Lucky campers land prime spots, head to Ventura County beaches while keeping social distancing rules

Camping offers stir-crazy Southern Californians a welcome relief amid the COVID-19 shutdown.

Sid Garcia Image
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Campers head to beach during Covid-19 pandemic
The welcome mat is out at many California campsites but make sure you have a reservation and pay attention to the rules.

VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- As the summer marches on, it might be time to think about spending more time outdoors. Right now, camping is proving to be a popular option for those who've been getting a little stir-crazy while at home, especially if you can snag one of the coveted spots at one of Southern California's beach campgrounds.

"It's been great! It's beautiful out here, the waves, you get to listen to the ocean at night. You wake up to this... in all, it's been really nice," said Jennifer Foytk from Ventura County.

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Getting a space in one of the beachside campsites in Ventura County is not easy. The spots inland are more readily available. Some campers reserved their spots months ago, long before the pandemic. It's always a good idea to check online for availability and to see if there are any restrictions.

"We thought it was going to get canceled. And even last week they were cancelling some of the spots just to social distance between some of the campsites," said Whitney Yates from Bakersfield. "So we were really lucky they didn't cancel our spot."

So while the welcome mat is out at campgrounds throughout the state, there are rules to pay attention to, including physical distancing and the request to stay with your group.

"I didn't think that there were any spots until August. I didn't get a spot. She got the spot and I just didn't. Showed up last night and camped out. I'm gonna try to get one today and hopefully be out here for three days," said Lissa Allen of Ventura County.

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