Car campers in Southern California dream of the perfect setting: an uncrowded campsite, in a lush forest, with tall trees & flowing stream of crystal clear water. A swimming hole nearby, plus a place for the hammock. They also want it less than a 2 hours drive from their home. Unlikely.

The real California rivers & mountains are in the northern half of the state, while the lower is more like a desert. You will need to drive to reach these kinda spots. The Sierra Nevada mountains are the closest bet for finding a creek side camp – if that is indeed what you are looking for.

Read more on specific California camping techniques:

Steamside Camping

Biodegradable Camp Soaps

Environmental Camping

Creek Maps
Developed campgrounds located next to rivers, creeks, or streams can be found on the back roads of California. Below is just a sample of small towns that have creek campgrounds nearby:

• ASPENDELL
• BASS LAKE
• BURNEY
• CHESTER
• DOWNIEVILLE
• FAIRVIEW
• INDEPENDENCE
• IDYLLWILD
• KERNVILLE
• LAKESHORE
• MINERAL KING
• MONTE RIO
• OJAI
• PINE FLAT
• PONDEROSA
• SHAVER LAKE
• SPRINGVILLE
• THREE RIVERS
• TOMS PLACE

Many of the best creek camp spots are located outside of developed Campgrounds. Most we suggest on this site are located on dirt roads. Some routes may require a 4×4 vehicle, or high clearance 2WD.

NOTE: you will need a good map. National Forest maps

thin blue lines - You’ll know a decent road when you see it. But when you are starting out at home, you need to concentrate of what dirt roads are along what water sources. And will these streams be flowing at this time of year? Many are seasonal creeks & can dry up in late summer. The most likely place to find great water flow is to look for the streams flowing directly into a major river or Lake/ Reservoir.

And if you are really not into to roughing it, but wanna find a CABIN on RIVER or CREEK, check out our extensive list of all vacation cabins here, California Cabin Rentals

Mammoth Mountain Lakes / Eastern Sierra Fishing

Sure splendor for fishing, most of the time. Lake fishing, stream fishing, river fishing. Fishing the Eastern Sierra area, near Mammoth Lakes, California can be very rewarding. You may have read about places like these in the sports magazines, seen them on a television program, or imagined them in a fishing vacation day dream. Summers can be crowded, so pick you lake and camp carefully. Weather can change quickly, so come prepared. Autumn fishing w/ the golden aspens is totally superb!

Most of these Eastern Sierra lakes are accessible by car, others by foot. Look at the photos, pick a destination and get a good map of the area, so you can explore everything around too.

Mammoth Lakes Area

Lakes – Mammoth City

• Lake Barrett
• Convict Lake
• Crystal Lake
• Lake George
• Horseshoe Lake
• Laurel Lakes
• Lake Mary
• Sotcher Lake
• Stark Weather Lake
• TJ Lake
• Twin Lakes

Creeks -

• Boundary Creek
• Cold Water Creek
• Convict Creek
• Crater Creek
• Deadman Creek
• Glass Creek
• Laurel Creek
• Reds Creek

Rivers -

• Owens River
• San Joaquin River

June Lake Loop

Lakes -

• Agnew Lake
• Fern Lake
• Gull Lake
• Grant Lake
• June Lake
• Parker Lake
• Silver Lake
• Walker Lake

Creeks -

• Alger Creek
• Fern Creek
• Rush Creek
• Reverse Creek
• Yost Creek

Mammoth Maps

Inyo National Forest Map
Inyo Topo Atlas
Ansel Adams Wilderness
John Muir Wilderness Map Set
Mammoth High Country Map
Mammoth Lakes Map / Mono Divide

Here at Total Escape, we are here to change all that. The fear of outdoors, the unknown, the capability, the driving skill. Your SUV is a good reason to be outdoors in the golden state, at bare minimum. No excuses. Enjoy the California you never knew – and sometimes that means getting off the pavement. Yes, more than 2 miles.

SUV trail - any path, dirt road or route that can be driven on; high clearance vehicle are often necessary, 4×4 needed on occasion. National Forests, canyons, deserts, mountains, country lane style drives, some classic routes skirt the wilderness boundaries. We have it all for ya here. Rock crawling Rubicon adventures, all the way down to the leisurely ‘Sunday drive’ thru a forest to a meadow for a picnic. 

Jeep trails, forest roads, graded roads, gravel roads, back roads, dirt roads, 4×4 routes, OHV (off highway vehicle) trails.

MAPS will get you out there!

Dust, dirt, mud, snow. Beyond the county line, way back there, where you can discover ghost towns, old mines in the desert, hot springs, historic lodges, petroglyphs, river gorges, fire lookouts, waterfalls, and so much more.

Get motivated and travel in your SUV:

• California Back Roads
• National Forest CA
• SUV in California
• 4×4 Clubs CA
• 4×4 Routes
• California Trailheads
• Road to Nowhere
• SUV Rollover News