That's a tough one. I think they have tent site camping at Malibu Creek State Park. Not exactly backpacking, but it'd still be an adventure for a 5 y.o. and not too bad a drive for both of you.

If you've had some rain there the creek should be flowing this time of year, but I'm sure there's water near the tent sites. Hiking along the creek is fun and there's a swimming hole at the bottom of a waterfall. That's a good hike for a little one.

You can go fishing there too. At least you could when I lived there. The hike up the old road from the swimming hole to the lake is another good hike, and the payoff is great. It's just a beautiful little lake and a perfect spot to explore and have a lunch.

I took my daughter there many times. They were just building the tent sites when we left CA, so I never got to bring her there for a campout, but she walked her little legs all over the place there and loved it.

It might have changed a lot since then too. Not many people visited the park back then. Weekdays we had it practically to ourselves most of the time and that always amazed me. Especially in the Spring when it was getting warm and the water fall was running strong and the swimming hole was just perfect swimming in. I swam there dozens of times when it was just her and I.

Here's a photo of the swimming hole. It's not my photo, but that's for sure it, and that's about how old my daughter was when I started bringing her up there...



Just found this photo of the campsites: