dollars scattered all over them. The real ocean floor way out here, east in the Anza SD desert… how cool is that?

great side trip option: Canon Sin Nombre is just up the road a piece, N on S2, on the EAST side of the road. Amazing viewpoint turn out, right on the highway, overlooking the impressive topography and badlands. If you have a high clearance SUV or any truck you can drive down into the sandy tight, rocky wash. It meets back up with another main wash way back there. Tons to explore back here. Off roader should think Tread Lightly on this turf and primitive car campers should use a Leave No Trace approach. White sand, deep sand, caves, smoke trees, and the best slot canyon climbing & hiking this side of the Anza State Park.

CA Kern / western Kern county

Kern County is known for its oil, its agriculture, and outdoor recreation. The Kern River is the highlight of the region with lush, green and grey granite canyons, a big reservoir & the Sequoia trees just up the road. On the western side of Kern County are small towns like Frazier Park, the golfing cabin community of Pine Mountain Club, plus the oil meccas of Maricopa and Taft. Expansive Lockwood Valley enters into Ventura County. Cuyama River borders Santa Barbara & SLO counties.

Much of the western Kern area is rural ranch land, desert or forest. Los Padres National Forest, Chumash Wilderness, Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge, Wind Wolves Preserve, Buena Vista Reservoir, Ballinger Canyon, Hungry Valley and Fort Tejon State Park all call this region home, right on the mighty tangent of the San Andreas fault line. The San Emigdio range and the surrounding mountains of Mt Pinos and Mount Abel design a perpendicular range to the Central Cali coastline, connecting the huge Mojave desert to the ocean. Cerro Noroeste is a very scenic drive.

The 17 mile long Quatal Canyon, where the indian camp of Mahu Tasen hosts a Bear Dance every summer is also a wild place of bird watching, camping and hunting. The indian word for Mount Pinos is “Iwihinmu” – a sacred spot for Chumash Indians, as well as others; Chumash call it the ‘center of the world’. Locals respond regularly with music, hikes, star gazing, drum circles (seasonally) and local festivals (annually) .

PHOTOS: Drum Camp Pinos | Drumming Cerro Noroeste

Tecuya Ridge, Cuddy Valley 4×4 trails can keep you busy for a whole weekend of back road exploring.

boating, camping, dirt biking, fishing, hiking, horseback, hunting, mountain biking, off roading, skydiving, xc skiing

• Frazier Park
• Pine Mountain Club
• Maricopa
• Taft

Tejon is the largest and oldest privately owned ranch land in California. It spans from the northern slopes of the great central valley to the tops of the oak sided mountains. The Tejon Pass 4144′ elevation, is Interstate 5. The golden state freeway zooms by connecting north Los Angeles to the Central Valley…. at 80mph. Watch for CHP near here. It’s easy to go down hill at 90 and not even realize it.

The artist Christo erected 1760 yellow umbrellas along these hillsides in back in 1991.

Awesome wildflowers bloom throughout Tejon, Lebec to Gorman each spring from late March thru May.

The fort site was established by the U.S. Army in 1854 and was designed to protect Native Americans. Restored adobes and museum feature exhibits on military life and local history. They also hold living history events performed by volunteers in costume. The park has a number of 400 year-old valley oak trees. Mister Peter Lebeck was killed by a grizzly here and there is even a tree to prove it.

Fort Tejon Uniforms
Originally uploaded by danamight

• Fort Tejon Campground
• Fort Tejon State Historical Park
• Fort Tejon Historical Association
• Historic Earthquake 1857
• Save Tejon Ranch
• Tejon Preserve
• Tejon Ranch
• Tejon Resort Complex Controversial

Tejon Industrial Complex: This is the first large scale development in a master planned laid out by the privately owned Tejon Ranch Corporation. Another trucker stop on the opposite side of the freeway is already underway. In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks, McDonalds, IKEA distribution center, gasoline @ the bottom of the Grapevine. 30 miles south of Bakersfield & just down the hill from Lebec

Headed to Kern River ?

LAVAL ROAD: Wheeler Ridge. This is your freeway exit northbound if you wanna bypass Bako on the way to Lake Isabella & Kernville. Gas up in Lamont, it’s cheaper on the north end of town. Great little taco shops abound.