Fall cloaks a certain cathartic veil over our green spaces, dousing them in vivid hues.
So slight is the sight of green foliage this time of year, one can't help but embrace all the rust-red hues painting landscapes, hillsides, and river walkways. Just in the nick of time, before our kitchen calendars bloat with holiday plans that vary in gray degrees of tedium, we urge you to get outside; take in a full breath of fresh, fall air. And, before you take that canvassed walk on the wild side, be sure to pitch a tent or rent a yurt from one of these local campgrounds that come alive under the cool, calm winds of November.
Camp Pauli @ Whiskey Ranch
Embrace the many wonderments afforded by the comings weeks of fall, all from the comfort of your own yurt at Whiskey Ranch. Tent Pauli is equipped with two twin mattresses that can be optionally strapped together to form a king size bed, a couch, rugs, string lights and solar panel/battery pack combination to charge miscellaneous gadgetry. Backdropped by a historic cattle ranch, one that has been in my family since 1884, the Kohler family now grows wheat for whiskey on the property to be later fermented at a local distillery—which you can tour and taste during your stay. Be sure to keep an open eye and perked ear at all times; wild Rio Grande turkeys frequent much of the protected acreage this time of year. // From $110/night for upwards of two adults (weeknight stays are discounted 15%), details at Hipcamp.com
Glamping @ Big Mesa Farmstead
Nestled atop 10-acres of pristine Bay Area terra firma, you can't help but cast all your seasonal gift-buying woes to the wayside while strolling through the well-manicured paths combing much of Big Homestead Ranch. There, perched along an elevated hillside, you'll find the option to cozy-up inside four 17-foot diameter tents, each erected on large redwood platforms, serving proposing viewsheds of the wild, wooded ravine below. The tents are equipped with electrical outlets, LED lights, soft rugs, two nimble chairs, and a small table, boarded by four single mattresses. However, it's recommended you bring your own sleeping bag and/or wanted bedding, towels, and pillows. Access to shared outdoor bath houses, including two composting toilets and two hot showers, are available within walking distance from each yurt. // From $155/night for upwards of two adults (you can bring Fido along, too), details at Hipcamp.com
Pitch a Tent @ Walnut Grove Camp
Pitch your tent—or gorilla camp—along the old walnut groves near Cache Creek, where you can expect find a kayaking and river rafting Eden that's unparalleled; a geological gem that's only within a crow's fly of San Francisco. And be sure you silence any alarms you may have preset for following morning as wild turkeys and a plethora of other migratory and resident birds will likely sing come sunrise. Also count on the population of chorusing leopard frogs to help sooth you to sleep. An outdoor shower and interior half-bath are available, only a half mile or so from the with swimming holes, inner tubing, river rafting and kayaking kick-off points. // From $45/night for upwards of six adults (feel free to ignite a responsibly made campfire), details at Hipcamp.com
