Customer Reviews

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

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

 

 

So you want to go camping and you don't know where to go. Maybe you have tried camping and found yourself on a parking lot surrounded by the lovely sound of multiple RV generators. This has happened to me so many times that I decided to buy this book to help out with campground choices. One of the first recommended campsites is the beautiful "Montana de Oro", which is just as nice as the author says it is. Each campsite has a two page description with some background and historical information. It also has a list of ammenities, who to call to make reservations and what time of year is best for visiting the campsite. The prose is entertaining enough to just read for fun.

This book provides a pretty solid system of rating for the campgrounds listed. The major flaw in this book however, is that the map has the campgrounds shown by an assigned number. The listed campgrounds are not numbered in the table of contents, or on the pages they are reviewed on. Some may be hundreds of miles apart on the map but listed sequentially. I find myself counting out in the table of contents. Review quality would rate a five because of the detail and personal character given by the author but, the ease of use was lacking.

Okay, this book is actually so great I almost didn't want to write a review because then other people might buy the book and take up spaces at these awesome campgrounds. But I decided not to be selfish and give you the low down. Before I do, I will caution that this book is not for the faint of heart. If pit toilets and no running water aren't your cup of tea, don't buy this. Also, note the title. Don't get this unless you tent camp...some of the places listed don't even allow RVs.

This summer, we've been on three great camping trips that were inspired by this book. The campgrounds in it are well off the beaten path...I doubt I would ever have discovered them on my own. If you're new to southern California like me, this book is essential. Also, the information on the different campgrounds is very reliable and useful, sometimes even better than that on state park websites. P.S. The map of the different campgrounds does have a key on the prior page page (just clarifying a point someone else brought up).

This book has opened up a world of camping possibilities for my family in Southern California. The ratings system is excellent, right on, for things like how quiet the sites are, etc, recommending what times of year to go to different areas,etc. We have camped in several areas that we never would have known about without this book that were stunningly beautiful, quiet, and not too crowded. Yes, the book could have been organized slightly better (a bit awkward matching up the maps with the campsites) which hopefully they will fix in the next edition. Great job, and a big thank you from a family who likes to camp and hopes to do more camping as our children grow older.

I thought this book would be helpful in our move to socal, but I was not impressed with the selection of campsites, organization, or even the campsites featured. The first campground we went to that was supposedly the highest rated in the area had, guess what...RVs, concrete slabs, and loud radios. Maybe the problem is not the book, but southern california. I would suggest real tent campers find another book.

This book has a great details related to various camping venues and in our experience utilizing it to assist us in choosing ideal spots suited to our needs, we have found it to be quite accurate and dependable.

Some of the sites in this book are as advertised, but because of the way that it's organized, it's cumbersome to use while planning a trip. You can't really tell where each site is along different routes until you look up close, and the order doesn't help you.

My biggest gripe is that some of these sites are FAR from quiet when you get there; RV's ARE allowed at some of these sites (and he doesn't say which ones).

In my opinion, you're better off with a more comprehensive guidebook that tells it like it really is for each site.

The book promised to show camping areas which avoided loud stereos. We stayed only one miserable night, rather than the two in our plan, because it did not deliver on that promise. It seems that any campground that cars can get too must have a host to control the trash that drives in to spoil the experience for others.