I've noticed when reading some trip journals that many people miss nearby bargain rates at campgrounds, or even pay full price when the campground attendant fails to let them know about available HB sites. I know of the sites around San Diego County, and many of the ones in the Sierra, but have not found any one source to pool all of our knowledge. Maybe we can start a thread covering them, and then a web page could scrape the thread and set up a Maps page (don't know how to do this myself...) I have a few examples below, and also could do entries for California sites such as
Castle Crags
Burney Falls
Donner Memorial
DL Bliss
Calaveras Big Trees
Tuolumne Meadows
Yosemite Valley
Sliverwood Lake
Idyllwild Campground
Palomar Mountain
Lake Perris
Lake Morena
Palm Cyn, Anza Borrego State Park
Name: San Elijo State Beach
Phone: (760) 753-5091
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=662
Location: Central coastal San Diego County, California, USA
Lat/Long: 33 deg. 01' 15" N, 117 deg. 17' 02" W
Location Notes: On the coast highway roughly 30 km (20 mi) N of San Diego.
Elevation: about 25 m (80 ft)
Cost per night: $6 (2012)
Stay longer than one night?: Not officially, maybe during off season...
Open: year-round
Water: Spigots throughout camp, tap water is fairly nasty tasting, though. Purified
water machines across highway.
Facilities: Lighted flush toilets with sinks and pay showers close by. Small store in camp.
Very nice outdoor taco shop in campground. Picnic table & fire ring in site.
Electrical outlets: In restrooms with showers.
Wifi: free at Bull Taco shop, no outlets, though. Starbucks across highway.
Bike shops: several nearby along coast hwy.
Setting: Suburban beach. Some lawn in part of site, rest is concrete-like bare dirt.
Little shade.
Occupancy Limit: 8
Check-in: after 4 pm, out by 9 am. Strictly enforced.
Hammock-friendly: No.
Supplies: Some in camp store, upscale market across hwy. Taco shop is excellent alternative
to cooking, though!
Stove fuel availabilty: Stores may have propane, better bring your own alcohol.
Food lockers: No
Varmints: Squirrels and crows will raid any visible goodies by day.
Humans may steal anything not bolted down.
Activities: Typical SoCal beach activities.
Notes: The last surviving beach HB site in San Diego County.
Located on bluff above beach. Very busy during summer. Site will get noise
from nearby highway and trains. Campround may move HB site at random, fall 2012
was in site 128, next to a very noisy children's Surf Camp.
Name: Green Valley Falls Campground, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (Arroyo Seco Day Use Area)
Phone: (760) 765-3020
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=667
Location: central San Diego County, California, USA
Lat/Long: 32 deg. 54' 24" N, 116 deg. 35' W
Location Notes: In the Peninsular Mountain ranges, about 60 km (40 mi) east of San Diego,
on State Hwy 79.
Elevation: 1200 m (3950 feet)
Cost per night: $5 (2012)
Stay longer than one night?: Probably, but see notes.
Open: Currently summer only.
Water: Spigots in the day use (hike and bike area) Excellent mountain spring water.
Facilities: Lighted flush toilets with sinks in day use area. Coin operated hot showers a short
walk away in equestrian loop. Avoid the crummy modern low-flow showers in the rest of the camp.
Ice and wood available (NO wood gathering) Many non-movable picnic tables.
Wifi: AT&T (pay) at campground entrance.
Bike Shops: none nearby, closest are N in Julian and SW in Alpine.
Electrical outlets: In restrooms with showers.
Setting: Rural. Open woodland with large oak and pine trees. Ground gently slopes
with scattered flat spots. Covered with leaf duff for the most part.
Occupancy Limit: You could probably put fifty tents here...
Hammock-friendly: Park regulations prohibit putting anything on vegetation that
would harm it. You could argue that straps won't harm the bark,
or try rigging a hammock between two tables, or a signpost, or
set up out of sight in the brushy hill behind the picnic area.
Supplies: 8 km (5 mi) S. in Descano, down a 160 m (500 ft) hill: General Store (Perkin's corner).
13 km (8 mi) very hilly miles N. at Cuyamaca Lake (limited store)
Stove fuel availabilty: Stores may have propane, better bring your own alcohol.
Food lockers: No
Varmints: Squirrels, jays, crows, and ravens will raid any visible goodies by day.
Possibly raccoons by night. Lots of small annoying flies in warmer weather.
Activities: Hiking, wading, and basking at falls.
Notes: This camp is near to both the Southern Tier and an alternative Sierra-Cascades ACA route. A very nice campground. Nearest car campers are several hundred meters away. The falls, maybe 5 minutes walk away, have the nearby stream cascade over giant polished granite boulders. This valley location collects cool air on clear nights and can be much colder than the nearby Paso Picacho site, which is 300 meters higher. You are asked not to set up your tent in the picnic area until dusk, and have it down before 9 AM. You can hang around earlier, just not have the tent up. If you wrangle a stay of more than one day, you'll still need to take the tent down during the day.
Name: Paso Picacho Campground, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (Inside the day use loop)
Phone: (760) 765-3020
Website: Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=667
Location: central San Diego County, California, USA
Lat/Long: 32 deg. 57' 40" N, 116 deg. 34' 50" W
Location Notes: In the Peninsular Mountain ranges, about 60 km (40 mi) east of San Diego,
on State Hwy 79.
Elevation: 1500 m (4950 feet)
Cost per night: $5 (2012)
Stay longer than one night?: Probably, but see notes.
Open: Currently year-round.
Water: Spigots in camp.
Facilities: Flush toilets with sinks in day use area which are lit at night (loop ones may be closed).
Coin operated hot showers a short walk away in main campground. Many non-movable picnic tables.
No wood gathering, wood and ice available in camp.
Electrical outlets: In restrooms with showers.
Wifi: AT&T (pay) at campground entrance.
Bike Shops: none nearby, closest are N in Julian and SW in Alpine.
Setting: Rural. Open woodland with large pine trees and some boulders. Gently sloping site
with scattered flat spots. Covered with leaf duff for the most part.
Occupancy Limit: You could probably put fifty tents here...
Hammock-friendly: Park regulations prohibit putting anything on vegetation that
would harm it. You could argue that straps won't harm the bark,
or try rigging a hammock between two tables, or a signpost, or
set up out of sight in the brushy, bouldery hummock inside the loop.
Supplies: 16 km (10 mi) S. in Descano, down a 450 m (1500 ft) hill: General Store (Perkin's corner).
5 km (2.5 mi) miles N. at Cuyamaca Lake (limited store and restaurant)
Stove fuel availabilty: Stores may have gas canisters, better bring your own alcohol.
Food lockers: No
Varmints: Squirrels, jays, crows, and ravens will raid any visible goodies by day.
Possibly raccoons by night. Lots of small annoying flies in warmer weather.
Activities: Hiking, mountain biking, fishing at nearby lake (no swimming allowed).
Notes: A very nice campground. Nearest car campers are hundreds of meters away. There's a scenic trail to the top of Stonewall Peak which starts at the camp entrance and climbs 1000' in 2 miles. This saddle-top campground drains cool air away clear nights and can be much warmer than the nearby Green Valley falls site, which is 300 meters lower. You are asked not to set up your tent in the picnic area until dusk, and have it down before 9 AM. You can hang around earlier, just not have the tent up. If you wrangle a stay of more than one day, you'll still need to take the tent down during the day.