Secluded California Camping, Rural Small Towns, Relocation California

Total Escape is California, off the beaten path

REAL ROASTER: California has seen 2 triple-digit heat waves in early June, so expect a hotter than average year going forward. The US West is in a MegaDrought, meaning we could all lose electricity, air conditioning and even food crops. Prepare to see less water (or no water) in lakes and reservoirs this season. The Sierra Nevada has no snowpack going into this season, so fire restrictions are tighter than ever. Campfires are only being allowed inside developed campgrounds and certain recreation sites. Plenty of California camps, trails and roads are closed, due to last summers wildfire damage.

Looking to upgrade your tent or camp table? Perhaps build an outdoor kitchen for the backyard? Check out the Total Escape Map Shop, which also features Outdoor Gear. We've been compiling only the top-rated items for making any outdoor experience better. From new sleeping pads to hammocks, cookware to fire pits, bike racks to backpacks, we list trustworthy brands found at the lowest prices.

#totalescape

Rural California Directory: Now that you've found this independent California resource, you can discover more local destinations online. Find your own rural place, a homestead way up in the hills, or just a forested camp spot for the night. Discover that perfect spot for summer vacation, a hidden meadow, the secluded waterfall, the secret alpine fishing lake or maybe, just a bike rental shop at the beach. We list it here, all outdoors, all local. Travel the back roads of the west, on the cheap. Camp year round, without the fees, from Baja to Shasta. Find secluded spots. Historic, independent inns to remote yurt resorts, yoga weekends to primitive hot springs, RV resorts, or dispersed camp sites. Hiking trails, kayaking lakes, fishing streams, gold mines and ghost towns, and all the topographic maps to go with.

all local: updated monthly

ancient: 25 years online!

We're still here, thousands of pages and decades later. Way outside the city limits, beyond the county line. No wifi, no smart meters, no gaming addictions, no traffic lights, no city noise. Rural living in California still exist. Hike on the weekends, bike to work, boating mid-week, we have you covered for destinations. Find a new creekside camp spot, a waterfall, trailhead or an ancient lava cave. Total Escape - Two whole decades online. Not quite obsolete.

Craving the Wild? Before the tweets, the constant memes and paralysis of our current culture, DanaMite started this travel web site way back in 1996. Catchy phrases like, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) did not yet exist.

Total Escape features abundant real photos of real places. Secluded destinations, camping and lodging, examining the best back roads, side routes, the topo maps (to get you out there). Locals-only travel tips, gear reviews, festivals and events. This unique travel site is updated every month, for the past 24 years!

Juicy content specific only to California. Focusing on outdoor destinations, small towns and budget-minded travel since 1996, we've recreated the weekend getaway - without the crowds. Escape the matrix, the city life, the traffic jams and learn how to avoid the tourist traps. Drive on past the factory outlet malls and the water slides, we've got much more to show you. Way out there, on the back roads, and in the backcountry.

Wilderness in California - more nature, less people.