Get Out of Town

"We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven." Henry David Thoreau

For Sonomans looking to escape the traffic and crowds associated with Fourth of July festivities, camping is an excellent way to have a good time and remember the beauty of America on its 235th birthday.

Depending on how long a drive you want to make, the region offers a large swath of terrific campground locations to choose from.

Here are five sites I personally like and have been to. Feel free to send in your own favorites.

Mt. Lassen

A little under five hours north-east of Sonoma off Interstate 5, this fantastic park has everything from trails leading up to the peak of Mt. Lassen to Manzanita Lake. You can swim, fish, kayak and do any other number of activities. The area has good tent and motor-home campsites, hot showers (though a bit expensive at $1 per 2.5 minutes), plenty of restrooms, fire pits, and bear-boxes to store your food.

The area is rich in California history, and famous for being the home of Ishi, the last Yahi Indian. Discovered in 1911 living and hunting as his ancestors had done for thousands of years, anthropologists from what would eventually become the University of California San Francisco, studied Ishi for years. His history and image are honored at the camp site’s museum and bookstore.

The park was named for 19th Century trailblazer Peter Lassen, who along with William Nobles, found routes through the region on the way to the California coast. According to park historians, the volcanic mountain last erupted in the early 20th century, and its main road, which stretches up to over 8,500 feet in elevation towards Lake Helen, is the largest of the Cascade Mountains. Snow is ever-present, even in summer, and in winter can accumulate 40 feet or more.

For more information, contact the park at (530) 595-4480, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/lavo.

Boonville

Closer to home is Boonville. Located about two hours from Sonoma in Mendocino County along Highway 128, Boonville has a terrific camping area known as Hendy Woods State Park. Traveling between Highway 101 towards the rugged coast along Highway 1, I discovered this fun and beautiful area which is dominated by acres of Redwoods along the Navarro River.

The woods get so thick that at times while driving on a sunny day along route 128, the sun will be blocked and it is necessary to turn on headlights.

These woods can feel like something straight out of Hansel & Gretel, and in fact, the park has its own mythical resident known as the "Hendy Woods Hermit." The hermit allegedly was a former Russian soldier of World War II named Petrov Zailenko, who spent two decades during the 1960s and 1970s living within the woods.

He made huts and make-shift lean-tos out of the hollowed-out tree stumps of some of the fallen redwood trees. He lived off the land, eating vegetation, produce from some of the local farms and small game, including chipmunks.

Hendy camp has 25 sites along the Navarro River. Fire pits are provided, but the camp prefers you not bring in wood as it is made available at the ranger station. You are not allowed to gather wood within the park, either, so as to help maintain the local vegetation. There are two-miles of nature trails for hiking. Swimming, kayaking, and canoeing are allowed. Fishing is permitted in the Navarro River watershed down river from the bridge at the park entrance.

Hendy Woods open for camping April 1 through October 29. Campsites and cabins are on a reservation-only basis between May 14th - Sept. 24th. The water at Hendy Woods is not potable, so bring your own. For more information, please call (707)937-5804  

Austin Creek

If you want to hike through a majestic Sequoia forest, the place to be is Austin Creek State Recreation Area in Guerneville. Fifty miles from Sonoma and located right next to Armstrong Redwoods State Park, campers can access a multitude of trails.

Austin Creek has two distinct camping areas:

Bullfrog Pond - which has 24 family campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis. All sites have tables and fire rings and are located near flush toilets and potable water. There are no showers, though.

Tom King and Manning Flat - featuring campsites with tables and fire rings. Pit toilets are located nearby and though there is a year-round stream nearby, you will need to purify the water before drinking it. Use of a micro filter is recommended.

Horses area allowed, but sometimes the trails are closed to equestrians, so call ahead to double check. A back country permit is required and can be obtained at the Armstrong Redwoods park office during business hours.

Fees are as follows: Backcountry camping: $25.00 per night, Extra Vehicle: $8.00; Bullfrog Pond: $25.00 per night includes ONE vehicle.

For more information, please call 707-869-2015

Pt. Reyes

One of the most amazing places to escape the crowds and camp over this 4th of July weekend is Point Reyes.

Located an hour west of town, the long, high-cliffed coast and powerful waves are only equaled by the trek we took to get to that coastline. From the entrance point at the Bear Valley Visitor Center to the coast is about four miles of trail along pristine woods and meadows.

About two miles in at the crest of a first hill is a clearing surrounded by tall coastal pines and steep hillsides. The peace of this meadow and the absence of any noise but your own breathing is soulful. 

The camping here is basic and no-frills. It is hike in or boat in only in many spots, so be prepared to have what you need packed in a form that you can carry on your back over hilly terrain for more than an hour's hike. According to the Pt. Reyes camp website, each campground has a vault toilet and water faucet.

"The water from the faucets is usually potable, but campers should bring along some means of treating the water in case the campground's water treatment system fails, at which time signage would be posted at the water faucet to alert campers that the water is not potable," states the web page.

Each camp site has a picnic table, a food storage locker and a charcoal grill. Group sites have two picnic tables, two food storage lockers and one large or two regular charcoal grills.

Camping is by permit only. Camping permits must be obtained from the Bear Valley Visitor Center before starting your trip. When you arrive to pick up your permit, please be prepared to provide a description (color, make, model and license plate number) of any vehicles that you will be leaving overnight in the park. There is no after hours self-registration for camping available.

You must have made a reservation in advance to camp within Point Reyes National Seashore. If you have made a reservation and are arriving after 5 p.m., a permit will be left for you in a small wooden box on the back side of the information board outside of the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

Retrieve your permit from the box, fill in the highlighted sections, sign the permit, remove the carbon copies and put the carbon copies back in the box. Attach the original permit to your backpack as you hike, then attach it to the outside of your tent once you’ve set up camp.

Hike-in camping is allowed only in one of the four established campgrounds at the numbered site specified on the permit. Boat-in camping is allowed on national park beaches on the west side of Tomales Bay north of Tomales Bay State Park's Indian Beach.

Campsites may be reserved up to three months (to the day) in advance. To obtain a reservation, call (415) 663-8054 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reservations by phone are not accepted at any other time.

Half Moon Bay

Located about 65 miles south of Sonoma, Half Moon Bay is a great escape from the Sonoma County summer heat. With average summer temperatures running in the 60s and four-miles of gorgeous beaches, Half Moon Bay State Beach Campground is a fantastic place to get away from it all.

For starters, Francis Beach has 52 individual campsites, some suitable for tents, but mostly set up for RVs. While there are no hookups, there is a dump station. There are also coin-operated showers (25 cents buys you 2 minutes).

Venice Beach has outside showers, flush toilets, and a pay phone.

Although dogs are not allowed on the beaches, they are allowed in the campsite areas, picnic areas, and on the Coastal Trail — a three mile stretch to walk, jog or ride bikes. The trail continues north to Pillar Point Harbor. Beach fires are not allowed.

Campsite reservations must be made through Reserve America by calling 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or through their website at www.reserveamerica.com.