I really like the campgrounds here! It's really nice and some of the campsites are designed that it feels away from the other ones and some of them have really great views. We got one with really nice view of the sunset with a shaded area with the trees. Every campsite comes with a fire pit and a large bench table. The dumpsters and restrooms are throughout the campgrounds so you'll never be too far away. There's also a couple hikes nearby like the Silver Moccasin trail right outside. There's no running water so you need to bring your own! NOTE: No fires are allowed until Jan 2026 bc of the recent fires. This includes campfires and portable stoves. The current fee is $12 but will increase to $20 in May 2025. You can also contact the Chilao Visitor Center if you have any more questions. read more

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Such a lovely weekend getaway. If you live in LA, but want to feel like you are far from the city, this is definitely the spot. It's less than an hour drive away It feels completely out of touch from the city bustle. There are many campsites, but they can fill up quickly on a holiday weekend. We went on Friday night around 11 PM and there was less than 10 sites left. I'd imagine by Saturday morning they were completely filled. I'd recommend driving around a couple times to scout which spot best fit your needs. There are some that feel really isolated from other campsites and there are a ton that are very close knit. The sunsets are phenomenal. And the overall atmosphere was serene and it was nice to see the amount of other people just collectively experiencing camping. There are water spouts, but we didn't end up using them. The bathrooms were as expected for a campground. There are hikes nearby that I would save off line prior to visiting so you can access directions while up there. And just an FYI, it is a first come first serve campground so it's nice as an option if you randomly decide you want to go camping! I don't know if there's any active creeks or rivers nearby, but it doesn't feel like a dry flat desert campground more on the forest type of campground. It's also dog friendly, definitely keep them on a leash for safety, and I would recommend clearing out the campsite floor prior to setting up because we did find a few nails and opened safety pins. read more

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Probably one of my favorite camping spots , really recommend it. It's nice and high , so the night sky is really beautiful and the book is bright. Can get windy or really hot, depends on the season. read more

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After two other campgrounds were closed this weekend and we were driving around for hours, a ranger recommended Chilao to us and we spontaneously drove out to the campground. We're so glad to have found this amazing spot. There are so many campsites, and they're not super close to each other which is great. It's only $12 per night which includes one vehicle. Just make sure to bring cash so you can drop off payment at one of the deposit boxes (and bring a pen!). Our campsite was spacious and had nice flat areas to put our tent. It included a picnic table and a campfire. Unfortunately the fire hazard was extreme, so we couldn't make a fire, but it was still a great experience. The bathroom was a couple minutes walk away, which isn't bad. The views can be great depending on which site you choose. Some are definitely better than others! Of course, this is LA, so you'll have to be a little cautious about possible bears and mountain lions. Be prepared to hear footsteps of critters at night! There is also a big visitor center that was closed due to a power outage, but apparently the staff are very helpful and you can buy adventure passes in there. read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

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Quick overnighter here to escape the LA heat and this place did not disappoint. Lucky for me, there were no loud groups or music playing- just the serenity of nature and a wonderful sunset. There is a current fire restriction in place so that definitely shortens the night. Otherwise, I like how the sights are spaced out and have some trees and rocks interspersed. Vault toilets and Silver Moccasin Trailhead nearby, this spot is a win. read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

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It was a wonderful experience campaign at chialo campground. But in the night a bear came to my tent it was scary . But thank God he didn't do anything. read more

Spent some time over the last few days up in Chilao. We camped at the Manzanita side of the grounds. Heading up Angeles Crest from the La Cañada side you will need to detour to Angeles Forrest Highway then Big Tujunga Cyn Rd, then back onto Angeles Crest. This was due to a huge rock slide that occurred back in February. There are detour signs that direct you on how to get around and it should be cleared up "Mid-June". Upon arriving on Saturday afternoon the campsites were pretty full but we lucked out on a site we really liked in Manzanita (site 37). Reading reviews we were a bit nervous about the vault toilets but they were clean as can be expected, stocked with toilet paper and didn't smell so you really can't ask for more than that. We were able to pull water from several of the faucets throughout the campground (site 41 has great pressure). Speaking to the nature center they said that the water issue had been resolved and should be on for most if not all of the campground. The campgrounds are kept clean as it seems most people practice the "leave no trace" principles. When it comes for wood, we didn't see anywhere to purchase locally but there's plenty if you drive around the area and look for it (bring a small hatchet or ax to get those bigger pieces to fit your fire pit). Overall we really enjoyed our stay and will definitely be back. Note: gets windy in the morning so be sure to plan for this when picking a campground. Update: Angeles Crest Highway is now plan closed from Mt. Wilson/Red Box Road to Upper Tujunga Cyn Rd UNTIL SEPTEMBER. See my pictures for assistance mapping around the closure. read more

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Tried to go to chilao campgrounds this labor day weekend, highway 2 was close, signs should have been at the bottom of the highway. We found put after been like 11 or more miles on the highway, Google maps sent us another way , some back roads only to end up on a road that was literally split in 2, ask waze which sent us on a mountain road that was a feeder road, drove up on a rock slide had to dangerously turn around, thank God a very helpful forestry worker came out of nowhere and guided us out of there, after 5 hours ended up at sycamore flats, nice place but there was a rain storm with gusty winds Saturday night and horrible wind storm Saturday night, over all sycamore flats I'd a beauty. read more

A little more wild than the other camp grounds. Far away from the city where that chances of seeing graffiti or less. This campground is near the crest so you have access to many trails and routes. Even horse flat. Hilyer is a great route. Pacifico is another gem from chilao. It does get cold and windy sometimes so check your weather. read more

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This is a nice place no doubt. But young people start going there to throw a party up 3 on the morning. No respect for your campaign grounds crossing by. Car alarms. Dogs barking. What a night I went through!!! read more

Duration: 3 nights Campsite: 21, Lone Pine Loop I have a feeling it might be unique to this time of year when it's dry and hot, but my girlfriend and I had an insane yellow jacket/wasp problem. We made turkey patties on a small propane grill the first night and our entire site was swarmed with three to four dozen yellow jackets within about an hour. From then on, yellow jackets were almost constantly buzzing around our campsite during daylight hours up to and including the day we left. The number of yellow jackets waned from day to day, but only because we refused to cook at our own campsite anymore. Because the campground was so sparsely populated, we would quickly cook food at another site far from ours then eat in the car or on the go. The yellow jackets were prevalent all over Angeles National Forest as far as we could tell, and they was difficult to escape especially during mealtimes. Other than that, the campground wasn't terrible. There weren't super great hikes (on bike or on foot) in the surrounding area, but they were pretty much what you'd expect. The campsites themselves were spacious and we had no problem finding shade. The campground was very empty during the week and filled up nicely on the weekend. The lack of running water was a bummer and the bathrooms were disgusting, but it was comforting knowing the Chilao Fire Station was just down the road. My girlfriend has AT&T and I have Verizon and neither of us had any cell coverage at all, so plan accordingly. Minus the yellow jackets, it wasn't an awful experience and the price and availability were really good. read more

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We did a brief 2-day camp this weekend and really enjoyed it. We found 2 campgrounds connected to each other for our big party, we were initially worried about the "first-come first-served" policy, so we got there early Friday morning and found what we needed. The other campsites were far enough away that you felt you had some privacy, though some neighbors got a bit rowdy at night. The bathrooms were not as bad as I imagined with vault toilets, though by Sunday they were out of toilet paper (luckily we brought our own). Overall I recommend for a mellow break from the craziness of this world right now. read more

Chilao Campground - What a typical site looks like - Campgrounds Near Me

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Simply beautiful. Spend the weekend there with my boyfriend and his family. Be careful there's bears that will come and take your food at night if not stored right. This happened to us woke up with a mess of food all over and food missing. Overall good camp ground beautiful views ! read more

It's a great place to escape from the city of Los Angeles. It's a good way to relax, read books and not bother about your phone about notifications because there is no service anyway. Haha We will definitely come back. read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

I've been here two times so far. It's a nice enough place to get away from the city to disconnect and be with nature in the most natural and raw way possible. There is absolutely no service out there, so I recommend walkie-talkies for your group if you plan on separating. The bathrooms are waterless. I recommend bringing your own toilet paper/wipes. Maybe cleaning supplies too. The bathrooms do get a lot of flys so I recommend bringing a fly spray to kill on contact. It's so uncomfortable to go to the bathroom and having those flys hit your bottom while going. Also there are no lights in the bathrooms for night time use. Be sure to pack head lamps and soap to wash your hands at the water spickets outside of bathrooms. The water is not potable, so don't use it to brush your teeth! Only for washing up. I really wish the bathrooms were attended to more often. One bathroom handle was broken and the other had a very sticky floor and the outside of the toilet was gross with urine. Some people don't seem to care about others using it so beware of grossness. This place is dog friendly, but keep your dogs on leash for their protection. And clean up after them! Make them wear dog shoes because of broken glass and sap! My dogs fortunately didn't get cut by glass because I cleaned up what I saw at our campground. Unfortunately as for the sap, my dogs got it all over their paws and little rocks got stuck in between their toes and fur! It looks like roasted marshmallows when I first noticed it on one of my dogs. I thought it was strange because we hadn't roasted marshmallows yet, so how could it have gotten on my dogs. I pulled off what I could immediately, but it dries pretty fast. When I got home I bathed both dogs and was unsuccessful at removing it wish lots of soap and warm water. I had to cut it out if their fur. It was very painful for them! Please put shoes on them! read more

We came here a couple of weeks ago for an overnight stay. This is a great place for a quick getaway. There are many campsites to choose from. The top fills out quickly, but there are many good spots if you take the time to drive around. Some campsites have better water pressure than others and the restroom is not the best, but I've seen worse. Park services drive by often and the vibe here is chill. The only part I didn't care for was driving back in the afternoon. There are many motorcycles, high performance cars, and cyclists trying to share the same road. It can get a little tight making turns. read more

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We got there on a Wednesday and found the place pretty empty. On the first night everything was going good until a horrible group of people came in late playing their music and talking loud til past 4am. Fortunately they left but another group came in that was worse. I spoke to the Law Enforcement that goes thru and his comment was notify the Sheriffs department. That was a waste of time. The second group came in and they talked, laughed, played music til 2 am. At 5:45 am they were playing their guitar, laughing, talking loud, and had no respect for anyone. They were a group of about 10 teenagers and got away from mommy and daddy to act like a bunch of 10 year olds. Oh well, a campground I will not go back to. On the positive note the views were really nice and the campground was pretty clean. No fires at all, no propane, butane so bring your water since the water is not potable there. read more

Chilao has two loops. Manzanita and Little Pines. There are roughly 83 spots total. Almost a 50/50 split, but I believe Manzanita has a few more. Great for small tents. A few good for larger ones. This review is for Little Pines. The best sites for LARGE tents (our is a 17x13) is 22, 2,1, 3 and/or 4, 35 and 33. In that order. (in our opinion). We were at pad 1. Payment -- Bring a pen. On the Kiosk at the front of the Little Pines loop you will find an envelope with the window tag and post marker tag. Take that with you to your site, put some of your stuff there so no one else will take it. Go back to the kiosk and write down your pad number and put your $12 (per night) fee in the envelope and stick it in the lock box. Exact change. No one there to give you change. We checked in at 5 pm on 10/10 and we paid for 2 days, and check out was 11 am Monday morning. They usually have a clip on the site post marker, but bring one just in case and hang the tag on your review mirror. Water ---There are faucets throughout the loops. But on 10/10 - 10/12 the water was off due to a leak. Bathrooms --- A few port-a-potties. Nasty! Spiders, Flies, gnats, mosquitos. Keep the toilet seat down so they aren't in the port a potties and keep the door closed so that they die in there instead of keeping the door open and allowing new and olds one to go in and out. Toilet paper --- provided and well stocked. Bugs --- Bring an arsenal of bug killer. Ants, flies, gnats, yellowjackets mosquitos, beetles, and a few I've never seen before and have no Idea what they were. You are at war with this buggers and they see you as a walking buffet. Neighbors --- Most neighbors play their music until about sundown, then they turn it off. Rangers --- They come around often, day and night. They do enforce the rules. Which is great to know, especially if you have bothersome neighbors. Animals --- There are bears and wildcats. We just didn't see any. There are no bear lock boxes, but is suggested that you lock your food in your car or up in a tree. Keep any food that have strong smells out of your tent. Fire Rings -- These are provided, one per site. Tables --- One Wooden table per site pad. Local Store -- NONE! There is Newcombs Restaurant and Bar (motorcycle hangout) just a little down the road, but it is strictly those two things. They do not sell anything you'd need for camping. Please bring whatever water, Ice, Dry Ice, Bug Spray, etc with you, or get it in La Canada on your way in. It is roughly 23 1/2 miles from the edge of La Canada/Flintridge to Chilao Campgrounds. That's one way. Garbage Receptacles --- There are a few garbage bins that are kept shut, please brings bags that tie shut so garbage isn't strewn everywhere. The DRIVE -- Luckily they graded this road rather well, so the inclines are not steep. Even a 2002 Ford Taurus with 100k miles on it had no problem handlings the roads. Just make sure your radiator is in good working conditions because it can get very hot up there, for you and your car/truck. Gas Stations --- NONE. Gas up at La Canada/Flintridge. There are NO gas stations anywhere on this mountain. Motorcyclists -- This road is a cyclists dream. You have to be a special breed of super human to ride a motorcycle down and up that road as fast as some do. To you, my hats are off and I bow to you!! But, some may not be veterans at riding and tend to take some of those curves wide. Please remember to stay more to the right of the road just in case one of those newbies shoots around that corner. Police Officers --- YES they do patrol those roads. YES, they will pull you over. YES, they loveeee motorcyclists! So don't speed, for everyone's safety. Please. Turn - outs --- You will see MANY of these up the mountain. They aren't just for site seeing. Although they are great for this. They are also for you to pull over so that faster traffic behind you can pass you. You do NOT want to be the source of a massive back up on that mountain because you are too afraid to drive the speed limit. This irritates everyone, so pull over and allow others to pass. ROADWORK --- As of 10/12/2015 they are paving the roads a little below Chilao up towards Buckhorn. So there is loose gravel on that part of the road. You will need to follow a LEAD TRUCK in order to go up and down that section. HUNTERS --- Deer season opened Saturday, October 10, 2015. At first I saw a few guys in camo gear off to the side of the road with rifles. Deliverance started to play in the back of my head. Only after we settled into our site and the guys next to us had a table covered in weapons were we told it was the first day of hunting seaon. Thank GOD, I thought a revolution was being staged at first. So be mindful that there are hunters out there when you take your hikes. Overall, we loved it. Contact me with questions. read more

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If you come prepared this place rules. My friends and I hit here for the 4th of July weekend. We chose this campsite located in Angeles National Forest because it is not a far trip from LA. We drove from Highland Park/Glendale and it took about 45min. A good portion of the drive is heading into the mountains so it gets scenic/highly elevated fast. Admission is very reasonable and the first come first served policy doesn't present a challenge. Ample space for everyone! This brings up the climate. Don't be misled by the "forest" in the name. This land is dry and dusty. Welcome to the desert. Wipe clean those notions of a campsite where you are surrounded by the woodland glory of trees towering around you creating a shady situation. On the contrary. This area like a big sandy oven. Nothing wrong with this, but bear this in mind. Luckily, there's not much of a bear risk, just snakes and coyotes. We saw 2 live snakes along with a 3ft rattlesnake skin. Good for reptile enthusiasts! Check out my photo of our tent... That's quite a gorgeous overlook view. The drive up to the campsite is breathtaking but watch out for motorcyclists/the occasional cyclist. Share the road and all that jazz. My 2 accomplices handled things very nicely. I am not an experienced camper. If you are a newbie like me, come prepared and know you will not have shower accommodations and your toilet will be a glorified porta-potty with intense waves of flies that flock in intermittently throughout the afternoon. There is a spigot where you can wash things off, but that's about it. Very relaxed campsite, we did not have a problem staking out a praiseworthy view with a nice bit of privacy. We built an admirable campfire which was This was on a holiday weekend too. If you need to escape the heat for a bit and need a break from camping, head to Newcomb's Ranch Bar and Grill right outside of the campsite. We drove, but it can definitely be walked to. Good eats and a nice, rustic ambiance. Bring lots of water and some supply of shade. Our tent was not enough to block out the scorching heat. Obviously sunblock, sunglasses and bug spray. Mother Nature is unforgiving here on a clear, sunny day. All in all, if you come in knowing what you signed up for, this place can be a blast and a pleasant break from the city. read more

Chilao Campground - Our 4th of July campsite-beautiful view - Campgrounds Near Me

Chillin at chilao. Angeles national forest is a quick hop and skip from LA, proper. Its just northeast and about a 1.5-2 hour drive. There is actually currently a detour along CA-2 right now because of all the road work they are still doing from the fires. Follow the signs and you should be fine. The camp ground itself is nothing to complain about. Trees, fire pits, benches and flat grounds for tents. The mountains always make for a good time when you have good friends, good food, and prolific amounts of booze and other mostly non-toxic substances. There are outhouses if you look close enough to find them, but mostly you're in the wild. Tough it out! Beware for bears. Throw your trash in the bear-proof trash cans ! read more

We had spot #1 at Manzanita Campground this past Saturday. Overall great campsite with lots of spacing between sites. The trees and plants around were all amazing! We actually ended up packing up and no spending the night after a black bear ran up behind our tents around 730PM and came within 20 feet of where we were sitting. The hike to Horse Flats Campground was really beautiful as well. read more

My last review was of the Manzanita Loop Campground (a year ago.) Nov 21-22 and 24, I took my 3 sons camping at Chilao. The only area in Angeles Forest still open was "Little Pine." My kids were looking forward to our site at The Loop but it was closed for the season. Little Pine fits the name! A lot less shade and less mature foliage at Little Pine compared to Manzanita Loop. We had site 21 which had a very large flat area for the tent (6 person tent). Nice view of the mountains and a large Oak Tree on site 22/23. BRING WOOD!!! And lots of it!!! Yes you can find wood as one yelper stated but not thick slow burning wood you will need for the winds that tear through! The water has been shut off and I am guessing this location will close very soon for the season. $12 cash for a site! I believe Little Pine has a total of 43 sites. Bathrooms are what you would expect- a hole in the ground with an unpleasant smell! But the nature around you makes it worth it. Aggravating to see so much trash in the wilderness but that is what today's society finds acceptable I guess! All the campers around us were all friendly and peaceful. Very quiet at night!!! We ended up leaving tonight after dinner as it looked as if a storm was rolling in very quickly!!! Even still, we arrived at 9am, got on the same site we had over the w-end (#21) and enjoyed a full day in nature. Site 21 (I think 20, 22 and 23) look like some of the best, most secluded,with nice views! read more

Chilao Campground - Hiking outside "Little Pine Campground" - Campgrounds Near Me

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I stayed at the Little Pines loop , spot #35. We arrived Friday morning and the first spots that have lots of trees and some grass were already occupied so that was a bummer. We picked spot 35 because it was somewhat open, had some trees , close to trash bin. We had a good time . The spot was pretty private but we didn't get a neighbor right next to us so I'm not sure how would it feel if we had a neighbor . I liked the fire ring and the picnic table. I brought my own fire grate for cooking. We brought 3 bundles of firewood and we run out in a day . I cooked everything over the campfire. Bring your firewood or you'll have to drive to Chilao Picnic area to gather more wood. Our spot was very sunny and hot during the day. It was too warm because there is not enough trees. I can't imagine frying in some other , open spots that had no trees. The only really good spots are first 4 spots when you drive into Little Pines ( lots of trees and grass). We had dirt and that created a lot of dust. My dog was brown and grey instead of brown and white . The temperature at night dropped to about 42 degrees. We didn't encounter any wildlife except for lizards . I liked Chilao but unless I can secure any of the first few spots I'll probably won't come back to this campground. Also, zero water ... you must bring your water. The closest water source is at the Chilao Picnic area . read more

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This camp site would be perfect if there were more space between the camp sites. I was lucky that the two couples that occupied the camp sites next to mine were quiet and kept to themselves. I unfortunately was woken up at 1:40am by a man repeatedly calling out his girlfriend's name and wishing her a goodnight. He was obviously drunk. His camp site was no where near mine but because of the dead quietness out here, it was loud enough to wake me up. After he wished her a goodnight, he blasted his music until who knows what time. I read in past reviews about people being bothered by their loud camp neighbors. I guess that's just a chance you take when you decide to camp here. On the positive side, the camp ground was very clean. Each site came with a picnic table, fire pit and your own parking space. read more

Chilao Campground - Starry nights in Chilao - Campgrounds Near Me

Perfect place for a weekend camping experience, and it's only about an hour from the city. Incredible views all around! East side you'll see a forest full of trees, west side you'll see mountains. Did my research before coming and found out that site #23 in the Manzanita Loop has the best view, with a nice boulder on the side which can serve as shade. We were so worried that the sites would fill up fast when we went the weekend of Halloween, but when we arrived early Saturday, a lot of sites were still available, and no one was staying on site 23! We instantly parked and started to set up our tent, finished around 5:30am, just in time to relax for the sunrise. Spent the rest of the day hiking Mt. Hillyer which is about a mile away from the site, so we didn't have to bring our car. Mt. Hillyer had a lot of boulders and rocks to climb over, which was fun especially if you love exploring places like this. We scrambled over rocks to catch the best view! Will definitely come back to check out more trails nearby. This is definitely the place to be when you just need a break from city life. Oh and this was our first time camping, so it's great to try this place out if you're a beginner like me! If there's one bad thing about this place, i'd say it will be the restrooms. A looot of flies swarming around and inside the toilet bowl! But what do you expect, it is how it is in nature ;) read more

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Great campground for car camping. $12 a night w/2 parking spots per site. I went in January there was still snow on the ground but no bugs. Temps were in the low 40s to about 28° overnight. A few spots give u a nice view. Vault toilets. Critter proof dumpsters for trash. A table and a fire ring read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

It's a super underdeveloped place but beautiful location if you take all your own stuff you're good.

This campsite was a great consolation prize for our family of 4 (2 kids- 5 & 3 y/o) who wanted to find a spot at Buckhorn, but it was totally booked up at 2pm on Saturday. So as we doubled backed on the Angeles Crest Highway we found Chilao and then Little Pines, which was especially beautiful, open and airy (unlike crowded Buckhorn) and lots of spaces. And at $12 a night, we were elated to salvage our Father's Day weekend. The toilets aren't so bad there. Sure, they're outhouses, but they keep them well stocked with toilet paper, etc. Cool perk! A truck came by selling firewood around 6pm at night and they totally saved our butts! $20 bucks for 8 pieces. We didn't nearly have enough firewood and there are only so many branches that you can burn from the nature around. Bears don't seem to be much of a problem there. They don't have Bear boxes but they do advise people to put all their food and anything with any sweet/floral scent (including perfume and chapstick) in your car overnight. The only bummer was the group of young men who arrived at midnight, set up camp then proceeded to blast European techno music. Other than that, the site was lovely. Be aware that there are NO stores, or gas stations anywhere along the Angeles Crest Highway. So if you need firewood, ice, beer, or gas, get it before you go up the hill off the 210 freeway. read more

Just spent the 4th of july here at Chilao Campground. We originally wanted to camp at buckhorn because buckhorn is in middle of forest providing nice shade as well as great hike. But buckhorn was already full in the afternoon so we decided to camp at Chilao. My experience was great. It is not in the middle of forest. Most of the trees were burned by the fire before so it will get hot during the day. Luckily we found a spot that was very nice and little isolated from majority of the other campers. Initially we thought it was gonna be so loud with people partying and playing loud music, but it wasnt like that at all. 2of our neighbors were really nice and quiet. (Maybe we were lucky) It was really awesome to just get away from all the city noises obnoxious july 4th parties where people burn each other with fireworks Pros Big space for campers Fire pit and table provided Easy to find Quiet and relaxing Although disgusting fully stocked restroom Cons Really bad restrooms with flies swarming Out in the sun much less shade Will be back Chilao. Thanks for having us read more

Chilao Campground - Beautiful view. Just after sundown - Campgrounds Near Me

Great campground for a quick trip. Drove up Saturday afternoon and found a great spot rather quickly. Good views, nice site, busy but not overcrowded. Restrooms were close. Picnic tables and fires at each site. Great time. Slowly packed up Sunday morning and drove a mile to Newcombs Ranch for a good meal before heading back down. Would definitely recommend for families or first timers. read more

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We go up there often and we love it. It's a short drive from LA and very kids friendly. If you go Friday morning, you can get a spot easily but it gets busy on weekends. No reservation. Single parking spot for $12 and double for $24. Cash only. Last weekend, April 2018, there was no water so be prepared. Check out is 11am. Buckhorn campground is closed for a while due to the cleanup. Call their visitor center before you go! Great spot for long exposure photography :) I can't believe it's such a short drive from Downtown and you feel like you're in Northern California. You can see millions of STARS!!! What an amazing way to spend weekends. read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

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My boyfriend and I had an excellent time at this campsite. Arrived Thursday evening and had so many sites to choose from. The campground is designed skillfully, and there's a lot of space between each site. Lots of trees with gorgeous views, and a little hike down from the sites are a lot of rocks you can boulder on, we enjoyed it a lot. The sites are equipped with benches and a pit with a grill, and there's restrooms near the sites but not too close, as well as bear-safe trash cans right next to the restrooms. There are water spickets but they aren't potable (drinkable), and water availability varies from season to season. Absolutely loved this campground, Chilao is definitely a favorite!! read more

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Although we've been camping for many years, we had never headed up to Angeles crest to camp: Not being able to reserve spots in advance coupled with no-flush toilets, plus the mixed bag of proximity to LA kept me at bay. We finally gave it a shot on the weekend and truly loved it. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and already lots of spots were taken, many of them "held" for folks who had not yet arrived. While this is technically against the campground rules, and sort of a drag, we had no desire to be neighbors with any big crowds intent on playing lots of loud music etc. We ended up with a quiet-enough spot on the lower loop, managed to get our tent in some shade and enjoy the weekend. Friday night was pretty loud with lots of cars speeding up the road well past 10pm (maybe they were just driving the highway and took a spin through the campground??), and some folks blasting their tunes from the top of the hill. Saturday night was better and even those blasting staticky car stereos turned it all down or off by the time we were heading to sleep. Our best neighbors were a large "fathers and sons" group - the ambient sound of dads and kids enjoying nature is a welcome one. Speaking of nature, which can be obscured if you end up surrounded by folks who bring all their noise with them: humming birds hovering, woodpeckers chipping away at trees, lizards of all sizes, beautiful crested blue jays, a lone coyote strolling the road, kangaroo mice hopping around the picnic table, and many adorable chipmunk type critters scrambling around the rocks; views from the upper level are stunning, and the wind in the pines transporting. Some campsites are incredibly close and were it not for the double picnic tables and fire rings, would have been impossible to tell that they were two side by side rather than one. And yet, by Saturday afternoon, the place had filled up enough that folks arriving seemed simply grateful to claim any spot at all. Some who got there later on Saturday ended up in the Little Pine loop bc Chilao was so full. Regarding the much-bemoaned bathrooms: yes the toilets themselves are gross, but the actual "room" aspect was well maintained - clean floors and all that. I don't want to dwell on this but am truly at a loss to figure out what kind of human is able to make such a...um...let's call it a "waste mark" on the back wall of the toilets themselves...Is it positioning? Force of evacuation? It boggles the mind, but nearly every single toilet has a back spray that can make even the sturdiest among us queasy. On the upside, no one is hanging out in there dolling themselves up, so there was never a line as you can encounter in campground bathrooms complete with sinks and flush toilets. And yes there are flies and that is also challenging if you think about it too much. Our approach was to bring a kid potty for our little guy to use in the privacy of our site, which made the whole situation manageable. For my own needs, I took my handy natural bug repellent to the loo with me, opened the door, paused to let flies out, gave a few spritzes which encouraged more flies to leave, then handled my own morning ritual as quickly as possible. The other upside of camping bathrooms on this order is you get a fresh chance to genuinely appreciate the miracle of indoor plumbing back at home. We met two park rangers both of whom were helpful, polite and seemed serious about their work. Site-wise, we picked up as much trash as we could, with the goal to leave Chilao better than we'd found it. Over the course of our two days we collected bottle caps, broken glass, tiny beads, pull tabs, abandoned shoes, puzzle pieces, soda cans, beer cans, partially eaten strawberries, plastic bottles and a seemingly endless array of cigarette butts. My hope of course is that people learn to be more thoughtful and not throw their empty beer bottles down the boulders - or to pick up the pieces if you happen to break a bottle by accident - and to learn that yes, cigarette butts are trash too and shouldn't be dropped wherever you smoke. Meanwhile, those of us who care about keeping nature wild and safe will just have to make picking up other people's mess part of the grand plan. read more

Chilao Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

Great area for snow play with little kids. The campground and picnic area are surrounded by little slopes for sledding and there is plenty of space for snowball play etc. I look forward to seeing this area in the Spring when the wildflowers come. From some of the pics posted here, it looks like they get yucca and buckwheat at the least. read more

Chilao Campground - Mountain lilac (?) on the creekside trail loop in late May 2016. - Campgrounds Near Me

Not bad for a overnight campground. There is no service what so ever and no running water, so plan ahead. Our campsite had a ton of nats during the day that never seemed to go away but I think that was due to our campsite was under one of the only trees shading us from the sun. It's a little bit of a drive from civilization with the closest town being Wrightwood. read more

Just got back from a weekend at Chilao. We decided to stay at Little Pines because that site seemed to have more tall trees good for our hammocks. I will say though that Manzanita was really beautiful and I'd like to stay there sometime as well. We chose site #11 at Little Pines. Site #10 was a small site so we figured we wouldn't end up with too large a group as neighbors and there wasn't anyone immediately next to our other side so we felt secluded enough. Overall I'd say we had a perfect weekend! So grateful for the recommendation by someone to bring toilet paper because by Saturday evening the provided TP was all gone! There was also no running water so be sure to bring more than enough!!! We ended up heading to one of the small mountain towns to get more water because we were running pretty low. That drive was about an hour one way but it was a gorgeous drive! read more

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Boyfriend and I arrived Saturday afternoon and there were still a lot of campsites available. We stayed at Manzanita Loop which is higher up and had more shade. It was very peaceful, neighbors kept to themselves, and we barely saw the camp host or ranger. Close to town but not close enough for any store to be within distance for forgotten supplies. Great little spot to get away that's not too far from home. read more

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Loved coming here with my friends. It's great for a last resort with reservations on a first come first served basis. We were lucky enough to go to a camp site with good enough service to stay in touch with work while we were away. Definitely will be coming back! read more

This is specifically a review of the Little Pines Loop, which is accessed by taking the road to the left at the "Y" shortly after you turn west off Highway 2 at the sign for "Chilao Campground" (not to be confused with heading off to the right, which takes you to the Chilao Visitors Center (open on Sa/Sun) and a large Day Use-only area). Chilao is the closest major campground/picnic area from L.A. when heading up the Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2), so it gets very heavy use on the weekends, and that can include some serious partying. However, if you're there Monday through Thursday, usage is light, and the place can be pretty quiet, if that's what you're desiring. Chilao is actually a complex of several campgrounds, including several group campgrounds, and as of this review all but Little Pines, which is NOT a group campground, are closed, either due to tree work or just lack of budget (Manzanita Loop is scheduled to reopen for Labor Day 2015). Little Pines is a wandering loop atop a small ridge with nice views, but because it's up higher, it gets a lot of breeze in the afternoon until about 6pm, so anchor your tent down well! The venerable Silver Moccasin Trail runs right through the SE end of the Chilao complex. A plus: because it's a bit sparse when it comes to trees, you get great views of the night sky. A minus: it's a bit sparse when it comes to trees, so shade in the summer is sometimes rather minimal. There are about 43 campsites at Little Pines, but many of them are rather exposed, so choose your spot carefully (Chilao does not take reservations, so even if you know your favorite spots it's first-come, first-served). Also, most campsites have "tent pads" only big enough for tents up to around 8x10', and some are so non-existent those sites are really only suitable for shorter RVs (do NOT bring a 40' long motorhome up here - it won't fit anywhere!). Every campsite has a fire ring and a wood table; some of the tables are pretty worn out from exposure and could stand replacing; again, chose carefully. There are four "two-holer" pit toilets, and depending on how heavy the campground usage was the prior weekend, they vary from smelling just fine to pretty awful. If the doors are left closed and the lids are down then attracting flies isn't usually a big problem, but far too many bone-headed campers walk away leaving the toilet lid wide open; I see this thoughtlessness at every campground, so it comes with the territory. Happily there are also a goodly number of piped drinkable water taps scattered about, usually near the restrooms, as are the trash dumpsters. There's no significant bear activity at Chilao (or at least at Little Pines), so there is no need for bear lockers to protect foodstuffs & toiletries - you just need them keep them locked tight at night in your vehicle. Don't forget: never leave trash with ANY odors on it out overnight, or you can expect a visit from critters during the night! The 2009 Station Fire, which burned a great deal of the Angeles Forest along the Angeles Crest Highway, burned just to the west of Little Pines, so be aware it's not lush when looking off that way; half the campsites are along that side. The brush has recovered nicely but the trees are just getting started recovering. Also, Little Pines, at least at this time, has no camp host on site - you're pretty much on your own. You pay for your site using an "envelope into a locked box" system at the campground loop entrance. It's not at all clear who's got the contract for maintenance, but from our experience the week of July 13th, 2015, the outhouse maintenance was lax; be sure to bring some toilet paper, just in case! While Newcomb Ranch Bar/Restaurant is just up the highway a couple miles, be aware it's only open for breakfast and lunch, closing up around 3pm, during the week, even in summer. Also, it's no longer a store, so if you don't bring enough ice in your ice chest, it's 23 miles back down the mountain to La Canada/Flintridge for more! read more

Chilao Campground - A Little Pines campsite with a much larger than average tent pad (that particular tent needs 13x13'). - Campgrounds Near Me

I just returned from a long weekend of camping at the Chllao Campground in the Angeles Forest. Just off Route 2, past La Canada, only an hour away from the city, is a dusty little camping haven that feels like a secret in a big city such as LA. The campgrounds are first come, first serve and cost only $12 per night per site. Each site includes a fire pit and a picnic table. They also provide latrines and a water spigot. The latrines are disgusting, sparking many a gross converstation about latrine monsters, but what do you expect. We opted for a camping site in the LIttle Pines campground. The site that we selected was quite large, actually it was two sites side by side, and there were enough trees around the perimeter to provide some shade. Thankfully, we also brought two canopies that were indispensible throughout the weekend. It was HOT up there, even at night. I didn't need my fleece, even at midnight. And my +20 degree sleeping bag was more for decoration than anything else. The hikes are plentiful and quite nice. The views aren't spectacular, at least not any we saw, but all had nice vistas with views of the forest. The hikes range from easy to difficult, and provide a good range for different levels. The sun was hot and unrelenting, so if you're thinking about heading up, definitely bring sunscreen. Lots of it. At least SPF 40. I didn't need my bug spray because it was too dry for mosquitos. Beyond that, bring some good food and good company, because you won't be plugged in as long as you're there. It was a welcome change for me and my computer-centric life. Now that I'm back, I'm on my computer Yelping about it. But hey, isn't that part of the fun? read more