Southern California
The Best Weather and Some of the Most Gorgeous Scenery You Can Imagine
Southern California is a perfect place to visit any time of the year. There are so many major California attractions nearby that you may never want to leave! Plus, the scenery and the weather here are unbeatable.
Sightseeing in Southern California:
Plan your trip to include many of the most popular sights to see around southern California. The Hollywood Wax Museum, Newport Dunes RV Resort, Chula Vista RV Park and San Clemente State Beach are just a few nearby attractions. You can even go whale watching on board many private boats. Try visiting some of these unique beach towns for an even more scenic and exciting visit to this area.
Huntington Beach:
Made famous by the Beach Boys music group in the 1960s, Huntington Beach is known as "Surf City USA" because it's one of the best places to surf in Southern California. The town's beaches still live up to their reputation.
Huntington Beach boasts 10 miles of beautiful sandy shoreline in addition to other tourist attractions such as its Main Street, Central Park, and Pacific City shopping and dining area.
Surfers love the crashing ocean waves and the legendary surfing culture. Huntington Beach, with its five public beaches, is also a mecca for other outdoor sports, including beach volleyball, bicycling, jogging, and nature walks. Just a few miles from the beach, the picturesque Huntington Harbor is a great place for paddleboarding and kayaking.
Bird-watchers will find plenty of terrain to explore at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, home to over 200 species of birds, including cormorants, egrets, hummingbirds, owls, sandpipers, and swallows. And if that isn’t enough for you, explore the International Surfing Museum, which displays longboards and other memorabilia. Sprawling Huntington Central Park features fields, gardens and lakes, plus an equestrian center. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve's wetlands and dunes shelter hundreds of bird species. There is plenty to keep you busy in Huntington Beach.
But, when you tire of that, please take the time to drive south on the California Coast highway and visit some of the sights you can see in San Diego.
Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo:
You can visit Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. One of the most popular urban parks in the United States, this bucolic paradise is packed with an array of attractions, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is 100 acres in size. It is well known for its lush, naturalistic habitats and unique animal encounters and is home to more than 3,700 rare and endangered animals representing approximately 660 species and subspecies and a prominent botanical collection with more than 700,000 plants. You can view this zoo several ways: first by walking along the pathways, into aviaries, and through bioclimatic zones, zoo guests may view cuddly looking koalas, reptiles of various shapes and sizes and many more interesting species. There are also trams and other forms of transportation to get around this amazing zoo.
Balboa Park is a cultural oasis that includes 17 museums, gardens galore and the San Diego Zoo. At 1,200 acres, Balboa Park is one of North America’s most iconic urban parks and a must see on any visit to this part of southern California. Located just blocks from downtown San Diego, the park has a rich history reflected through its stunning architecture, thought-provoking exhibits installations, and cultural events throughout the year.
Balboa Park has a storied history – one that is central to the story of San Diego. It started 150 years ago, when civic leaders took the audacious step of setting aside the scrub-filled mesa overlooking downtown to establish a city park. Today, Balboa Park continues to be a potent mix of what makes San Diego so unique. Ethnically diverse, historically rich, culturally abundant, naturally breathtaking, Balboa Park is where you can experience San Diego’s rich culture and beautiful nature.
National Parks Near Southern California
Joshua Tree National Park, open all year long features the best wild flower viewing in the spring and summer. Joshua Tree National Park is about 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles— less than a three-hour drive. And there’s a lot more to do in Joshua Tree National Park than just rock climbing.
This park is remarkable. Think of Dr. Seuss books with spiky Joshua trees dotted among monstrous rocks that beg for more photos. You can drive through the park in less than an hour, you can plan to stay for the day or even overnight to enjoy camping, hiking, biking, or walking along the many trails. This desert landscape will amaze you; the views will thrill the photographer in you and the many activities will satisfy the adventurer in you.
If you like to walk, be sure to hike the 49 Palms Oasis trail. It is a strenuous three-mile trail that covers an area of palm trees with glimpses of the water, and during the spring and summer, enjoy the view of the wildflowers in full bloom. (Bring plenty of water to drink!)
Stay late in Joshua Tree to enjoy stargazing. You can easily organize an overnight camping trip if you wish. However, if you’re only here for a day trip, make sure to go on a walk to the Cottonwood Spring oasis. You may spot hummingbirds and Gambel’s Quail in this oasis.
Joshua Tree National Park also has some fantastic campgrounds (which need to be pre-booked) and you can also go horse riding and biking. Plus, rock climbing with 8000 climbing routes.
Overall, this attractive mix of desert, rocks, and palm trees provide a great environment for a beautiful escape and adventure.
National Forests near Southern California
San Bernardino National Forest: This huge national forest offers 6 different recreation areas that all offer various campgrounds for your enjoyment. Before going, make sure you reserve the campground of your choice and be sure it will accommodate your RV.
The San Bernardino National Forest is open year-round and provides ample recreational opportunities for everyone. Trail rides on horses, driving off-highway vehicles, camping, fishing, snowshoeing and alpine skiing are all possible in this lovely national forest.
For more year-round fun, Angeles National Forest is only an hour from Los Angeles but offers an unlimited number of recreational activities. Try and include the Cleveland National Forest or the Sequoia National Forest in your itinerary as well.
State Parks near Southern California
Camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking and relaxing can all be done in most of the 280 California State Parks, with all kinds of lakes, rivers and beaches for you to enjoy in this state’s varied countryside. California is very fortunate to have so many state parks for its residents and visitors to enjoy. The California state parks system is one of the biggest and most diverse state parks systems in the United States and the world. Corona del Mar State Beach is popular with swimmers. It’s framed by cliffs and a rock jetty forming the east entrance to Newport Harbor.
While exploring these great parks, stop and enjoy some of the scenic California lakes, rivers and beaches. Some special ones are found at San Onofre, San Clemente, and San Elijo State Beaches, Bolsa Chica Beach, Salton Sea, and Lakes Skinner, Arrowhead, Isabella, Cachuma, Danby and Castaic.
SoCal Attractions – Amusement and Theme Parks
You can spend a wonderful day at Sea World in San Diego or in Carlsbad, which hosts Legoland California, a vast amusement park for all ages that includes themed carnival rides, a water park, and an aquarium.
For water slides for the smallest child to the largest slides for the brave parents to race down, spend some time at Hurricane Harbor Water Park or hang on for a breathtaking ride on the world’s largest stand up roller coaster at Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA. After spending a couple of days at those great Six Flags Parks, for more excitement, try out Disneyland’s California Adventure Park, or Knotts Berry Farm.
These are all places you and your family can enjoy. Whenever you visit Southern California, you can have a relaxing place to sleep in the cozy comfort of your El Monte RV.
El Monte RV is ready to assist you with all of your Southern California travel plans. Contact us at one of our many California El Monte RV Rental locations to provide you with an RV rental to make your trip even more enjoyable.