A ‘continuous motion’ holiday parade that highlights youth groups, sports groups, schools, businesses, first responders and other organizations from Seal Beach and surrounding coastal areas. Seal Beach is located in between Long Beach and Newport Beach on the Los Angeles coastline.
Annual event: December
Seal Beach, CA
sealbeachlions.org/christmas-parade
South Big Sur Coast Dirt Roads & super scenic US HWY 1 – North of San Simeon and Hearst Castle, north of Ragged Point and just past Gorda, CA a dirt shoulder, widens, a break in the bushes on the right side of the highway, a small wooden sign for the Yurt Resort called Treebones and the turn off to the back-country of Los Padres National Forest Road #23S01
Willow Creek is a steep coastal canyon w/ Willow Creek Trail #5E08 in the creek below and the dirt road 1000′ above. Willow Creek Day Use Area, the Willow Creek bridge and Willow Creek beach w/ restrooms, picnic tables, and paved parking lot near the highway.
DIRT ROAD, high clearance is recommended, but not required. 4×4 may be needed in wet weather. Motorhomes, trucks w/ trailers and RV campers are not gonna like this rugged, narrow, steep, dirt road and are advised to stick to the pavement. Camper vans and SUVs are be better suited for this terrain.
Several primitive camp sites can be found along this rugged dirt road, which climbs steeply and switchbacks thru redwoods, madrones, cedars, grass lands and oak hills. Sites within the first 3 miles of this road offer the serene sounds of the ocean – waves, seals, sea lions as well as traffic on the busy highway. There are a few private properties back here in the boonies too, so read signs and don’t go exploring this region in the dark.
About 8 miles back on Willow Creek Rd is Alder Creek Campground – a small developed camp w/ only 2 camp sites and no piped water and no fees.
Prewitt Ridge also has numerous ideal top-of-the-world, free camp sites, which do require a lot more dirt road driving and a very good backcountry map.
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This Pumpkin Festival is the one in Half Moon Bay, up near San Francisco. Been running nearly 50 years. Traditional, wholesome, family fun outdoor weekend on the coast near the Bay Area. Plenty of Campgrounds and Lodging nearby for visitors.
Annual event; October
The Yurok Tribe hosts the annual Klamath Salmon Festival. Native American salmon barbeque plus Native American arts and crafts, Indian stick games, warrior contests, parade with Yurok drums and dancers.
Klamath Salmon Festival
Annual event: August
Held @ the Klamath Township,
Hwy 101 S, Klamath CA
707-444-0433
yuroktribe.org
Since 1921 Fortuna has hosted a week long rodeo in Northern California.
Annual event; July
FORTUNA CA
Hiking the Southern Big Sur Coastline
Central California Coast
31,555 acres
8 miles South of Gorda, CA
along Pacific Coast Hwy 1
near Big Sur, CA
Los Padres National Forest
Backpacking and hiking trails on the Pacific Coast, steep terrain next to ocean. Coastal redwood canyons, oaks hills, great views. The neighboring Ventana Wilderness is located just north of Silver Peak hiking trails.
Southern Redwood Botanical Area
Silver Peak –3,590′ elevation
Alder Peak –3,744′
trailheads
mile markers along Pacific Coast Highway 1
(Monterey County)
developed campgrounds nearby –
nearby towns –
Ventana Wilderness is a 40 mile stretch of protected land located in the Santa Lucia Mountains on the Big Sur coastline in between the Monterey peninsula and the Nacimeinto-Fergusson Road #4004. Fort Hunter Liggett lies to the east side and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Ancient volcano peaks called “cones” line the pine ridges – Ventana Cone, Ventana Double Cone, South Ventana Cone, Black Cone & Cone Peak.
240,026 acres
Cone Peak – 5155′ elevation
Los Padres National Forest
San Antoni River
Sykes Hot Springs
Tassajara Creek
Tassajara Hot Springs
campgrounds bordering area –
hiking trailheads –
nearby towns –
NatGeo Big Sur Topographic Map
Pinnacles National Monument Map
Smaller Silver Peak Wilderness (31,555 acres) is also featured on the same map, situated south of Ventana and north of the San Simeon Hearst Castle area.
The Monterey Bay of California is located south of the San Francisco peninsula, and north of the rugged Big Sur Central Coast. This is a popular region for tourism, coastal villages w/ shops and restaurants, parks and beaches, farms and farm stands. With Santa Cruz mountains and redwoods as the backdrop, this coastline is also highly residential.
Camping along this coast is limited mostly to State Parks and few private RV park campgrounds. No primitive beach camping is allowed on State Beaches, no hike-in camp sites, no hidden cove tent sites, nor secret dirt roads with views over the Pacific. This is a very developed beach and bay, with the 4-lane freeway, main artery US Highway 101, bordering the entire shore.
If you are looking for free and a more rugged, scenic camp – head south to the Big Sur Coast, to find a dirt road camp on the ridge. The sweetest ocean view hike-in camp sites can be found to the north, in the Marin Headlands of Point Reyes, which can be found under Marin Camping.
blue links lead to State Park pages w/ camp reservations.
(listed from south to north)
Monterey Pines RV Campground (Navy)
Monterey County Fairgrounds RV Park
Sunset State Beach 
South Campground
Manresa State Beach
Uplands Campground
Seacliff State Beach Campground
Santa Vida RV Park, Santa Cruz, California
Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Campground, Pescadero
Pelican Point RV Park, Half Moon Bay
Half Moon State Beach
Francis Beach Campground
(listed from south to north)
Los Padres Campgrounds
Big Sur, Mount Pinos, Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia
Los Padres National Forest campgrounds span the length of the California Central Coast, from the Monterey Bay to Los Angeles County. Choose a desired area:
Lush coastal campground is Bottchers Gap near Big Sur, CA
see also Los Padres Group Campgrounds
maps of the Los Padres regions –
Los Padres nearby towns & cities –
