Thinking of taking the leap to California

[Man In A Box]

Hello all.

I'm not on these forums much due to internet but I've been living in a cargo van for about 3+ years now. I started in Oklahoma and made my way Northwest and am now around the Mt Baker area. I work while I go just due to the fact I like to work and it pays for fun things to do. (The entire summer I had my own captain/boat one day a weekend lol)

I'm thinking of going down to California due to the amazing parks I want to visit there and start working there while I'm doing it. (I want to go great white shark diving).

My question is I read different things on living in vans there. Some say its illegal, some say its only illegal in some cities. I do not want to risk getting ticketed or my van impounded or even worse go to jail.

Are there any areas in California where if you do get woken up by cops they just tell you to move along like they do up here in Seattle/Bellevue?

I usually rotate between rest stops, dispersed camping, truck stops, and the side of apartment complexes/walmarts.

I'm trying to go somewhere near the redwoods, or the Yosemite area. Any advice/tips are greatly appreciated. This was the original place I wanted to go but didn't from fear of the police/law.

 

[29chico]

A lot of the coastal redwoods areas are highly controlled to limit vehicle dwellers.  There are redwoods on the south side of Yosemite park.  It is the Big Trees area.  There are lots of areas in the California Sierras that are fine for dispersed camping.

Possibly it is a good time to put in an application for summer employment in Yosemite Park?  Then you could dispersed camp on your days off and see a lot of the Central Sierras.  

The Northern Sierras have tons of dispersed camping available.

 

[USExplorer]

California is a huge state, with attitudes toward vehicle living as varied as its terrain. I've only been in one small corner of it, down here along the Colorado River. No one cares about vandwelling down here, we have plenty of desert.

Remember when you meet a cop on town streets in your rig, you are not living in your van, you are on a road trip, camping along the way to save money. You actually live at the address listed on your driver's license. Now, if you start looking for odd jobs around town, or attempt to openly join the already established town bums and vandwellers, you will go through the "approval process", an interview of sorts. Maybe the cop is sympathetic, or maybe they are a hard-ass, you won't know until you get the knock. If you are very discreet, the cops may ignore you, but believe me, they've seen it all and know you are there. This doesn't apply to towns where vandwellers are not expected.

The old days of being thrown in jail and put on a chain gang for vagrancy are long gone. Your van will only be impounded if you have committed a flagrant violation. Most cases, you will simply be ordered to leave town under threat of a fine.

 

[Man In A Box]

Thanks guys.

I got a very good job offer near the san Francisco area but am aiming closer to the fresno area as that's closer to the parks I want to be near. I'm hoping I'll head that way soon!

 

[highdesertranger]

well first off those trees south of Yosemite are Sequoias not Redwoods, although the same family 2 different trees. keep in mind Kalifornia is a very expensive state to live in. everything is expensive food, fuel, entertainment, vehicle fees, tickets, everything is more expensive in Kalifornia. I have seen gas 2 bucks a gallon cheaper 5 miles away just by crossing the border into Nevada. it's amazing you can go to a gas station right out side the refinery and pay more for gas then the gas the ship from the same refinery to Arizona 250 miles away. it's truly amazing. highdesertranger

 

[BigT]

You can camp on/in National Forest land for up to 14 days without paying a fee or having a reservation.  I see people doing it all the time every time I drive back to the Bay Area from Mendocino.  You definitely want to get a map that tells you where the park boundaries are, though, so you don't "get the knock" from a park ranger, telling you that you're on State or National Park land.  

As far as van dwelling in the Bay Area itself goes, it varies by town.  I sometimes work in San Jose, and I see RV's, vans and travel trailers everywhere.  
Not so much in towns like Palo Alto (aka Shallow Alto), Los Altos, Atherton or other affluent neighborhoods, but the more Blue Collar, lower income cities seem to have more to worry about than a van parked on the side of the road.  

A perfect example of the leniency San Jose shows to its RV users is 10th Street, just south of Phelan St.  All night and all day there are dozens of RV's and travel trailers parked along the road, and they make no secret about being there.  You can clearly see people inside, watching TV and moving around.  
Of course this location doesn't put you anywhere near the National Parks you're looking for, it's simply an example.  

A good friend of mine who travels the country either on a BMW R80 GS or some sort of four-wheel-drive, suggested this road and recreation atlas.  He said it would tell me where the National Forest boundaries could be found.  

 

[GotSmart]

This I got from Tony & Karen.

https://www.campendium.com/free-camping

One of my top bookmarks.

 

[TMG51]

I've been in San Diego for several weeks now. It's illegal to vandwell here. I haven't been woken up once. Just use common sense.

I don't stay in state parks really, can't advise you there.

SoCal has been really easy for me though.

 

[Patrick46]

The Redwoods are up in the Northern part of the state, about 50 miles from the Oregon border.

The Avenue of the Giants is a great spot, and there's lots a free places to camp. (but it'll take alittle searching spots)

Personally, I'd stay out of the SJ/SF areas. Too many people, and not enough places to go undisturbed.


I'm with ya on the Great White Shark diving though!!!

 

[DannyB1954]

The Redwoods are up in the Northern part of the state, about 50 miles from the Oregon border.

The Avenue of the Giants is a great spot, and there's lots a free places to camp. (but it'll take alittle searching spots)

Personally, I'd stay out of the SJ/SF areas. Too many people, and not enough places to go undisturbed.


I'm with ya on the Great White Shark diving though!!!

There is a small park just North of San Francisco called Muir woods. It is a grove of redwoods. 
I used to go Abalone diving in Great White shark territory, (just North of Bodega Bay). If you see all the sea lions on the banks, it might not be wise to go in.

 

[bseek]

I don't think they allow camping at Muir Woods. But south of San Francisco is Big Basin, and Little Basin State Parks. They are up a winding road that is very narrow, so not really appropriate for the big RV's, although they try, so watch around corners and go slow. But the State park system is on a reserve in advance basis, and they are usually booked pretty far in advance, especially for weekends. But the biggest drawback is state parks are $35 a night to camp. That is highway robbery.

 

[USExplorer]

It is hard to find free rural camping in the Bay Area. The Coast Ranges west of San Jose are scenic and lightly populated but almost completely privately owned. Same goes for the redwood forests on the Peninsula and north of the Golden Gate, all highway pullouts are heavily posted against camping. I drove Route 9 north from Santa Cruz one evening and the only place I could find to car camp was off the ungated access road to a Boy Scout camp. Same goes for Skyline Blvd. Most Bay Area vandwellers curb camp, a bad long-term plan if you have no restroom facilities.

My map shows some BLM land north of Santa Rosa and north of Fairfield. I don't know if it is accessible by vehicle, though.

 

[TrainChaser]

Check out the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the Mother Lode country: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/folsom/camping.html

They have contact info, and I believe they sell paper maps for the various areas.

San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland are very high-density areas, and finding a place to park is very iffy.