Consider camping for extra 4th of July fun

Feel like heading to the beach for Fourth of July weekend but don’t want to shell out money for a hotel? How about staying in a campground? As of mid-June, campsites near the beach were still available in Southern California, including Mission Bay RV Resort in San Diego and Malibu Beach RV Park in Malibu.

And if you’re looking for activities to enjoy with your family, many campgrounds and RV parks can provide that, too.

At the Santa Cruz KOA, for example, campers will be able to participate in a Fourth of July parade, a pet costume contest, make a patriotic craft, ride banana bikes and join in an ice cream social.

Meanwhile, Far Horizons 49er RV Resort in Plymouth will host its annual Kids and Pets Parade, a Fourth of July RV and campsite decorating contest and a tri tip barbecue, complete with ranch style beans, corn on the cob, watermelon and lemonade.

Other campgrounds and RV parks are located in places where fun activities are taking place, including Creekside Cabins and RV Resort in Willits, which hosts California’s longest continually running rodeo over Fourth of July weekend as part of the city’s Frontier Days activities.

“There’s plenty of things to do at campgrounds and RV parks throughout California, and many of them still have campsites and cabins available over the holiday weekend,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

The Auburn-based association markets campsites and cabins through its website at www.Camp-California.com.

In fact, an online survey by the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds has identified more than 100 campgrounds that still have campsites and cabins available over Fourth of July weekend.

“If you log on Camp-California.com, click the ‘Find a Park’ tab and type in the dates you want to camp, the website will automatically locate campgrounds that have sites or cabins available those days,” Sipe said.

The website also allows campers to search for campgrounds by region and by specific amenity so that they can find the type of park that best suits their travel needs. Not all campgrounds offer online reservations, however. Some campgrounds only offer a fraction of their sites for booking online and hold the rest for people who call to make their reservations by phone. So if a campground says it is sold out, you might still want to call about campsite availability.

Camp-California.com allows visitors to jump to individual websites of each campground or RV park of interest to them, so that they can gather more information about specific activities taking place at each park.

The website also includes a statewide calendar of special events, so consumers can quickly find fun things to do, not only over Fourth of July weekend, but throughout the year.

“There are festivals, concerts and other interesting outdoor activities taking place every month in California, and there’s almost always a private campground or RV resort nearby,” said Sipe, who added that Camp-California pairs its listings of festivals and other events with recommended campgrounds and RV parks that are located nearby.