California packs ocean beaches, granite valleys, redwood groves and low desert into one state, and an RV trip here usually means picking one or two of those landscapes rather than trying to see them all. RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in California yet. This guide covers where people base RV trips, how campground reservations work, and the state driving rules that matter when you are towing or driving something large. The box on this page links to RVs listed by owners on Outdoorsy, and you can join the waitlist for RVRents service in California.
How California breaks down for RV travel
Most trips fall into one of five regions. The Southern California coast runs from San Diego County up through Los Angeles and Malibu, with state beaches along Highway 1 and Coast Highway 101. The Central Coast covers Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur, where Highway 1 hugs the cliffs. The Sierra Nevada holds Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, with snow and chain controls in winter. The North Coast is redwood country along Highway 101 between Eureka and Crescent City. The deserts in the southeast include Joshua Tree and Death Valley.
| Region | Best months for most RV trips | Good base | Nearby park campground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California coast | Year-round; summer books up first | Cardiff-by-the-Sea or Malibu | San Elijo State Beach, Leo Carrillo State Park |
| Central Coast | Spring through fall | Big Sur | Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park |
| Sierra Nevada | Summer and early fall for the high country | Yosemite Valley or Lake Tahoe's west shore | Upper Pines (Yosemite), Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park |
| North Coast redwoods | Late spring through early fall | Orick | Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (Elk Prairie) |
| Deserts | Fall through spring | Joshua Tree area or Furnace Creek | Black Rock or Cottonwood (Joshua Tree), Furnace Creek (Death Valley) |
Top places to base an RV trip in California
San Diego County coast
North of San Diego, the beach towns along Coast Highway 101 make an easy first RV trip: short drives, mild weather and campsites a few steps from the sand. San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff has RV sites with hookups and a dump station. The park lists a 35-foot limit for non-hookup sites and 24 feet for hookup sites, so check your rig's length before you book.
Malibu and the Los Angeles coast
Camping on the Pacific Coast Highway puts you within reach of Los Angeles without parking an RV in the city. Leo Carrillo State Park sits 28 miles northwest of Santa Monica on Highway 1 and lists RV access, a dump station and electrical hookups where available. The park does not publish a maximum length online, so call before reserving a large rig.
Big Sur
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is about 26 miles south of Carmel and accepts trailers up to 27 feet and motorhomes up to 32 feet. The campground reopened in October 2026 after a closure tied to the Timber Fire, and some trails are still closed, so check the park page and Caltrans road conditions before you go.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley is the main draw, and the National Park Service says most park campgrounds allow RVs and trailers. Upper Pines is the only campground on reservations all year, and reservations open five months ahead on the 15th at 7 a.m. Pacific through Recreation.gov. The park says non-lottery reservations sell out within minutes. Glacier Point Road, Mariposa Grove Road and Hetch Hetchy Road have restrictions that affect some RVs and most trailers, and only RVs 30 feet and shorter may go past Sentinel Dome on Glacier Point Road.
Lake Tahoe
Tahoe's west shore gives you lake beaches in summer and a base for the Sierra. Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park is 10 miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89, with a 26-foot trailer limit and a 32-foot limit for campers and motorhomes. The park offers first-come, first-served winter camping in one loop.
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree is a cool-season trip with rock formations, dark skies and quiet campgrounds. Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds have water and dump stations, and most park sites are reservable on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead. Hidden Valley and White Tank have a 25-foot combined length limit, and a vehicle towing a trailer counts as two vehicles at a site.
Redwood coast
The North Coast is where you camp under old-growth redwoods. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park has the Elk Prairie Campground at the south end of the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, off Highway 101 about 50 miles north of Eureka. Davison Road to Gold Bluffs Beach and Fern Canyon limits vehicles to 8 feet wide and 24 feet long, and trailers are not allowed on it.
Death Valley
Death Valley is a winter destination for RV travelers. Furnace Creek Campground takes reservations for the October 15 to April 15 season on Recreation.gov, at least two days and up to six months ahead. The park says only 18 sites have full hookups.
Campgrounds and reservations
California State Parks takes camping reservations through ReserveCalifornia, its official reservation service, and the department advises booking up to six months in advance because many campgrounds fill fast. A non-refundable processing fee applies to each reservation. Each park page on parks.ca.gov lists its own trailer and motorhome limits, and they vary by park.
National park campgrounds, including Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Death Valley, book through Recreation.gov.
Worth knowing: Some California state beaches limit who can deliver a rental RV to a campsite. San Elijo State Beach says only its approved concessionaires may deliver and set up rented RVs, and Leo Carrillo says trailers may be rented and delivered there only through its listed concessionaire. If an RV owner offers campsite delivery, check the park's page before you book that site.
Driving an RV in California
- Towing speed: The California Driver Handbook says the maximum speed is 55 mph for vehicles towing trailers, and on two-lane undivided highways, unless otherwise posted.
- Lane use when towing: The DMV's Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook says vehicles towing trailers must stay in the right-hand lane, or as close as possible to the right edge (CVC 22406). On a divided highway with four or more lanes in your direction, you may also use the lane just to the left of the right-hand lane.
- Turnouts: The same handbook says to use turnouts when five or more vehicles are behind you and want to pass. Expect to use them on Highway 1 and mountain grades.
- Length and licenses: The DMV handbook says a basic Class C license covers a housecar 40 feet or less, and a housecar over 40 feet but not over 45 feet requires a noncommercial Class B license with endorsement. Housecars over 40 feet are limited to specified highways under CVC 35400, and a vehicle combination cannot exceed 65 feet. You may tow only one vehicle on a noncommercial license.
- Chain controls: Caltrans says drivers must stop and install chains when signs require them, and the speed limit under chain controls is 25 or 30 mph. Under the first level of chain control, all vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Check Caltrans QuickMap or call (800) 427-7623 before crossing the Sierra in winter.
Road conditions, closures and chain controls for every state highway are on Caltrans. Check QuickMap before planning a Highway 1 route through Big Sur, since closures there change the whole trip.
Seasons and weather
The coast is a year-round trip, with summer the busiest booking season. The Sierra high country opens up in summer: Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows campground typically runs from about July to late September, while Upper Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow stay open in winter. The deserts work best from fall through spring. Joshua Tree has an annual campfire ban from June 15 to October 1, and some of its campgrounds close in summer.
Summer and fall can bring wildfire activity and smoke to many parts of the state, and fires can close parks and roads with little notice. Check weather.gov for forecasts and alerts, and the park's own page for closures, before each leg of the trip.
If, then
- If this is your first RV trip, start on the San Diego County coast, where drives are short and campgrounds have hookups.
- If your rig is over 32 feet, check each state park's posted limit before you plan around Big Sur or Tahoe.
- If you are towing a car or trailer, plan your drive times at 55 mph, not the posted freeway limit.
- If you are set on Yosemite Valley, be online at 7 a.m. Pacific on the release date five months out.
How RVRents fits a California trip today
RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in California yet. You can use this guide to plan, rent today from RV owners listed on Outdoorsy through the link on this page, and join the waitlist to hear when RVRents service starts in California.