California, for first timers
Go outside.
Feel at home.
A no-pressure guide to California’s most iconic parks—where to go, what to pack, and the small details that make a first campout feel easy.
Find your first park ↓
Start here
Not a camper yet?
Perfect.
Pick the landscape that makes you curious. We’ll take care of the rest—from a first trail to the campsite essentials worth bringing.
The field guide
Your first
good story.
Six legendary places, chosen for big scenery and a friendly on-ramp to camping.
Yosemite
Granite, giant trees, big firsts.
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Joshua Tree
Otherworldly, open, sun-warmed.
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Redwood
Walk inside a living cathedral.
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Big Sur
Cliffs, redwoods, and blue forever.
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Crystal Cove
Beach camp, done beautifully.
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Anza-Borrego
A vast desert that feels all yours.
↗The no-stress starter kit
Pack less.
Enjoy more.
Borrow before you buy, reserve ahead, and bring the few things that make a night outside genuinely comfortable.
See the first-trip checklist ↗2-person tent, sleeping pad, warm bag
Camp stove, water, easy meals, mug
Headlamp, layers, camp chair, book