The Brief

Summer may be long over, but what if I told you that camping in the wintertime in California can be just as magical as in the warmer months — or even more so?

And you don’t even have to embark upon camping in snow, like you might be envisioning. While that’s certainly available if you want it, there are also a wealth of incredible campsites right here in the Bay Area — or close at hand — where the weather isn’t even all that cold in winter.

From firsthand experience, I can tell you that it doesn’t take much to convert your normal summer setup to a winter one — and it’s also much easier to get reservations to hard-to-get spots during the winter months.

“It can be a lot of fun as long as you come prepared,” said Lillie Oravetz, a state park interpreter II at Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. “You’re gonna get cold, but it’s really beautiful.”

Read on for tips from the experts, or jump straight to five great winter camping spots to start planning your winter excursion now. And remember: If you read this and the idea of pitching your tent in the colder months still doesn’t appeal, you can always go glamping instead.

Expert tips on planning a successful winter camping trip

Tip: For warmer winter climates, head to the coast — but still check the weather forecast

Therese Cools, park aide for Sonoma Coast State Park, said the Sonoma Coast can get some of its best weather in the winter, with blue skies overhead and less wind than usual.

But be aware: That area does get heavy rains starting in January, so don’t forget to check the weather forecast ahead of time.

“If it’s raining heavily, it’s not a great place” for camping, Cools said, “But when there’s not a storm coming through, it’s beautiful.”

November is also crabbing season on the coast, so if you’d like a fresh catch, come this month. Or for a front seat for California’s famed King Tides, plan your trip for January, she said.

Wintertime isn’t the best for water sports, so unless you’re an expert, you may want to leave your surfboard at home and plan to stay out of the ocean altogether. But you should bring your binoculars, as there’s a wealth of seabirds and other wildlife to explore on the Sonoma Coast, many of which spend the winter on the coast in large flocks.

Tip: Unless you’re ready for snow, avoid the mountains

If you’re planning on heading to higher ground, know it’s likely to snow. In Calaveras, which is 4,600 feet above sea level, “it’s pretty unpredictable when we will get snow,” Oravetz said — “but we can guarantee at some point there’ll be snow.”

And conditions can change rapidly at high elevations, so don’t just check the weather once a few weeks out, Oravetz warned. Double check the forecast regularly, “a couple of days in advance” for a more accurate forecast, she cautioned.

Don’t forget: No matter where you’re going, but especially if you are planning to go up high in elevation, be sure to check nighttime temperatures ahead of time and be prepared for below-freezing nights.

Tip: Make a plan — and a plan B

Rachel Borick, operations manager at private campground Costanoa on the San Mateo County coast, said her number one piece of advice for winter camping is: “Be prepared and always have a backup plan.”

On the coast, that might mean preparing for heavy rains in the winter. In the mountains, you’ll need to prepare for snow and below-freezing conditions as well.

But even “a rainy day spent in a tent with the right supplies can be more memorable than a perfectly sunny day on the trails,” she said. “Having an open mind and leaning in to what Mother Nature provides is vital.”

Know where you’re going and what you’re planning to do, but make sure you have other options in case your trailhead is no longer accessible — or if winter weather makes travel downright unsafe. Take note of towns with services like gas stations and hotels near your camping destination, just in case you need to bail on your plans outright and hunker down.

Don’t forget that many campgrounds and wilderness areas have no cellphone service — so in winter, it’s especially important to know your exit routes and bailout points ahead of time.

Tip: Bring layers

No matter where you’re going, remember to bring waterproof and windproof gear.

Calaveras’ Oravetz went one step further and advised campers to come prepared for almost any weather. “Sometimes it might snow, but then be pretty warm the next day, and we don’t want people to overheat,” she cautioned

Brian Low is the general manager at Club Urban Diversion, a Bay Area-based social club that organizes all sorts of outdoor trips, including winter camping. Low said his winter packing list varies by location, but “no matter what the forecast is showing, you’re always going to want to pack some sort of rain gear,” he said. And don’t forget insulating layers to go underneath for warmth, too, urged Low.

Layers are the most efficient way to pack for winter camping “because it’s easy to either layer up to get warmer, or easy to take off layers to adjust your body heat to make sure that you’re not getting too warm or too cold,” he said.

Costanoa Lodge & Camp offers year-round hot showers, hot meals and even a sauna.

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Courtesy of Costanoa Lodge & Camp)

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Tip: Pack smart, and bring backup gear

Calaveras’ Oravetz said starting in November, anyone traveling up to the higher elevations should bring chains for their car, “just in case.” That goes for extra fuel in your car, too.

“You could come up for a couple of days here or go further up the mountain, and then a snowstorm comes in,” she said.

If you’re parking on the side of the road and not at a campsite, be aware of potential avalanche areas and snowplow routes. Low warned — you don’t want to return to your car only to find it buried.

Low said some auto shops like Les Schwab even allow you to buy chains and return them at the end of the season for a full refund if you never end up using them. You can check chain controls online and learn how to properly install chains on Caltrans’s website, and read more about preparing to drive in wintry conditions with our KQED guide.

Bring or plan to store extra water, Oravetz said, since the pipes at some campgrounds, like Calaveras’, can freeze, so the only available water is at a central location. And remember that even in the winter, you need to store your food safely away from bears in bear canisters or food lockers provided at each campsite.

The upside? There shouldn’t be too many bugs in the winter, so you can leave your DEET at home. But remember that the sun sets early in the winter, so make sure to bring ample light and something to do during the night hours, like a deck of cards or a book to read.

Staying warm at night is important, Low said — and one way to stay toasty that might surprise you is to get up and out of your tent as soon as you realize you have to pee.

That’s because your body is sending energy to your bladder that could otherwise be used to keep you warm, he said.

“It’s a lot better to just actually bite the bullet, get out of your tent, put on your shoes and just go pee,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’ll be a lot happier because you’ll sleep better, you’ll be warmer.”

Just remember that even in winter, you have to properly dispose of any and all waste — that includes any trash, food waste and especially poop — as anything buried in snow is headed for a waterway come spring. 

In general, if you have any questions — or are at all worried about winter camping — you can always call ahead to the campground or wilderness area for advice on that particular spot.

“Winters, especially snow camping, can be very intimidating for people just because of the temperatures,” Low said. “But with the right gear list and the right techniques, then you can really have an amazing time.”

Your winter and snow camping gear checklist

As an expert in winter camping, Low recommends bringing these items for your next cold-weather or snow trip:

A zero-degree sleeping bag, or warmer

Remember: the ratings on sleeping bags tell you the temperature at which it will keep you alive, not comfortable: “Generally speaking, you want a zero-degree bag for anywhere that it’s going to be below 30 degrees,” Low said. “It’s better to have a bag that is a little too warm and not warm enough.”

If you’re still worried about warmth, a sleeping bag liner can add five or 10 degrees of warmth to the bag you might already have.

Synthetic or wool clothing to hike and sleep in

Forget cotton, Low said, because once you sweat in it, or it gets wet, cotton takes a really long time to dry out. If you’re backpacking or going for a long hike, abide by the saying “be bold, start cold” by peeling off layers before they get drenched in sweat.

And if you’ve just gotten back from a hike and are overly warm, take that opportunity to remove any sweaty items and change into your warmest clothes, including a beanie and gloves — to best retain your body heat all evening long.

Sunglasses 

So you can avoid snow blindness when it’s sunny out.

A first aid kit 

… and knowledge of not only what’s in it, but how to use it.

A bear canister 

For food storage, if one is required, where you’re camping.

A liquid fuel stove 

Low recommends this type of stove over a more typical backpacking gas fuel stove because the fuel canister will maintain its pressure and perform better at cold temperatures.

In addition to cooking, you can use your stove to melt snow for drinking water, but remember to find a clean, undisturbed patch of snow — and to be extra safe, you can always boil the water before drinking it.

Microspikes, crampons or snowshoes

For traction underfoot, depending on your activity. Low said he loves using microspikes for walking around camp in slippery conditions because they keep you on your feet while not being as clunky as snowshoes.

Lots of food

Eating a good amount of calories will keep you warm, and cooking up a hot meal of fresh — not dehydrated — food can make your evening that much more enjoyable, Low said.

A doubled-up sleeping pad

Low said that one of his guiding colleagues — who’s summited Denali, the highest mountain in North America — swears by putting an inflatable pad underneath a foam pad for the warmest night’s sleep. (Don’t forget to check the “R value” of any pad you bring — that will tell you its warmth).

Low even recommends inflating your pad with a small pump instead of blowing it up by mouth, to keep out condensation, which can freeze inside your pad.

A small shovel

If the snow is deep where you’re camping, bring something with which you can dig out a seating area, kitchen and even a trash bag-lined toilet to use, as recommended by Low.

Any durable tent 

Any model will do, Low said — even a three-season tent, so long as heavy snow isn’t in the forecast. When to consider a four-season tent instead: If you know you’ll be out in a heavy storm with the risk of high winds, or snowfall that could pile up and break your tent poles.

A Nalgene-style water bottle 

Before going to bed, a bottle like this can be filled up with boiling water, screwed nice and tight and placed inside your sleeping bag to act as a heater. Just remember to wrap it in a sock, so you don’t get burned by accident.

Hand and toe warmers

Typically used by skiers, these are perfect for placing inside clothes or a sleeping bag for warmth.

Plastic bags

Use these to keep your socks dry in your boots, if they’re not as waterproof as they need to be.

Gaiters

To keep snow out of low-cut shoes.

5 beautiful wintertime camping spots to try this year

Sonoma Coast State Park

Both Bodega Dunes and Wright’s Beach at Sonoma Coast State Park are open all winter long to campers and RVers, although they don’t have hookups. Campsites start at $45 per night and reservations can be made on ReserveCalifornia. Both campgrounds allow campfires all year round.

Park aid Cools said while Wright’s Beach fills up more quickly, Bodega Dunes tends to have more availability on winter weekends — and weekday reservations are easy to get in the winter.

“During the winter, the Sonoma Coast can be really nice with blue skies — and it tends to be less windy,” she said.

Yosemite National Park

Itching to experience Yosemite without the craziness of summer crowds? Winter might be your best bet.

“I love to go to Yosemite in the wintertime,” Low said. “It is so beautiful, and you can get a piece of Yosemite all to yourself without a person in sight.”

Tioga Road and the road to Glacier Point — and much of the upper areas of the park — close during the early months of winter. But if you want to soak in the snow-dusted granite walls from Yosemite Valley, you can make a reservation (typically $35 per night) or try your luck at first-come, first-served campgrounds in the park.

Or, take Low’s suggestion and get a wilderness permit to backpack into Dewey Point or along any route off Glacier Point Road once the first five miles of road to Badger Pass Ski Area are plowed (check the park website or call 209-372-0200 for status updates) and the rest is groomed for cross-country skiing.

Just remember: You must camp at least one mile away from any plowed road. 

“How often do you get to go to a place that’s as busy as Yosemite and camp in a spot where there’s not another soul around for as far as you can see?” Low said. “Waking up to see Half Dome or to see El Cap and watching the sun rise on the dawn wall while having a cup of coffee or tea is spectacular.”

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Located on Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada range, Calaveras Big Trees State Park — known for its massive sequoia trees — is open all year round. That said, some camp spots and parts of the park close to cars after the first significant snowfall or by Dec. 1, Oravetz said. This includes Parkway Road, which closes off access to the Stanislaus River and two groves of big trees, plus a couple of picnic areas and some camping. But those areas are still accessible to snowshoers and cross-country skiers, she said — so your sense of adventure could be rewarded by having these beautiful areas devoid of summer crowds.

Oravetz recommends the North Grove Trail for visitors looking to wander among the big trees on snowshoes or cross-country skis.

“The snow is beautiful against the giant sequoias,” she said.

But be warned, the trail is popular with visitors and locals alike, and can get quite busy between Christmas and the New Year.

That area is not open to general snowplay, so Oravetz recommends heading to Parkway Road instead to sled, build snowmen or start a snowball fight.

Reservations for family campsites are $35 and can be made on ReserveCalifornia.com.

San Mateo’s Memorial Park

Among the redwoods of Memorial Park in San Mateo County, the Azalea Flat campground stays open all year long while other nearby camping areas close for the winter. RVs, trailers and campfires are allowed, and buying wood to burn at the park is recommended to avoid spreading bugs from park to park, said Carla Schoof, spokesperson for San Mateo County Parks Department.

Schoof said while the park gets crowded in summer, it’s not so full in the winter, which can make it feel extra peaceful.

“It’s relatively easy to get to, but you really do feel like you’re far away,” she said. “You are deep in the Santa Cruz Mountain Range, surrounded by redwoods.”

Plus, the nearby towns of Loma Mar and Pescadero offer opportunities to get supplies and explore — which may be extra necessary in the winter, when Memorial Park’s camp store is closed, she said.

At over a century old, the park is “a special place to a lot of people … who’ve been going camping there since they were pretty small,” Schoof said.

Park rangers are happy to answer questions about park conditions and camping. They can be reached at 650-879-0238, Schoof said, and reservations can also be made online and are $32 per night in the off-season.

Costanoa Lodge & Camp

If you’d like a more bougie experience (and who could blame you?), the Costanoa private campgrounds on the San Mateo County coast are known for their “failproof camping,” Borick, the camping and glamping resort’s operations manager, said.

But still, prepare for anything: “You could end up with a full storm, huddled with your campmates, hot cocoa in hand, with a story to tell — or out on a muddy trail with the spectacular view of a clear winter’s day, she said.

“Having a beach all to yourself, or the top of a viewpoint with the silence surrounding you, can be truly worth the invigoration of a winter camping trip,” Borick said.

And the winter season brings abundant bird migrations and elephant seal pupping at nearby Año Nuevo State Park that can even be heard from the property, Borick said.

In any case, the private campground has year-round hot showers, hot meals and even a sauna. And if you get tired of braving the elements, you can always upgrade to a glamping tent, cabin or a room in the lodge.

A years-long effort to bring fast, reliable internet to Catalina Island cleared a major vote today after the California Public Utility Commission awarded $37 million to install subsea fiber internet infrastructure between Orange County and the island.

More than 4,000 residents on Catalina Island don’t have reliable internet. That’s because the rural island doesn’t have fiber broadband infrastructure, and large communication companies don’t serve the area because of high costs.

“We currently operate off of a microwave tower, and it’s time that Avalon had nothing better than the rest of the mainland, but the same,” Avalon City Councilmember Lisa Lavelle said during public comment.

Lance Ware, CEO of AVX Networks, the telecom company tasked with building Catalina Island’s broadband infrastructure, said this project is significant to the quality of life for island residents.

“No one thought Catalina really was worthy,” Ware told LAist. “It really took a long time to convince the grant makers that this is a very much underserved community … not only digitally red lined, but forgotten about from an infrastructure perspective, and I mean that beyond communications.”

The impact to the community is almost immeasurable, he added.

“The access to that technology, workforce development, economic development and just the potential outcomes change massively for everybody involved,” Ware said. “Our ability to deliver world-class health care and public safety is huge.”

What we know about the project

The commission distributed more than $96 million in federal grant funds during Thursday’s meeting to five groups for high-speed broadband projects, including AVX Networks.

The planned proposal includes building a fiber-optic network above and underground from Catalina Island to the Orange County coast.

When it comes to internet connection, the entire island is unserved, according to the commission’s agenda report. That means it has zero access to broadband internet.

According to records, the undersea cables will run under the San Pedro Channel from two points on the island to landings near Huntington Beach. Those cables will then connect to the Middle Mile Broadband Network in Stanton.

The grant will cover 100% of the project costs, records show.

What’s next?

Grantees are required to follow a set of rules to receive funds, and that includes committing to providing internet service at affordable rates.

Ware said AVX Networks will have a low-income plan at $40 a month at 100/100 Mbps — this is the download and upload speed of the service.

“We chose to go symmetrical, which means the upload is the same as the download,” Ware added. “For people doing video streaming or telemedicine or FaceTime, even, or e-learning, it's really important to have symmetrical bandwidth.”

AVX Networks also has committed to maintaining those rates for at least 10 years, the commission agenda reported.

Next, the company needs to get permits for building out the project and surveying a route on the sea floor for the cables.

The city of Anaheim spent around $17 million on credit card purchases from places like Target, Walmart and Amazon over the past two years, recently obtained records show, but the system hasn't been audited since 2018.

Anaheim spokesperson Mike Lyster, who along with city leadership did not answer detailed questions about the purchases, confirmed the lack of audit.

The absence of audits was a central issue former purchasing agent Kari Bouffard included in a tort claim in June alleging she was fired for raising concerns that the city’s top finance official, Debbie Moreno, was enabling fraud, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars and lying to the City Council.

In the legal claim, Bouffard says when she raised concerns over the lack of an audit with the city’s audit team, which then wanted to audit the credit card program, she alleges Moreno told her: “Do not let them in the door.”

“I found her response unprofessional, dismissive, and deeply concerning, particularly given her role as Finance Director and her responsibility to support accountability and internal controls,” Bouffard wrote.

In October, Lyster confirmed an external legal team is conducting “an independent outside review” of the allegations in the tort claim. But he did not answer questions about who the firm is or how much that contract has cost the city.

LAist requested and reviewed credit card monthly billing statements for all city-issued credit cards for the past two years. The statements show city employees spent tens of thousands of public money at places like Target, Walmart and Amazon on “food, office and other operational supplies for city business purposes,” according to Lyster. The statements do not show details about specific purchases.

The Amazon purchases totaled around $1.7 million of public money over the two years, according to the data. Anaheim provided a breakdown of the Amazon purchases that did not include details about what was bought at the online marketplace.

Lyster said Anaheim monitors credit card purchases appropriately.

He confirmed credit card purchases were last audited in 2018 by the city’s Internal Audit team.

“There was no larger concern with any of the findings, and we reject any mischaracterization and misinformation about oversight of the city’s purchasing cards,” Lyster said in a statement.

Lyster told LAist the city’s purchasing agent, who until recently was Bouffard, can “pursue audits at any time,” but one has not been done recently. In the tort claim, Bouffard said she raised concerns with Moreno over “lack of time and staffing within the Purchasing Division to adequately manage and audit the program.” Moreno’s solution, she said, was a temporary staffer — “an insufficient solution given the scope of responsibilities,” Bouffard wrote.

Lyster also said the financial firm KPMG conducts an annual audit of a sample of credit card transactions. LAist asked Lyster for a copy of the KPMG sample audit, but he did not share it.

Anaheim’s credit card spending amounts to about $800,000 a month.

The city of Irvine, also one of OC’s most populous cities, spends around $500,000 on credit cards every month, according to city spokesperson Kristina Perrigoue. Those purchases are audited monthly, Perrigoue said. Irvine’s purchasing staff randomly selects one department per month to audit and they audit a sample of purchases.

“We take the five users with the highest number of transactions and audit all their transactions for the prior month,” Perrigoue said.

Why it matters

Earlier this year, Anaheim grappled with how to close a $60 million budget shortfall after spending more than they were generating in revenue. City leaders closed the deficit with proceeds from capital bonds and by pulling money previously set aside to repay debt. The City Council recently declined to put a gate tax at its entertainment venues, including Disneyland, to voters. Instead, the majority of the council decided to meet at a future date to discuss revenue generating ideas. At that meeting, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken called for “tightening our belts” to boost revenue.

LAist review of the credit card purchases showed significant spending at vendors — some with which Anaheim has cooperative agreements with.

Cooperative agreements allow agencies like the city of Anaheim to pre-negotiate pricing so they get the best deals.

Anaheim’s credit card policy states that the credit card can only be used for the small dollar purchase of supplies or off-site services. Typically, for bigger purchases, cities turn to cooperative agreements.

“The vast majority of city purchasing — most purchases more than $10,000 — is done by purchase order or contract,” Lyster told LAist.

Credit cards, Lyster said, “provide an efficient, cost-effective way of making smaller purchases, rather than use of petty cash, direct payments, cash advances and check requests, which can be more cumbersome, administratively costly and bring their own risks of misuse.”

“There are cases where a purchase order or contract would be unnecessary and excessive, adding time and cost and impacting timely service to our community,” he continued.

LAist has shared our findings with Aitken, City Manager Jim Vanderpool and all council members. We have also reached out to Moreno for an interview. We will update this story if we hear back.

Here are some of our key findings from Anaheim’s credit card purchases:

• Over $800,000 spent on restaurants

City employees spent more than $800,000 on restaurants in Southern California and elsewhere over two years including around $60,000 at K&A Restaurant and over $20,000 on In-N-Out. Some restaurants from the credit card statement include Aloha Steakhouse in Ventura County, Tacos 1986 in Pasadena and BaBaLoo Lounge in Palm Desert.

Lyster told LAist the restaurant spends “are catering expenses for events or meals for special work operations.”

He said the city also provides meals when they “bring together a large contingent of our own police officers and those of other agencies to work demonstrations, high-profile dignitary visits or other occasions,” especially for work in the evening or on weekends.

Lyster added that the council meetings are also catered and the city hosts community events where they cater food for the public.

• Around $650,000 spent on hotels

LAist’s review of the credit card purchases showed thousands of dollars spent at hotels, including the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and a pet hotel in Oxnard.

“The vast majority of this spending is for employee development to ensure our people are continually learning and aware of best professional standards,” Lyster said about the hotel charges. “This is an investment in our workforce that brings better service to our community.”

• Around $40,000 spent at Costco, close to $120,000 at Sam’s Club, around $120,000 at Target and around $57,000 on Walmart purchases in two years

Lyster attributed this spend to “food and supplies.”

The Community Services Department, he said, buys “food and crafts and other supplies” for the city’s Fun on Wheels program, the Mobile Library and family resource centers.

He declined to answer questions on whether employees submit a request for the purchase of goods and services and how the city tracks if these purchases are used for public benefit. The requests, called requisitions, are typical first steps in the purchasing process detailing quantity, description and use, Bouffard told LAist. When she worked at the county, all purchases went through this “checks and balances process,” she said.

• Over $600,000 spent at Home Depot, more than $550,000 at Office Depot and over $340,000 at Grainger

Lyster didn’t confirm if the purchases at these vendors were made using a purchase order.

He confirmed Anaheim has accounts with Grainger, Office Depot and others, but not if the city’s credit card purchases at the vendors are made through the dedicated account.

LAist correspondent Jordan Rynning contributed to this report.