Campfire Momma

How to Reserve a Camping Spot in Orange County

Your guide to booking camping spots in Orange County

Now is the time to start thinking about any camping trips you would like to take this summer.  I love camping, but I also prefer to stay close to home. There are plenty of choices in our own community of Orange County. But since most of the campgrounds within Orange County are located near the beach, the demand is high for people wanting to camp in our O.C. campgrounds. You need to book these high-demand campgrounds 6 months in advance.

State Campgrounds in Orange County

State owned campgrounds allow you to book your camping spots 6 months in advance, so today, December 1st, is the first day you can book spots for the month of June 2013. The months of July and August are the most popular, and inventory sells out fast, pretty much within the first hour of being available on the first day of each month. You must plan ahead in order to book any kind of beach camp spot. Beach spots are in high demand, so you need to have your dates chosen and be ready to book on the 1st of the month, 6 months before.

The following are state campground located within Orange County:

Bolsa Chica State Park – nestled between Huntington and Seal Beach. An RV/Trailer campground where you can camp right up to the sand. It offers full hookups.

Crystal Cove State Park -offers RV/trailer and tent camping along the beach. Campers also have the choice of a more primitive camping experience by booking a tent spot in the Crystal Cove Backland, located 3 miles inland.

Doheny State Park – A family favorite offering both RV/trailer and tent camping along the beach near Dana Point. Primitive camping/no hookups, but does have showers and bathrooms. It’s a short walk to the beach, which is sandy, but the ocean bottom is rocky.

San Clemente State Park – Our family favorite. It offers both RV/trailer and tent camping on the bluff above San Clemente Beach. One of Orange County’s largest campsites, families can have fun hiking on the beach trails, bike riding and playing on the beach. The walk to the beach is a bit of a hike, but the beach is sandy as well as the ocean bottom.

San Mateo State Park – Lies a short distance inland from the 3.5-miles of sandy beaches within San Onofre State Beach.  A 1.5-mile Nature Trail connects the campground to Trestles Beach, a world class surfing site. San Mateo Creek flows just east of the campground outward towards the ocean creating key riparian and wetland habitats which host some rare and even endangered species.  All campsites include a fire pit.  Hookup sites are available with electricity and water.

San Onofre Bluffs – Offers camping along Old Highway 101 adjacent to the sandstone bluffs.  The beach below is popular with swimmers and surfers with six rugged dirt access trails cut into the bluff above.  All campsites include a fire. No hookups are available however there is a dump-station.

Orange County Campgrounds

Caspers Wilderness Park – Offers primitive camping in a wilderness setting. RV/Trailors are allowed. Only electrical hookups are available. Campers can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, playground and the wilderness.

O’Neill Regional Park – Offers primitive camping with paved streets and and sites. RV/Trailors are allowed, but no hookups are available. Campers can enjoy hiking, biking, nature center and the wilderness.

City Campgrounds

Huntington Beach City Campground – Just south of the Huntington Beach Pier. An RV/Trailer campground where you can camp right up to the sand. It offers full hookups.

Privately Owned - (a few of our favorites)

Anaheim Resort RV Park – Camp in Mickey’s backyard! Camp spots are full hooks ups and are suited for RV/trailers. Guest can enjoy a pool and hot tub.  Located conveniently close to all Anaheim attractions.

Newport Dunes – Offers a resort-like atmosphere. Camp spots are full hooks ups and are suited for RV/trailers, but tents can be pitched on the camp sites. Newport Dunes also has cottages for rent with a kitchen, sleep area and bathroom. Guests enjoy the mile of beach front with a swimming pool and a playground on the beach for the kids. Campers can rent a sailboats, pedal boats or electric boats.  Boatscan be launched from the convenient launch ramp to the Newport Harbor.

Canyon RV Park / Featherly Regional Park – Canyon RV Park occupies Featherly Wilderness Preserve, Canyon. It is situated along the Santa Ana River in the heart of the Santa Ana Canyon. It offers primitives camping as well as RV/trailer camping with full hook-ups. Campers can enjoy the open area for recreation along with a seasonal pool and playgrounds for the kids.

You’ve Picked Your Campground – Now Reserve Your Spot!

Reservations for all State and County Campgrounds can be made through the Reserve America website. Like I said before, you are allowed to start booking sites on the 1st of each month, six months before the date you want. In order to increase your chances of getting the spot you want, you should log into the computer 10 minutes before 8:00 am and have the spot you want ready to go. When the clock strikes 8:00 a.m., click “Book This Site” immediately. (I can not stress this enough) I often have a few windows open ready to go because the beach campground spots go so quickly, and many times don’t get my first choice. (you can cancelled any reservations you have made and get a refund, less $8, up to 48 hours before your reservation date)

If you want to go camping and you haven’t booked your stay six months in advance, don’t worry. You can always go onto the website and see if there is an opening. A lot of times we decide on a whim to go, and find an awesome spot that someone has cancelled. You never know!

Here is what the site looks like….

You then can search for the campgrounds you’d like to visit. Enter the dates you want and click “map” and see all spots available at the campground. Click the spot you want and it will let you know if it is available.  If it is, you can proceed to checkout and pay. Have your credit card information ready.

Here is an example of San Clemente State Park Campground.

Private and City Owned campgrounds should be booked through there own websites, and have there own rules of how far in advance you can book. You can also book or by calling directly.

The Key to making your Camping Trip Enjoyable

It is important to make sure that you pick a campground that has the amenities that “your family” needs. If you are tent camping, it might be important that you have running water or bathrooms with shower facilities. If you are using an RV/Trailor, you may want hook-ups if you don’t have a generator. All Orange County campgrounds have cell phone reception, so that will not be an issue to worry about. If your family likes hiking, make sure that you will have access to camping trails. Not all campsites allow open fires or have fire pits, so check for that if it is one of your requirements. There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination and not having the proper equipment to enjoy your stay.

I hope these tips help you book the perfect camping spot for your camping trip!

Campfire Cooking: Octopus Dogs

I think most people would agree that hot dogs taste best when cooked over a campfire. And although I like to try new and more exciting campfire recipes when we go camping, we always have to cook hot dogs for at least one meal. My boys want to get to cook their own hot dogs over the fire.

At our last campfire, to make things extra fun, we made our hotdogs into Octopus Dogs! It’s amazing how some simple cuts into a hot dog can make eating it a whole new experience.

To make a Octopus Hot Dog: you will need a knife…..the sharper, the better.  You will then cut the hot dog 2/3 up in half, lengthwise. Then cut those two part in half, and then in half again. This will create 8 tentacles. Patience is key, it takes some skillful cutting not to cut off one of the tentacles.

To cook your Octopus Dog: you will want to poke your hot dog skewer into the side of your hot dog. Hold you Octopus Dog over the campfire so the tentacles are hanging down. You may want to get it really close to the hot embers.  While it cooks, the tentacles will curl up and turn your hot dog into a very cool octopus!

There you have your hot dog octopus. And these Octopus Hot Dogs are extra yummy because each tentacle gets it’s own caramelization and crispy edges!

If you want to get extra fancy….you can give your octopus some mustard or ketchup eyes.

Happy Campfire Cookin’

Camping Craft: Spray Paint T-shirts

One thing I always do before a camping trip is stock up on crafts. I run over to the craft store and pick up a few projects that I think the kids would enjoy. The great thing is…..when you are camping, you can do those projects that you may think are too messy to do at home. It is okay if a little bit of paint gets on the ground and if your kids get messy, because, they are probably already really dirty. And no furniture or carpeting to ruin is a plus!

Decorating t-shirts is always a hit. For a camping trip we took this summer, I purchased fabric spray paint, masking tape and a bunch of $3.00 t-shirts. This fabric spray paint is great because it is premixed and there is virtually no prep work. Just take the cap off and spray.

I let the kids go to town decorating a couple shirts each. Some of them masked-off sections first, then painted….

and some of them just “freestyle” painted.  IF you are extra fancy, you could even make cardboard stencils. Hearts or stars could be fun.

Okay, so most of the kids t-shirts turned out….well…kind of ugly, BUT, don’t tell them that. My kids loved how their shirts turn out. And any craft that keeps them busy for an hour gets an “A” in my book. This little guy was so proud of his, and still wears it all the time.

It’s a good idea to bring a clothes line to hang up the shirts to dry on. The kids will probably want to wear them as soon as the paint is dry. When you get home, wash the shirts in their own wash load, just in case the paint bleeds.  Happy Crafting!

 Keep up with the rest of Jill’s adventures at Sandy Toes and Popsicles on facebook or twitter!

Camping Isn’t That Bad!

Hi OC Family Readers,

Let me first introduce myself, I’m Jill and I am the new campfire momma! I am very excited to share with you the tips and tricks I have learned throughout my years of camping, and the many camping adventures of my family.

To start off, I would have never used to call myself campfire momma.  It wasn’t until I became a mom to all boys, THREE of them, that I would consider myself the camping type! In fact, I never really enjoyed camping. I don’t like dirt, sleeping in a tent, having to wash dishes outside, and did I say dirt? Most of all, I do NOT like cleaning up after a camping trips.  It’s like packing up the entire house to get to go sleep outside in the dirt and then bringing the dirt back home with you!

After having my first son, my husband convinced me that we should take a family camping trip. And although I didn’t want to go, I said yes.  We planned a two night trip, staying close to home, at  San Clemente State Beach. I let my husband plan everything, the food, the packing, the camping gear, and activities. I practically just showed up. I figured he was the Boy Scout, he had it covered. To make a long story short, the trip didn’t end up being a two night trip.

After the first day of eating hot dogs, watching my son getting dirty, not sleeping all night because the ground was hard and my baby was crawling all over the tent, I realized camping was not for me. I looked down at my son with his face smeared in dirt, not having any easy way to clean him up with or any extra clothes, I knew I was DONE. I swiftly took down the tent, packed up all the gear and drove home at 7:00 am.  Our first trip lasted less than 24 hours. Fail.

But not going camping ever again was not an option. My kids and my husband love it, they are happier when they are outdoors in nature. I felt bad not participating with them.  So I convinced my husband to buy me this.

OKAY….this is semi-cheating, not really roughing it. But having a bathroom, shower and beds made camping semi-enjoyable to me. And pretty soon, and baby steps later, I learned to love camping.  I know my kids will always have memories of these trips, and they don’t need to remember a grumpy momma!

Nowdays, we don’t always take the trailer when we go on trips because I now know ways to make camp life easier, like how to pack, what to bring, what not to bring, and have embraced outdoor cooking.  The way I camp is somewhere between glamping and camping….and that’s the way I like it.

5 Quick Tips to Make Camping More Enjoyable

• Choose a campsite that has electrical/water hookups and restrooms – this makes life a whole lot easier.

• Invest in a cot or an air mattress – Nothing is worse than getting a night sleep with a rock in your back or the hard uneven ground.

• Bring pre-made/pre-seasoned food – The less you have to pack the better. And less prep makes more time to relax.

• Keep dish washing to a minimum – Normally, I am not a fan of paper plates and cups, but when I’m camping, I don’t like washing a ton of dishes. This will cut down on clean up time. Please try to use biodegradable paper goods.

• Embrace Dirt – Everyone is going to get dirty on a camping trip. Your kids will be walking around with dirty clothes, hands and faces. Let them be kids and have fun! And remember….baby wipes are your best friend.

These are just a few ways I have learned to make camping fun for me. I look forward to sharing more tips and adventures in camping with OC Family readers!

Keep up with the rest of Jill’s adventures at Sandy Toes and Popsicles on facebook or twitter!