My partner and I live in Phoenix and are looking to escape the heat so we want to head to Southern California for a couple days next week and backpack/camp (we only want to actually backpack in a couple miles then set up camp) near the water.

I would love somewhere where you can camp at least near the beach and hike along the bluffs. The bluffs along the PCH are breathtaking and I never want to leave when I pull over to look so i’m hoping to be able to stay somewhere with that vibe where we don’t have to drive more than ~6 hours from Phoenix.

After a little research, catalina island looks the most like what I’m looking for but i’m on a budget so i’m hoping to find somewhere like that without having to pay $80 for ferry tickets.

If anyone has any recommendations or tips I would be sooo grateful