Camping in Malibu Creek State Park is the best of both worlds: you'll be surrounded by nature, but you'll also be just a short commute from a grocery store. There are 62 campsites, each of which feature a picnic table and fire pit. The communal bathrooms have flush toilets, and campers can catch a warm shower thanks to the campground’s solar panels. Make sure you reserve in advance if you are bringing an RV as there are only four spots available. The campground is open all year long.

Spending the night in the park is an amazing opportunity. You can wake up early and watch the sun rise, and you might even see some animals out and about before the crowds scare them away. There are at least 45 bird species that can be spotted throughout the park in addition to a wide range of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Once the sun is up you will be able to choose from a variety of outdoor activities.

Malibu Creek State Park boasts trails ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous, and these trails are popular with hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Kayakers take advantage of Century Lake’s smooth water, although they have to steer clear of the reservoir’s dam. Rock climbing around Rock Pool gives climbers a chance to scramble around on a wall that showed up in the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes.” Several other movies have included scenes that were filmed in the park, including “Tarzan Escapes,” “Dr. Dolittle,” “The Seven Year Itch,” and “How Green Was My Valley.”

The Emmy nominated TV show “M*A*S*H” used part of the parkland as its outdoor set. 20th Century Fox owned the land when they first began filming. After the show was finished, the set began to deteriorate. Enough visitors come from around the world to see the set that, in 2007, the park officials decided to restore some of it, and the area is now open and available for exploration.