Forests are plentiful in Northern California.
Each year, thousands of people travel to Northern California to take in the natural beauty and sample the unspoiled atmosphere. Comprising the region between the San Francisco Bay Area and the border with Oregon, Northern California is a vast and ecologically diverse part of the West Coast. Visitors can find a wealth of camping and fishing options, thanks to an abundance of rivers, lakes, forests and coastline.
Getting There
Accessing most camping and fishing venues in Northern California requires a car, as these sites are often in rural areas or park lands. You might want to consider flying into one of the major airports in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco or San Jose and renting a car. Rail connections to the rest of the country also exist in these cities. Interstate 5 serves as the main connection for drivers between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.
Costs and Permits
The options for camping and fishing in Northern California include utilizing national parks/forests and patronizing private campgrounds and fisheries. The latter usually charge a set fee for unlimited daily fishing. Lodging and equipment (such as fishing reels) are often offered at extra cost. Private campgrounds charge per night and often require reservations (especially in popular seasons such as summer). All national parks and forests charge a set fee for vehicle entry, along with supplementary permit costs for activities such as overnight hiking, skiing and hosting small gatherings. Certain campsites in parks require reservations while others operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Those over the age of 16 who wish to fish on public lands must have a California fishing license, which can be bought online ahead of time or purchased from a licensing agent at or around the park or forest grounds. California gaming laws restrict fishing to specific seasons depending on location, and further rules apply for types of bait, catching limits and other variables.
National Parks
Several national parks and forests exist in Northern California. Perhaps the most widely known is Yosemite, home to more than 750,000 acres of wilderness and unique glacial geology. Nearly four million people visit the park each year, and despite having 13 campgrounds, reservations are strongly advised year-round. Unrestricted camping is forbidden in the park due to nature preservation concerns; you must camp at a designated site. As with any public site in the state, fishing is allowed only with a valid California fishing license, though certain streams and rivers are subject to seasonal restrictions.
Redwood National and State Parks, made up of several protected areas along the Northern California coast, is another popular destination for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. The parks' combined old-growth forests total nearly 40,000 acres, with the tallest trees on the planet. The parks also boast almost 40 miles of coastline. The parks have vehicle-accessible campsites but also contain camping grounds further into the interior, reachable only via hiking. Camping in the interior is strictly limited on a first-come basis to preserve the natural elements in the parks. Fishing is popular in the Klamath River, which runs through the protected areas.
Other parks and forests include the Lassen Volcanic National Park in the Cascade Mountain Range and the Tahoe National Forest, which is closer to the border with Nevada.
Camping
Campers of all walks choose Northern California to commune with nature, although methods of stay and durations of visits vary. Use of recreational vehicles (RVs) is popular, especially in summer, and many RV parks and campsites both public and private cater to these vehicles. RV parks can be found from as far south as the Napa and Sonoma regions near the San Francisco Bay Area to the rural north near the Oregon border. Campsites and RV parks abound both in and around national parks, with a large number in the towns surrounding Yosemite and along major highways like Route 101 and Interstate 5. Campsites almost always include amenities such as fresh water, toilets and cooking facilities, but the quality of these depends largely on price.
Fishing
Fishing is a popular outdoor activity in Northern California, with plenty of parks and private land available for avid anglers. Salmon are a particularly popular catch, especially along the Klamath River near the coastline. Trout and bass are favored catches in the interior portion of the region, especially around Yosemite. Generally, streams and rivers have seasonal restrictions on fishing and catch amounts. Lakes and reservoirs usually permit fishing year-round. Privately owned lakes and ponds offer license-free fishing from waters stocked with a variety of species. These are abundant in the interior of the region between Yosemite and the coast.
Tags: Northern California, parks forests, camping fishing, national parks, national parks forests
