Located just south of Pyramid Lake ((off the same exit from the I-5 as P-Lake)), Verdugo Oaks Camp is a splendid option for cooped-up city folks looking to escape to nature without driving three hours out of the city. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fD0Gk8qqdb8CGw_Uzum00A?select=z0YjFo-Ux65VkWIJRkL0bw#LXoYbqyBI9cq_cKeHyFa_w)
A dual-circuit campsite, Verdugo Oaks has about six peripheral campsites, and 8 campsites within the center of the grounds. There isn't much separation between the campsites, which keeps this place from getting the fifth star. I can't stand campgrounds that overlap, and in the center campsites, you certainly get overlap.
The grounds are clean, well-maintained, and each site has a bench and a fire ring (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fD0Gk8qqdb8CGw_Uzum00A?select=z0YjFo-Ux65VkWIJRkL0bw#AVRT1hFzutFCZ6n9F_1yFg). Some of the larger sites have food lockers to prevent wild critters from yoinking your food (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fD0Gk8qqdb8CGw_Uzum00A?select=z0YjFo-Ux65VkWIJRkL0bw#VmLyfdvY_UtJwzixq0H7NQ). Tiny, locked, garbage bins provide convenient waste disposal; meaning you don't really have to "pack out" any garbage. :) Thank you, Parks & Rec for spending my tax dollars wisely.
Verdugo Suckfest = tall grasses, which have those irritating seeds that get stuck in your socks indefinitely and mercilessly poke your feet. Just surrender your feet and calves to the inevitable irritation. No biggie.
The campsite is next to a Boy Scout retreat camp and the Verdugo Oaks Fire Station. This means there is "potable" water you can retrieve at the Boy Scout camp. There's one spigot that I've found with a drinking fountain attached.
I've never seen this place overflowing, so it offers a nice retreat form the madness of the city, and it's only about an hour (hour and a half, at most) from West LA. And when your camping trip is over and you're fiending for REAL food, there is an In-N-Out of the I-5, in Valencia.
**IMPORTANT: You will need a California State Adventure Pass to camp here. They're $30 for an annual pass (good for 12 months, not just 'til the end of the issued year) and available at most camping supply stores, like REI, Adventure 16, and maybe Sport Chalet. With this pass, you can camp at Verdugo Oaks for up to 14 days, consecutively. The pass is good at a number of State Parks and campsites all over California. Without one, you're outta luck.**
Verdugo is my new go-to spot, for a quick escape from the city (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fD0Gk8qqdb8CGw_Uzum00A?select=z0YjFo-Ux65VkWIJRkL0bw#LM1DjNtlgudPWQrNfzvxDw). A great place to relax, and reset your mind. Give it a shot, but remember to take good care of the grounds. Respect, man.... Respect. read more