Tapo Canyon

I stopped here on my northerly migration around LA, and to visit the Presidential Library just 12 miles away. The park is one of those "Catch 22" deals where sites can be reserved more than 14 days out, but not less than, so when arriving less than 14 days out, you don't know if there is space until you get there. Miraculously, I got the last space as first come/first serve on a Saturday.

All the conveniences are only 5 miles away, yet park is fairly quiet (though a lot of locals stay here on weekends, and tend to party.) My site #7 backed up to a small creek with nice frog singing at night.

There is a great hike / mountain bike trail just 1.5 miles up the road. Check the "Nobody Hikes in LA" website for detailed turn by turn directions through the loops before you go, as there are no trail signs.

I gave this park only three stars because I had ZERO Verizon, and only a little sliver of AT&T with a Wilson Sleek booster. Otherwise, I would have given it a 4, as it is clean, and the park hosts were great!

One thing to note: There is a rule that you cannot re-enter a Ventura County Park without a 7 day lapse between stays. As I understand it, this applies to ALL of Ventura County, inland parks including beach parks Faria, Hobson, and Rincon Parkway. They could officially deny a back to back stay if they chose to enforce the rule I believe it is to prevent locals from parking for the summer, so perhaps they don't enforce the rule with out of state plates. But just a "heads up" if you are coming from one of the other parks like Rincon Pkwy...especially if you have local plates.

Read a couple of reviews on this park. Decided to unhook the dinghy & drive up for a quick look for future reference before heading on to our very high priced coastal one night destination located right next to a freeway. For half the price & no traffic noise . . . We went back & got the motorhome. What a truly great find. Concrete pads are probably only 10-12' wide, so, with slide-outs deployed, you'll likely be walking in the dirt. Precautions must be taken to avoid tracking it in. Evidence of past water coursing thru the lower sites where we were, but this is a picturesque semi arid canyon. Most sites would have provided roof mounted satellite TV clearance. Great shopping & lots of food options located at the off ramp where you exit and the next. Speaking of the off ramp, the campground- not an RV park - is located straight up the road from the off ramp. Easy coming & going! While we only stayed one night this trip, we're already planning for an extended stay in the very near future.