Sleeping in car and wildparking allowed? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: RV parks, crime, mobile home)

[Ingrid86]

I'm from the Netherlands and this summer I will visit California for three weeks with my friend. We tend to go as lowbudget as possible and will be cruisin around.

So my questions are, is it allowed to sleep in your car?
What about wild camping, is that allowed?
Or are both only allowed in certain area's? if so, how do I find out if it is or isn't allowed in a certain area.

[Ingrid86]

sorry, I meant wildcamping, not parking..

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Ingrid86

I'm from the Netherlands and this summer I will visit California for three weeks with my friend. We tend to go as lowbudget as possible and will be cruisin around.

So my questions are, is it allowed to sleep in your car?
What about wild camping, is that allowed?
Or are both only allowed in certain area's? if so, how do I find out if it is or isn't allowed in a certain area.

Perhaps you should consider a hostel...they exist in California...I stayed at a few...they are clean and occupied by what appeared to be responsible people, often college students from Europe who are sightseeing the US.

[Snort]

With the strength of the euro, you'll have a nicer trip and everything will seem dirt cheap. Go with what Charles told you.

[sponger42]

Why is everyone's first suggestion to always spend more money? The man asked about sleeping outdoors or in your car, not whether he should check into a Hostel. That's 10-30 bucks a day he could save.

I do not know if the overall state of CA allows or disallows sleeping in your car. I've done it on numerous occasions, both on the side of the road and at rest stops. Rest stops on the major freeways are your best bet. You are allowed to park and sleep for up to 8 hours (more, in reality, as nobody keeps a close check.)

Many cities and towns do not allow camping or sleeping in your car within city limits. Malibu has signs stating this. I've heard San Francisco also has ordinances against it. There is a rest stop on the north side of the Golden Gate bridge with a spectacular view of the city and bridge where you can sleep. Just be ready to wake up in the middle of a horde of tourists. It gets progressively more difficult to find a quiet place to sleep in your car as you head south toward SoCal. North of Los Angeles (and Malibu) you are probably okay catching a rest in your car off the side of Pacific Coastal Highway.

One of the biggest difficulties about sleeping in your car in California is the lack of public showers. In other states, KOA campgrounds are obvious and well-advertised. You can buy a long hot shower there for 1-3 dollars when you're feeling funky. Public showers in California are few, far between, and poorly advertised.

Free beach showers exist at almost every public beach, but they are unheated and m-th-rf--ki-g cold year round. I use one in the morning after surfing, and let me tell you, it is no fun at all.

Edit:

A suggestion I'll make is, if you're not sure, arrive late, wake up early, and get on the road before the authorities come knocking. Police patrol no-sleeping neighborhoods all night, but a lot of campsites are left open for late arrivals/early departures, especially RV parks. Just park out of the way of those monster RV's and take off before the management shows up in the morning.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by Ingrid86

I'm from the Netherlands and this summer I will visit California for three weeks with my friend. We tend to go as lowbudget as possible and will be cruisin around.

So my questions are, is it allowed to sleep in your car?
What about wild camping, is that allowed?
Or are both only allowed in certain area's? if so, how do I find out if it is or isn't allowed in a certain area.

Some 20 years ago I lived in my car in Los Angeles for around five months, and immediately after for another three months in other parts of the west coast. It was a small pickup truck with a tiny camper-shell. Nothing fancy.

While in L.A. I parked inconspicuously at the fringes of residential neighborhoods. I'd park, sit quietly for around five-ten minutes monitoring the area to see if it seemed safe, then climb in the back and go to sleep. By all outward appearances my car was just another parked on the street. Sometimes I'd park at friends' houses, but you coming from abroad might not have that option. For showers I used friends houses or the YMCA. I was often the first to enter public parks when they opened in the morning and wash top to toe at the sink. (You learn to improvise.)

During my time in various parts of the west coast, I used a mix of campgrounds and the above L.A. approach. Camping in CA is expensive. In Oregon and Washington camping is (or used to be) about half as expensive, so I was able to stay in campgrounds more often than not. A nice luxury.

Sleeping in your car is generally not legal. During my time as a "mobile homeless" in the L.A. area, I only had trouble with the police once. I was parked in a remote location just outside of the city where a Highway Patrol spotted my car, came to investigate and gave me a huge hassle. I never had any problems with local city police anywhere. I got the impression that they often ignored people sleeping in cars and instead focused their efforts on bigger issues. Good luck to you, and have fun on your adventure! Please post a follow-up and let us know how it all went when you get back.

[UB50]

I think I heard/read somewhere that big roadside truck stops also have cheap showers... I've never used them so I don't know for sure.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by UB50

I think I heard/read somewhere that big roadside truck stops also have cheap showers... I've never used them so I don't know for sure.

Yes, this is true, and a very good option. Good tip, UB50. Incidentally, truck stops for overnighting are far safer than highway rest stops, IMO. I've heard too many stories of crime in rest stops to consider them safe for sleeping.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by cre8

Yes, this is true, and a very good option. Good tip, UB50. Incidentally, truck stops for overnighting are far safer than highway rest stops, IMO. I've heard too many stories of crime in rest stops to consider them safe for sleeping.

Yeah, sleeping in your car at the side of the road or some residential area sounds like a great way to get robbed, shot, raped, etc. This isn't 1958 anymore.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Yeah, sleeping in your car at the side of the road or some residential area sounds like a great way to get robbed, shot, raped, etc. This isn't 1958 anymore.

Kinda' mixing up two different subjects, don't you think? Not everyone who takes road trips sleeping in a car also lives in a car sleeping illegally in neighborhoods. It just so happens that I've had experiences with both.

But anyway, it goes without saying that in both cases you have to use your head. Be cool!

ETA: 2008 - [some 20 years] = ca. 1985, not 1958.