Malibu Creek State Park
A cool experience with 6 to 10 mile hikes
Driving to and sleeping at a campground
Ideal for first-timers
Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Friends and new campers
Vibe · Moderate and fun
Reservations · Yes, reserve a site at Creek Campground
Drive · 30 minutes from LA
Ideal dates · March to May
Pets · Welcome at camp, but not on trails
Malibu Creek State Park (MBSP) has been called the "Yosemite of Southern California," and this 8,200+ acre park delivers. It's known for its volcanic rock gorges, Sepúlveda Adobe, a 19th-century ranch house, and Malibu Creek that flows through the park. It also has 35 miles of hiking trails, three natural preserves, and is part of the greater Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is the nation's largest urban national park. Quite a few highlights for a park that's only a 30-minute drive from downtown LA.
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Each campsite comes with a:
This is the only campground at Malibu Creek SP and it's packed with plenty of creature comforts while only being a 10-minute drive to a grocery store. Sites are available by reservation, and you'll have access to drinking water, restrooms, and coin-operated hot showers (Bring $1 bills!).
Check-in: After 2 PM · Check-out: Before noon
Nightly Rate: $45
Malibu Creek SP was established in 1974 and the majority of the park's lands were donated by entertainer Bob Hope.
For thousands of years, the Chumash people lived in the Santa Monica Mountains, until missionaries arrived in 1769
The original Planet of the Apes movie, M*A*S*H TV show and many other Hollywood productions have been filmed in the park
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
