Good evening AJ,

I hope you are having a great day. AJ, it is very hard to pick out a good location if I do not know what type camping you mean? Do you like tent, cabin, or sleeping bags? I like rough areas with fly fishing and hiking. I made three (3) trips last year into the Mighty High Sierras Mountains. I usually hike over Kearsarge Pass, which is an old Indian trail, to Bull Frog at 10,000 feet. I have been camping and hiking the Sierras since 1958.

I remember as kids we would lie in our sleeping bags and count shooting stars all night. Your mind would run amok with the wonders and vastness of space. You could point out and view constellations which until then were part of chapters in a school text book. We would fall asleep viewing the heavens and our own Milky Way.

http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/KearsargePass/KearsargePass.htm

Some of my best camping trips were with my family as a kid in Yosemite. We could not wait to see the fire falls at night (website below). I feel so sorry for people like you and your family, especially the kids. The fire falls stopped in 1968. Today, you must have an appointment for two years in advance to get a camping spot. The crowds are unbelievable, times change.
http://blog.chaukhat.com/2010/07/yosemite-lava-falls-firefalls-fire.html

As for your question, I ready do not know how rough you want. Try Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. They should have some openings. I tried to give websites with phone numbers.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/cgvc.htm

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701-s&va=cedar+grove+in+kings+canyon+national+park

http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/camp_region.htm

My favorite camping locations are along the Kern River. I can always find a good location because I know the area like the back of my hand. The camping can be mild to rough. I have included websites with phone numbers. On the first website, click on Hospital Flat and Camp 3. Both sites are right next to slow moving river….great areas for kids.

http://www.kernvalley.com/news/kerncamp.htm
http://www.frandy.net/
http://www.totalescape.com/tripez/trips/cruiskern.html
http://www.sierrasouth.com/rafting.htm

I wish you were interested in coming south of Los Angeles. There are some great camping spots for families with kids. I know it may be too far.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArePI2mjuF.kEApkz_.Ut53ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100811214249AAu1Mri

Good luck. I hope these websites will help. Peace, from Los Angeles.