Campgrounds Across County Packed for the Holiday Weekend

As Elodia Moreno sat in the shade outside her motor home north of Ojai, relaxing by the water on the first day of a long holiday weekend, she tried to ignore the cars speeding by just yards away.

The turnout on California 33, several hundred yards south of Wheeler Gorge Campground, wasn’t Moreno’s first choice for a campsite.

But the piece of pavement picked by Moreno and her husband, Mike, overlooked a stream. Besides, it was the only site available in the area. “Everything’s completely congested,” said Moreno of Alta Loma. “There are no more spots.”

Like most campsites in Ventura County on Saturday, those in the Los Padres National Forest were jam-packed with Memorial Day travelers enjoying clear, sunny skies and warm temperatures. From the forest to the lakes to the ocean, those taking advantage of the long weekend to get away from it all found themselves with plenty of company.

“The demand is just incredible. More and more people are coming up earlier and earlier,” said Peggy Harwood, District Ranger for the Ojai National Forest Service, which tends about 150 campsites. “It’s very busy. There will be a lot of disappointed people.”

The camp ranger at Wheeler Gorge, who asked not to be identified, was the messenger who delivered some of that disappointment.

“Thursday morning, I must have turned away 50 people. That evening I had to turn away at least 20,” he said. “Friday night, I barricaded the road and they started moving the barricade. Finally, I had to park my truck across the entrance.”

Fifteen-year-old Josh Oransky of Simi Valley was one of the folks lucky enough to find a spot inside the designated camping area at Wheeler. He was at the site with 27 family members and friends, who took up three of the 72 campsites.

“We reserved a spot five months in advance,” he said. “My parents set it up.”

Lake Casitas, with 450 campsites, and Lake Piru, with 238, were no less crowded.

“They’re packed like sardines,” said Douglas West, a supervisor at the Lake Piru Recreation Area.

“It gets crowded big time,” said Alex Moran of Pico Rivera as he watched a Dodgers game on a small portable television at the campground east of Fillmore. “It’s only an hour and a half drive, instead of going all the way up to Yosemite. It’s not loud here. Everybody’s kicking back, relaxing, drinking.”

Janet Nordin of Hawthorne sat several campsites away, with friends from Long Beach and Hawthorne.

The group of 15, including six children, paid for their spots Wednesday and staked out their sites at Lake Piru early Friday afternoon. Nordin lounged in a folding chair as Andrew and Jonathan Lainson splashed in a wading pool. “We’re having a great time,” she said.

Even with the crowds, Nordin said, the campground doesn’t get too noisy. “At 10 o’clock, the radios have to be silent, (and) everybody gets quiet,” she said. “They’ve got a good handle on it here.”

Things were a little less crammed at McGrath State Beach in Oxnard, but the 174 campsites adjoining the beach still were occupied.

Despite the difficulty in reserving a campsite, Kevin Riddle of Thousand Oaks and his brother, Bruce Riddle of Moorpark, managed to claim the exact spot they were looking for, one they had used before. The Riddles were camping with their wives and five children, ages 16 months to 7 years.

“We always pick this particular lot,” said Kevin. “It’s got shady trees, and it works out great being near the bathrooms with kids, especially when they’re being potty-trained.”

Campsites at McGrath and the 92-site Emma Wood State Beach, filled up early in the week.

“At McGrath and Emma Wood, there are going to be some very unhappy people who didn’t plan ahead,” said Jeff Price, chief ranger of the State Park Department’s Channel Coast District. “We’re opening up the overflow areas this weekend.”

Ilene Brown of Reseda had one of the prime camping spots at McGrath--in the shade and right up against the sand. She and her family of 20 were occupying four sites.

“This is the best weekend. It’s the start of summer, and everyone wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city,” she said. “This is a good place for children to play. And the weather has been good. We’re lucky it’s not foggy.”

The National Weather Service forecasts a sunnier and warmer Sunday, with some high clouds. Monday should be a little cooler, with fog through the mid-morning and low clouds the rest of the day.