Camping. The trees, the hills, the lakes, the dawn chorus. I love camping. It’s great to get outdoors, to enjoy the fresh air for a few days, even if it does mean suffering a little from a lack of sleep (I’m very bad at sleeping outside, it’s fair to say). What I don’t like, however, is packing up the car and driving for miles and miles and hours and hours, up hill and down dale, until you reach your desired location. This is why it’s great when you can find a place to camp that’s within driving distance of a city, or, even better, accessible by public transport. Of course, the risk you take is that you don’t really get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, that you can still hear the roar of the traffic or the noise of the train. Even catching a site of a few houses in the distance can be enough to spoil the illusion of isolation.

Happily, the Lake Chabot regional park, in Alameda County, Northern California, has all of these things. Situated near Castro Valley, just fifteen miles from downtown Oakland, or twenty five from San Francisco, the city couldn’t seem further away. The campsite itself is high in the hills over the lake, and the only sounds are the gobbles of the wild turkeys. And possibly the shouts of children running around and having fun.

The lake itself is accessible in two ways from the camping grounds; it’s a ten minute drive down to the Lake Chabot Marina (parking is free there if you’re camping), where you can hire a boat, or go cycling or hiking around the lake. The alternative is a half hour walk downhill, to a less busy part of the lake. There’s real seclusion to be found, but the walk back up the slope is quite precipitous, so don’t leave it too late in the day or you’ll miss the last of the sun! The lake is stocked with trout (you’ll need a regional fishing license in addition to the normal California one), and whilst we saw other anglers reeling some in, we didn’t get any bites. Not that this is unusual, of course; I may be the world’s worst fisherman.

If you like to camp with all the modern conveniences, there are a couple of golf courses nearby; there are also horse trails and mountain biking routes in the hills of the park. In addition to this, there is also a rifle range. Some might make a snarky comment about Oakland here, but not I.

Anyway, we passed a very enjoyable three days in the park, and we were home before lunch on the Sunday. Whilst on paper it wasn’t the most exotic location, even in Northern California, it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area and looking for a quick getaway for a few days.

So, over to you; where are your hidden local camping gems? Where do you go to get away from city life for a few hours?