Top Three RV Rental Locations in California
If you're hoping to take your accommodations with you as you explore the Golden State, you might want to consider starting your road trip in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, or San Francisco. These are the most popular cities for RV rentals in the state of California.
In Los Angeles, your highest-rated options for RV rentals include travel trailers, class C motorhomes, class A motorhomes, toy haulers, and campervans. Pricing starts at about $73, but many of the available options in this area cost $100+ per night.
In San Jose and the surrounding areas, travel trailers and Class C motor homes tend to be the most popular and highest-rated RV rentals. Depending on local availability, you can usually find affordable travel trailer rentals starting at only $85 per night. Nightly prices for a class C motorhome are higher, but they are still affordable, starting at $165 per night. Other popular and highly-rated northern California RV rentals include Class B camping vans, toy haulers, and Class A motorhomes.
In San Francisco, the top-rated RV rentals are Class C motorhomes, travel trailers, and Class B campervans. Nightly rentals are available for as little as $45 per night, but most options available for pickup in the Bay Area cost around $200+ per night.
California RV Rentals by City
Los Angeles, California, is a great place to spot film industry celebrities and rock stars. Here you'll find nightlife, shopping, restaurants of every imaginable variety, concerts, venues, sporting events, and varied recreational opportunities. Check out historic venues like the Hollywood Bowl if you want to see an orchestra performance, a rock and roll show, or just about any other type of musical performance. If you want to go fishing, surfing, or ocean swimming, the area's many beaches beckon. Stargaze at Griffith Park Observatory or take a stroll through Griffith Park.
San Diego, California, is a coastal city that is best known for its beaches. Be sure to check out Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and South Mission Beach.
San Jose, California, is famous for its tech culture. San Jose area landmarks and points of interest to visit include Lick Observatory, the Winchester Mystery House, and The Tech Interactive museum.
San Francisco, California is known for being one of the world's most romantic cities; it's a fantastic destination to visit if you're into wining, dining, dancing, and merrymaking. While you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll want to visit points of interest such as Angel Island State Park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Best National Parks in California
You can’t easily reach Channel Islands National Park in an RV. This unique destination is located off the central California coast, and it is only accessible via boat. However, it's worth putting your RV rental in storage in nearby Santa Barbara, or setting up at a campsite, long enough to make a day trip out to any of the five islands that are part of this park. You'll enjoy opportunities to go hiking, snorkeling, and kayaking. If you're interested in viewing marine life, the waters surrounding this park offer you some of the world's epic spots to enjoy whale watching. Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island is one of this park's most noteworthy landmarks.
If a family picnic in the woods is your idea of a fun afternoon, Redwood National Park should be high on your list of California destinations to visit. This national park in the northern part of the state is a World Heritage Site, offering you the opportunity to view magnificent, 370-foot-tall trees.
You have no idea how truly spectacular an expanse of desert can be until you've visited Joshua Tree National Park. This world-famous destination is best known for its namesake Joshua trees. You might be astonished at the variety of wildlife that can survive in this brutally hot environment; during your time at Joshua Tree, you'll want to look out for lizards, black-tailed jackrabbits, coyotes, bighorn sheep, and even an occasional lynx. If your group is into stargazing, be sure to tuck your star maps in your suitcase before leaving home. After you've viewed a spectacular desert sunset, you'll probably have the opportunity to enjoy spotting the heavenly bodies set against a backdrop of clear night skies. Landmarks in and around this park include the Arch Rock nature trail, the Cap Rock nature trail, Keys Ranch, and the Lost Horse Mine.
Popular State Parks in California
It's rather surprising to find the massive 7,000-acre expanse of Malibu Creek State Park nestled within a heavily populated area about 25 miles outside of Los Angeles. This park offers a quiet natural refuge from bustling city life in the surrounding area. Visit this park if you want to go rock climbing, explore scenic hiking trails, or look for wildlife amidst wooded terrain and chaparral-covered hillsides. The Rock Pool in this park is a landmark worth visiting; it is one of the area's best swimming holes. Onsite RV hookups and tent camping are both available in this park year-round. Additional amenities include campground picnic tables, fire rings, coin-operated showers, flush toilets, and an RV dump station.
Millerton Lake State Recreation Area State Park is a fantastic place to go boating, fishing, kayaking, or swimming. Amenities in this pet-friendly park northeast of Fresno include a launch ramp for boats and marina access. Onsite campgrounds in this park accommodate campers, trailers, and motorhomes up to 36 feet long. Restrooms with showers are available.
Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest is a high-altitude, forested 4,807-acre park where you can view magnificent giant sequoia trees. You might choose to visit this pet-friendly destination if you're interested in mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, or camping. Hedrick Pond is a popular local landmark. This well-stocked trout pond attracts sizable numbers of anglers and water sports enthusiasts to its shining waters. There's a small onsite campground near the pond situated about 19 miles northeast of Springville, California. This campground is best suited for campervans and smaller trailers. It would be a challenge for drivers of larger RVs to successfully navigate the narrow, twisting road into the campgrounds, and the maximum vehicle length is 20 feet. No RV hookups are available here.
RVShare’s Top Picks for RV Parks and Campgrounds in California
Anaheim Harbor RV Park is a great place to park your RV if you're planning to visit Disneyland, the Anaheim Convention Center, or Angel Stadium. This park offers you full hookups, a heated swimming pool, a laundry room area, and a convenience store. Spaces in this park can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet long.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground is a high-traffic park situated close to the Big Sur River. This property offers accommodations for both RV and tent camping. You'll want to make a reservation at least six months in advance if you're hoping to stay in this park.
If a California beach vacation is what you're looking for, you'll want to consider reserving a spot in the upscale Malibu Beach RV Park. This property is situated right across the Pacific Coast Highway from the beach. It's open year-round and offers you 142 RV campsites. Additional space is available for tent camping. Full hookups are available. You're likely to enjoy either a beach or mountain view from your back-in space in this well-kept park. Amenities include an on-site dump station for customers, restrooms with showers, propane service, cable TV hookups, and a convenience store.
RV Dump Stations in California
You’ll find many convenient RV dump stations in California. California RV parks and campgrounds frequently offer dump stations for their registered guests. Some also make these facilities available to unregistered visitors for a small fee.
If you need to find an RV dump station as you're heading south on the 101 freeway into California from Oregon, you might want to make a pit stop at a dump station in Crescent City, California. Some of the dump stations in this area offer rinse water and drinking water. There are also a couple of wheelchair-accessible options.
Events in California
The California State Fair is an annual event offering you live entertainment, exhilarating rides, craft and livestock exhibits, food vendors, and fun contests and games to try.
The Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival offers you the chance to taste different types of cuisine, sample craft beers, and enjoy tastings of the world's finest wines.
The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show offers you opportunities to view and buy original works of art from local Santa Barbara artists.
