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Want To Go Camping This Summer? Here's How To Snag Spot At The Beach

DOCKWEILER STATE BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Going camping at state parks and beaches is a Fourth of July tradition for many families, but reserving a spot during summer isn't easy.

In fact, all of the county and state park campgrounds along the beaches in Southern California are packed from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

But, with a little luck, if you plan ahead, you can get a spot.

At a county park at Dockweiler State Beach, reservations can be made online at midnight 90 days out.

Here's how you do it:

"I would definitely recommend giving us a call. Find out what the 90th day out is, the exact date, and then be online at 12:01 midnight to get that site," said one employee. Call LA County Parks at  (877) 601-4850.

Elsewhere, at the Lake Perris State Park campground in Riverside County, there have been plenty of campsites available all Fourth of July weekend and plenty of room to stretch out along the shore of the lake.

But that's not all.

State parks in the Inland Empire are only 70 percent booked through summer so you can still plan a family camping trip to one this summer.

Though it's a tighter squeeze at Dockweiler State Beach, it's well worth the effort, says Vince Ebarb, who brought his family to it from sizzling Las Vegas.

It costs $65 a night, something Ebarb says is a bargain.

"My personal beach house," he said. "This costs $15 million in Manhattan Beach, and I'm doing it for $65 a day."

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