Customer Reviews

The Best in Tent Camping: Southern California: A Guide to Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Unlike the other books I've seen on this topic, which generally just give the official info (number of sites, type of plumbing, map of hiking trails), Bill Mai gives lots of incidentals that help you get a "feel" for the camping grounds.

Each site is given a 1 to 5 star rating in 6 categories: beauty, site privacy, site spaciousness, quiet, security, and cleanliness/upkeep. That way, you can pick and choose according to what's important to you.

Also, he has written a little personal blurb about each one, with anecdotes about, maybe, what kind of animals he saw on the hiking trail or which specific campsite he likes best. Kids' preferences are also taken into account, and the question of what time of year is best to visit.

It's true, this is not a backpacker's guide - these campsites mostly all are for mixed groups (RVs, cars, etc.) but Mai's suggestions and the quiet and privacy ratings will most likely help you avoid problems. There are a few camps where you have to hike in, but they are attached to the larger campsites.

Mai also wrote the same type book for Northern California, and of course it's available here on Amazon.com, with some useful reviews with further info.

I love this book. I've been using it for 3 years. When I decided to take up camping, I didn't know where to start (i.e., where do you go? what do you bring? what happens when you get there? etc.) This book answers all these questions and more. Bill Mai writes in an enthusiastic and pleasant style as he reviews various campgrounds. He gives detailed descriptions of each campground that are informative, helpful, thorough and accurate. He has personally camped at most of the campgrounds he writes about, so his reviews are based on personal experience. I have camped at several of the locations he recommends and have yet to be disappointed. I use this book often not only to find my next campground, but also to peruse the reviews that I enjoy reading and re-reading. I even take it with me to browse while capming, and I've shared it with other campers who spoke of the book very positively and found it very helpful. When I was contemplating going camping, I looked and looked for a book like this, and was lucky to find the perfect camping book.

If you buy this looking to do some pack-it-all-in and hike-in camping, you are going to be disappointed. This book is for the car camper who wants to drive in and erect a tent. Some of the sites do allow RVs, it is true, but for the most part, these aren't going to be giant cement parking lots with RV hookups and people listening to the ball game on their satellite TV hookups.

The site amenities are listed in great detail, and Bill Mai's accompanying blurb about his personal experience at each site is very helpful. There are miniature maps and detailed directions for each site, too. I like his 6-component rating system, covering beaty, privacy, spaciousness, quet, security, and upkeep.

The campgrounds featured in this book are top notch and I applaud the author for choosing them. However, I don't like the way you have to read the author's little narrative story to extract all the info about each campground. I would prefer to see a list of activities for each campground and near by alternatives in case you can't get a reservation. I recommend that you supplement this book with a Moon Camping Guide so you get more specific info. Other than that it's a great book to have on hand if you're a camper.

I am an avid camper. I like solitude, quiet, and as deep into nature as possible with a car or minimal hiking to get to sites. The major flaw with this book is that it does not offer any photographs of the campsites. I've been to a few of the listed campsites, and their reviews seem to be more positive than they should be. For instance, Leo Carillo, beautiful, but only because I can use it as a weekend getaway. It is paved, close to the highway, noisy, etc. but they give it a 5 star review. Also, Andrew Molera in Big Sur is not the best. There is far better camping, but it is not listed. There are DEFINITELY better campgrounds out there that aren't listed that are easy to get to, more beautiful, and more secluded.

That being said, this book makes it easy to pick a site and just go. "The Best"? No. It is just ok.

I would retitle this book "Easy Camping in Southern California if you Don't Live Here"

Like the Northern Cali guide this book has some great information. Unfortunately it doesnt even have a basic map to help figure out where the sites are- not very helpful. Luckily the spots themselves and the writing quality are excellent.

75% of the sites in this book allow RV camping. The title is extraordinarily misleading.

I purchased this book in preparation for multiple camping trips throughout Southern CA, and it's proven to be very beneficial. We've found some great places to camp at that have great views and amenities, and I'm highly considering purchasing the Northern CA and AZ books.