CAMPING CLOSE TO HOME L.A. AND ENVIRONS OFFER SOME OF THE BEST SITES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE.

Byline: John Sutton-Smith Correspondent

At the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, on the coast north of Malibu, lies Sycamore Canyon campground at Point Mugu State Park.

There, children can scale sturdy giant sycamores that stud the grassy campground, hike with their families into the park's magnificent backcountry or swim and fish at nearby Sycamore Cove Beach. The 15,000-acre state park also includes the saw-toothed pinnacles of the Boney Mountains State Wildnerness Area.

``This is spectacular,'' said Peter Hoffman, 24, a German tourist stopping at Sycamore Canyon on his way up the coast to Vancouver, British Columbia. ``The ocean and the city and the desert all together. It's unreal, like a movie.''

Big Sycamore is just one of many urban campgrounds operated by state, county and city park systems that offer local residents an opportunity for a short holiday or just a night out of the house. Mostly located within an hour's drive from downtown Los Angeles, these sites provide the ultimate camping experience without the gas-guzzling car trip.

``It's like being away,'' said Dusty Crane, division chief for community and marketing services with the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors. ``For a large metropolitan area, in close to an hour you can be in a fairly isolated natural environment.''

While it's too late to book the region's most popular ocean-side campsites for this weekend's busy Memorial Day holiday, you can try the following urban campgrounds during the week or other nonpeak times when they're apt to be less crowded.

Under the stars

In Los Angeles, the city Recreation and Parks Department offers extensive overnight camping experiences for children, families, organized groups and senior citizens at its seven residential camps, which stretch from Griffith Park to the San Bernardino Mountains.

In the heart of the city, Griffith Park Boys Camp and Hollywoodland Girls Camp provide overnight experiences for children, ages 6 to 17, who live in Los Angeles. Both campsites are also open to parent-child pairs, organized youth groups and youngsters for special weekend getaways.

Inner-city kids and their families can sleep under the stars, too, at neighborhood parks through the city's Wonderful Outdoor World program.

In the hills above Malibu, Decker Canyon Camp and Malibu Creek State Park offer two of the prettiest locales that, to be fair, can hardly be called ``urban'' at all.

Decker Canyon Camp, one of the seven L.A. city residential camps, is in a rugged spot, deep in the Santa Monica Mountains. Established as a youth camp by a group of Los Angeles businessmen, the site has since evolved into a popular campsite for families and groups. Campers can explore hiking trails or visit nearby beaches for swimming or fishing.

Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Malibu Creek boasts hiking and horse trails, as well as fishing and bird-watching opportunities. This 4,000-acre state park, which boasts family and group campsites, is reported to have been the center of Chumash Indian life for many centuries and was once used as a backdrop for movies and TV shows, including ``Planet of the Apes'' and ``M*A*S*H.''

Even closer to the city is Topanga State Park, a wonderful stretch of chaparral etched with hiking and biking trails. The 11,000-acre park is located entirely within Los Angeles city limits and is considered the world's largest wilderness within the boundaries of a major city. While no reservations are required for the park's eight-tent Musch Camp, visitors must hike to the site.

Michelle Miller, 49, a longtime urban camper from Malibu's Paradise Cove, said camping locally offers a wealth of benefits.

``It's still affordable and it's so much fun as a kid to go camping,'' said Miller, who has camped overnight with friends through the years. ``We all do stuff together that we wouldn't do at home, like reading books aloud to each other.''

Outdoor smorgasbord

Further west along the coast, Leo Carrillo State Beach, and Sycamore Canyon and Thornhill Broome campgrounds at Point Mugu State Park provide some of the finest camping anywhere in the world - urban or rural. Each offers the incomparable choice of the Pacific Ocean on one side and miles of hiking and biking trails on the other side.

One of three campgrounds in Point Mugu State Park, Sycamore Canyon is just 16 miles southeast of Oxnard and lies across a highway from Sycamore Cove Beach. Campers can hike, swim, fish and ride horses in the sprawling backcountry.

``It's a wonderful family area,'' said Lynette Hernandez, a superintendent for California State Parks. ``Directly across the street through an underpass, you can go down to the beach. So not only do you have your backcountry hiking trails, you have all your beach activities.''

Bob Rodriguez, 32, of Saugus brings his 7-year-old son, Alex, to Sycamore Canyon to ride mountain bikes on the park's canyon trails and often to spend a weekend night camping.

``It's just great to get away,'' he said, ``and we can spend some quality time together. There's nothing like it.''

Urban campgrounds also abound in Ventura County. The Ventura County Parks Department provides numerous camping opportunities for families and organized groups at 11 inland and beach campgrounds.

Both Kenney Grove Park, near Fillmore, and Oak Park, on the west side of Simi Valley, offer picturesque tent campgrounds for the general public. Rona Ledoux, with her husband, the manager of Kenney Grove, says organized groups provide most of their business.

``The Girl Scouts keep me going,'' she said with a laugh, ``and the RVs.''

Kenney Grove and nearby Oak Park also cater to the thriving RV community, as does the privately managed Far West Resorts camp at Steckel Park near Santa Paula, which has tent camping along the Santa Paula Creek. The adjacent county campground, complete with a small aviary, has plenty of good-looking campsites set among oak trees.

``It's a great life outdoors,'' Miller said. ``The air smells better, the food tastes better, life feels better.''

Where to pitch your tent

LOS ANGELES CITY

The city of Los Angeles offers year-round group camping opportunities at its out-of-town camps. Weekend rentals are available from Labor Day through mid-June. During the summer (mid-June to Labor Day), rentals are on a week-long basis (usually Sunday through Saturday).

In-town camps (Griffith Park Boys Camp and Hollywoodland Girls Camp) are available for weekend rentals from September through June.

City residents can make reservations eight months in advance with proof of residency. All others may make reservations up to six months in advance.

For more information on fees, or to make a reservation, call the city's Camp Section Office at [phone] from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Or go to www.laparks.org/dos/camps/camps.htm.

Below is a list of the city's campgrounds:

--Camp Valcrest

60 campers maximum occupancy

HC 01 Box 18

La Canada, CA 91011-9706

(Closed for renovation)

--Decker Canyon Camp

150 campers maximum occupancy

3133 S. Decker Canyon Road

Malibu, CA 90265

--Griffith Park Boys Camp

175 campers maximum occupancy

4730 Crystal Springs Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90037

--Hollywoodland Girls Camp

200 campers maximum occupancy

3200 Canyon Drive

Hollywood, CA 90068

--Camp High Sierra

Six campers per site

P.O. Box 711

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

--Camp Radford

260 campers maximum occupancy

3250 Radford River Road

Angelus Oaks, CA 92305

(Closed for renovation)

--Camp Seeley

220 campers maximum occupancy

250 N. Highway 138

P.O. Box 3372

Crestline, CA 92325

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

Many campgrounds fill up seven months ahead, so plan in advance. First-come, first-served sites are available at some parks. Prior to arrival, call the park for information on availability. For more information on fees or to make a reservation online, go to www.parks.ca.gov.

--Leo Carrillo State Beach

Family, group and hike/bike campsites. The park is located 28 miles northwest of Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1). Reservations recommended. [phone].

--Malibu Creek State Park

Family and group campsites. The park is located four miles south of Highway 101 on Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road. A visitor center is open on weekends only. Reservations recommended. [phone].

--Point Mugu State Park

Family, group and hike/bike campsites. 9000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Reservations recommended. [phone].

--Topanga State Park

Hike/bike campsites. First-come first-served camping; contact the park directly for information. From the 101, exit at Topanga Canyon Boulevard, drive south over the crest of the mountains and proceed three miles to Entrada Road and turn left. [phone] or [phone].

VENTURA COUNTY

The Ventura County Parks Department offers 11 beach and inland campgrounds. For a full list of campsites and information on fees and reservations, go to www.ventura.org/gsa/parks/parkguid.htm. You can also contact parks directly to make reservations.

--Kenney Grove

Tent, RV, group, youth camping. 823 N. Oak Ave., Fillmore. Off Seventh Street, between Old Telegraph and Sycamore roads. [phone].

--Steckel Park

Tent, RV, group, youth camping. 8080 Mistletoe Road, Santa Paula. Highway 150, five miles north of Santa Paula. County-operated campgrounds [phone]. Far West Resorts Camping, [phone].

--Oak Park

Tent, RV, youth, group camping. 905 Quimisa Drive, Simi Valley. Off Los Angeles Avenue, east of Madera Road. [phone].

- Compiled by John Sutton-Smith

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) ON THE COVER: The lights of the San Fernando Valley sparkle below the tent of a pair of urban campers.

(2 -- color) Monique Carroll and her golden retriever, Rose, relax at the Sycamore Canyon campground of Point Mugu State Park in Malibu, a short hike from both ocean and backcountry.

(3 -- color) A cave frames the silhouette of a couple taking in a sunny day at Leo Carrillo State Beach.

(4 -- 5 -- color) Mobility is everything to L.A.-area campers, whether it's the RV camping at Simi Valley's Oak Park, left, or the efforts of campers such as Alex Gomez, above, staking out his spot at Leo Carrillo State Beach.

(6 -- color) Spencer Lee, 8, of Newbury Park, examines a crab he found in the tide pools at Leo Carrillo State Beach.

Box:

Where to pitch your tent (see text)