Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

Pros: A variety of wildlife, countless camping opportunities, unspoiled, rugged terrain, nearby ocean and rivers, unparalleled natural beauty.
Cons: Getting there is difficult - the road to the park is unpaved and can be difficult to navigate, especially in wet weather.

Over the recent Memorial Day weekend, I found the lost coast of California, but as it turned out I found a lot more than that. I quite literally had a perfect overall outdoor experience. In fact, I anticipate feelings of disappointment upon completion...

Pros: Incredibly gorgeous forest, black sand beach too
Cons: Wear a diaper for the ride in!

The first camping trip I ever took was 4 hours north to Standish Hickey (think: Walmart parking lot with a few trees), which was so horrible, crowded, loud and unbearable that we had to leave the first morning. The ranger gave us directions to get to ...