Camp and play in the great outdoors of Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, about 20 minutes from Rancho Cucamonga. Bicycle, hike or go on a horseback tour on the multi-use trails surrounding the Puddingstone Reservoir. Its 5 miles of shoreline include a beach with lifeguards. Concessionaires rent boats. With a California fishing license, fish in the lake stocked with trout, bass and catfish. Raging Waters, a water theme park, awaits near the south shore. Perched on a hill, Puddingstone Hot Tubs rents partially enclosed, temperature-controlled hot tubs with views of lake sunset and, after dark, the city lights. The park is open year round with the exception of Christmas.
Approximately 25 minutes from Rancho Cucamonga, set up camp with a tent or RV at one of the 40 campsites in Marshall Canyon Regional Park. Barbecue, toss horseshoes, play a game of volleyball on the sand or go on a trail ride into the canyon where nothing faster than a walk is allowed and age restrictions apply. Stroll along a nature trail through the landscaped area of the park, or hike a trail in Marshall or Live Oak canyons. Trek through chaparral, soak up the sun and vistas, then hike down into the green shade of alders, which grow near seasonal streams.
Applewhite Campground, approximately 30 minutes from Rancho Cucamonga, perches at a 3,300-foot elevation in the San Bernardino National Forest and has 44 first come-first served standard sites accommodating tents and RVs up to 30 feet. Sites have fire rings but no hookups, and the campground provides drinking water and flush toilets. The camping fee entitles you to a free walk-in pass to the Lytle Creek day-use area across the road. Sage dominates steep hillsides where stands of pine and fir provide wildlife habitat. Conifer and deciduous trees shade campsites. Open year round, except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays in winter, Applewhite is hosted, but can get noisy on weekends. Before going, check with Lytle Creek Ranger Station on conditions such as flash flooding.
In the San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation of 6,400 feet, camp under a blanket of starry skies and breathe pine-scented fresh air in the Barton Flats and San Gorgonio Recreation Area. South Fork, Barton Flats and San Gorgonio campgrounds accommodate RVs and tents, and each is less than 90 minutes from Rancho Cucamonga. If you prefer falling asleep to the sound of the surf, consider pitching your tent or parking your RV in the beachfront park of Doheny State Beach in Dana Point or on the bluffs at Moro Campground in Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna overlooking the ocean across the Pacific Coast Highway. Doheny and Crystal Cove are also less than 90 minutes from Rancho Cucamonga and offer much to do in the surf and sand, from tide-pooling to surfing.
