Summer sleepovers in LA County's parks. How to join in

Camping can be a lot — packing, driving, getting used to being in the wild — when sometimes all you need is one night under the stars.

To make the camping experience more accessible, L.A. County puts on a summer series for family and friends to camp overnight on Fridays at one of five participating regional parks.

How to camp

Campers can reserve tickets online or show up in person. General admission price is $15, and children under 13 are free. We have the links to the reservation pages at the five camps:

• Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park
• Castaic Lake Recreation Area
• Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
• Santa Fe Dam Regional Park
• Whittier Narrows Recreation Area .

What you should know

“A lot of people get here early so they can get the best area, so it's kind of on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Santa Fe Dam superintendent William Mercado, who also helps to coordinate the family camping program, which ends late August. “They'll come to the area, park their tents and then just spend the whole day out in the sun and swimming in the beach and having a blast.”

Gates close at the parks at 10 p.m., so Mercado suggests running to the market and grabbing anything else you’d need before then. It’s also advised to bring sunscreen, swim gear, and bug spray before your night in nature.

There is no electricity or shower facilities available and the parks do not allow personal campfires.

Activities available

The parks offer recreational activities during programs that start at 6 p.m. on Friday nights.

“Majority of the areas have fishing, we have night hikes, we offer movies, we have free drawings, we have live animal displays,” Mercado said. “Certain facilities will have DJs or live music, and then we also have kayaking and biking, face painters and coloring zones for kids.”

The reservation page for each camp (above) has additional details.

Why now

The series began in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to give families a safe outdoor experience and to help alleviate mental stress. Mercado said last year, the program attracted more than 16,000 campers, and this year the county anticipates upwards of 18,000.

People mostly camp in tents, but Mercado said he’s seen a lot of first-time campers put down a mattress or just blankets on the grass with pillows.

“They're out here just sleeping under the stars and just having a great time. It makes it cool to understand that some people have never had the experience to ever even camp out,” Mercado said.