A pleasant, quiet campground with views of the valley below.
This is at 8,000 feet so you can see a long way and have a great view of the stars at night.
I gave it three stars because there was no water except for one spigot that needed a water key.
Also, I like to see little more shade for the sites. The wind can whip through the sites, as well. See my video.
Plus: Great free shaded sites with fire rings and tables. The 12 sites are spread out Great hiking trails thanks to all the cross country skiing trails. Camping is free but so is most of the land along the roadway. It’s called dispersed camping. Great hike to Mount Pinos,
Just a few caveats:
- The toilets sometimes don’t have TP.
- “Bears were active” signs are posted.
- No water
- It’s a three yard hike back to the parking lot. 5 Ranger said he has written 100 tickets this summer for people having campfires when it’s posted no campfires. I think he visits the site daily.
After camping in that area this weekend, I could not find this site. I believe it is meant as an overview for the entire area.
We stayed one night. Nice experience. It was super quiet after 10p.m., but it was a Monday night.
About 60% of the sites have shade. Check the ReserveCalifornia.com site pictures to see what the site looks like before you register. Open the map then click on the site to see the picture. https://www.reservecalifornia.com/CaliforniaWebHome/
It’s a short walk to the beach. Nice beach. Dogs are only allowed on the beach north of Leo Carrillo Beach. It’s a little longer walk. A couple of notes: The Dyrt info says $12 but that’s for day use only. The tent sites are $45, plus $9 registration fee;hookup sites $60, plus $9 registration. There is a flock of South American parrots that come by and feed on the flora seeds in the area.
By far one of the best campgrounds I stayed. The site donated the Balch family and operated by the Tulare County Parks, host camping among the Sequoias, fishing at two lakes that are stocked with trout, a self-guided hiking trail and more. Each site has a fire ring, barbecue, and table plus each site has there own running water. The bathrooms are flush toilets and clean sinks. The place has the feel of Yosemite without the large granite rocks. Great host and camp ranger on site. It’s first come first serve and the way it works is you go pick out a campsite not reserved and take it. The ranger will be around to collect. Check out the map in the pictures. It can look confusing at first. There are 60 sites. The place fills up on the weekends. There are more opportunities during the week. Mike the ranger said before COVID, plenty of camping was available, but with so many campgrounds closed, the place fills up fast. The price is $20 a night, $10 for seniors. When you take the Balch Road turnoff to the camp, you can turn right at Bear Creek Rd if you are NOT pulling a trailer. It’s steeper and with more hairpin turns than Balch Road, but about five miles shorter. You go from 1000 feet to 6000 feet elevation in a short distance.
I never made it to review the campground but know that the road is slow going and full of potholes. I turned around after three miles because my old truck was shaking apart.
I spoke with the ranger at Balch Park campsite. He said vandals came through and graffitied and left trash. They closed off the road. You can still walk to the falls and camp but it is a two mile hike down a steep road and two miles back. Plus, the slow, five mile drive to the turnoff is on pot-hole riddled road with no phone service for miles. It doesn’t stop people from going back there, but it is a rough road. I saw a family of five stuck on the side of the road back there. The car just shut down. I hear it’s beautiful but my old truck couldn’t take the rattling.
Point Mugu State Park ( Sycamore Cove has a great day use area on the beach across the street from Sycamore campground. Lots of tables or sand for blankets and umbrellas. About 20% of the tables are in the shade of trees. One cool benefit, the day use fee is daily or hourly $12/day or $3/ hour. We bought two hours, fixed a nice lunch, and took a walk on the beach. The beach drops off, gets deep quickly, not the safest waters but swimmable. There are lifeguards. Bathrooms are pit toilets.
Note: Both Sycamore campground and Thornhill Broome campground up the road are under “Point Mugu State Beach” when you want to make camping reservations.
My wife and I swung by the park for a quick survey. It’s small and uncrowded. Nice bathroom facilities, grass and picnic area. Hooks and dump station. Day fees are $2.00. We did not meet the camp host. Reservations are made online.
https://www.venturaparks.org/index_C5.asp
Good access to the hills but a better trail, Tapo Canyon trail is a mile down the road. It’s a much wider trail, easier to see the rattlesnakes. Rattlesnake warnings are posted everywhere in camp. See pictures for more details.
Spent one night on the sand about 50 feet from crashing waves. The campground sits on higher ground so there is no worry of waves sloshing through the camp. Pit toilets are clean. Campsites 40 feet apart lining the road. Great view of the ocean. The campground does have a small section of “first come, first serve” but majority are reservation only. The downside is wind can kick up in the afternoon, which is okay if you are prepared. There are no trees or any shade. It’s open flat sand, but it’s on the beach.