Full hook up campground at Yosemite

[crah]

Hello all. I'm planning a California trip from Las Vegas for next June 2014. Could use some help for campgrounds for our route. 1st stop, Santa Monica Pier (any full hookup campgrounds nearby), 2nd stop, Yosemite National Park (full hookups with fishing access at campground and relatively close to the park). We have never been to Yosemite, so not quite sure what to expect. It seems, staying in the park is pretty tough. 3rd stop, San Francisco (full hookups), 4th stop, Monterey area (dry camping or hookups and hopefully close to the ocean), 5th stop, Pismo (dry camping or full hookups close to the beach). 6th stop, Santa Barbara. We will be staying at Ocean Mesa and/or El Capitan State beach. 7th Stop, Channel Island National park.

We will be doing this route in a 38ft. motorhome with toad and taking about 14 to 18 days for the trip.

[sdbounderdiesel]

You've got lots of good suggestions from other posters. I've stayed at many of the places listed and agree with their comments and opinions. One additional option to consider in the Monterey area is Moss Landing KOA. Its kind of a KOA "lite". Clean, well-run with about 50 sites. Its right on the water with a small fishing harbor and docks adjacent to the RV park and a wild life estuary surrounding it. The ocean, beaches, dunes and a couple of decent restaurants are all just a short walk from the campground. Check it out.

[lmsteck]

We like Marina Dunes RV Park near Monterey & Pismo Coast Village RV Park in Pismo Beach. Also, we stay at Yosemite Pines RV Park when we can't get reservations inside the park. Don't know about fishing though. Then there's Petaluma KOA, just north of SF.

[Wavesprite]

Outside of Yosemite on the Merced River is Indian Flats. Honestly nothing more then full hookups and the river for fishing (my husbands fly fishing club goes there yearly). It is about a 30 minute drive to the Yosemite Valley.

In Monterey there is a city park with no hook ups at Veterans Memorial Park (no reservations, first come first serve), there is also the Monterey County Fairgrounds (electricity I think, no sewer), Laguna Seca has sites and there is a RV Park north of Marina called Marina Dunes that has full hook ups.

[crah]

Thank you all. We may eliminate Santa Monica Pier. We are picking up family from LAX and then heading straight to Yosemite, then on to San Francisco, and coming down the coast and back to LA, and finally back to Vegas. I see Yosemite Lakes RV park has fire/charcoal ban. I wonder if that is current. It would be a shame not being able to have a fire. Do all parks in the area have the same restrictions?

[MarkTwain]

Go to the "trailerlifedirectory.com" by Good Sam. Plug in your destinations and it will do the rest of the planning for you. The trip you are planning sounds great with the exception of the Santa Monica area. From driving and finding a RV park consideration, I would skip Santa Monica and start your venture from Ventura or Santa Barbara, then continue north. Yosemite is a real tourist cluster unless you have confirmed RV reservations. I might consider a RV park in a town near Yosemite and then drive your toad in for the day. San Francisco is similar due to lack of RV parks and traffic congestion. Pick a near by town. I would not drive my RV through San Francisco and yes I did it once:) Pismo is great place to RV but I don't know of any boon docking places. I spend 4 weeks a year there but in a RV Park. There are 2 state parks within a 1 blk. of the ocean. Only 1 park has full hook ups but a limited number.
As was suggested to you by others, make your reservations for the whole trip as soon as possible.

[kalynzoo]

Los Angeles and Santa Monica are not real RV friendly as far as camping facilities. Getting a spot at Dockweiler will be difficult. There is a private RV park in Malabu ($$$) and it is on the wrong side of Pacific Coast Highway, making beach access less than easy. Further up the coast is Ventura RV Park, full hookups, a walkway under the freeway to the beach, nice, but no ocean view. At Yosemite we like KOA Mariposa, you "feel" like your in the park but it is a 30 minute drive to the park entrance. Fishing is nearby, not on site. San Francisco, KOA Petaluma. It is truly a gem in the KOA franchise. Just over the Golden Gate Bridge from the SF Harbor district. If your traveling with children the KOA Santa Cruz is a great basecamp for Monterey. Pismo Beach is truly a destination during the summer so reservations anywhere are a must. For Santa Barbara you might stay at FlyingFlags in Beulton. It is 30 to 40 minutes to SB but Beulton and Solvang are great destinations and it makes a nice base.
Enjoy.

[rv2go]

We stay at Yosemite Lakes when we visit Yosemite NP. Beautiful drive into the Valley.

[Two_Hands]

In order to visit Yosemite we have stayed twice at the KOA in Mariposa and have really liked it. I would highly recommend El Capitan State Beach because many sites overlook the ocean but without any hookups. To get in there in June you will have to make reservations as early as possible. Ocean Mesa is very nice, but the traffic noise from the 101 is loud. The KOA in Petaluma would be good for your visit to San Francisco. Have a great trip.

[mikim]

Santa Monica Pier besides Dockweiller there is Malibu RV Resort.

[missourijan]

Santa Monica, Dockweiler Beach Rv Park, it's an LA county park or Golden Shores in Long Beach. Which side of Yosemite, east or west, there are parks with hookups on both sides. Channel Islands National Park is accessible by boat only, closest rv park is Ventura Beach RV Resort. It's pretty pricey in the summer and has lots of freeway noise but is the closest park to the Ventura Harbor with full hookups. Pismo Beach, Pismo Coast Village, right on the water, all back in sites, 3 blocks to walk downtown. Just a suggestion for California State Parks, if you plan to stay at El Capitan or any other state park in the summer, be sure you make reservations 6 months ahead on Reserve America. Any beach park is jam packed in the summer and some may have 1 or 2 sites available but I wouldn't count on it.