This is a great campground about a half a mile from downtown Avalon! Well kept clean bathrooms. And not one mosquito bite somehow.

Absolutely loved this campground. We have been here twice. Once we stayed in a tent and the second we stayed in the yurt. When we stayed by the yurt, there were some baby foxes that were literally right next to our campsite. They even went in the yurt, but they were harmless and we were not there at the moment. We did see them run out though. The little shop they have there is really neat and has a little bit of everything you will need. Our kids took the bikes and it was a nice little ride for them to get back onto the main street. We took the hiking trail up to the top. It was breathtaking and just so awesome. And I say breathtaking because I'm a little out of shape and it literally took my breath away lol but it was a great achievement for my husband and my son for us to do! Can't wait to come back! read more

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What a great weekend trip! We went on the last weekend it was open with a running group. Had a lot of space, aspens yellowing and two big fire pits for warmth and cooking! Brought our dogs and had an amazing trip hiking around and camping. read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

Catalina can be SO amazing - but also SO expensive! I waited until the last minute for booking a friend's 40th birthday weekend in august and we were totally out of luck in finding a hotel within reason. I'm a pretty seasoned car camper but I have never backpacked so I was a little intimidated by the concept of camping on Catalina... BUT when I realized Hermit Gulch had Tent CABINS complete with cots, stoves and lanterns for less than $300/night (going rate for hotel) - my prayers were answered! From the website: The only campground in Avalon is tucked into scenic Avalon Canyon about two miles from downtown shops and restaurants. Instead of hitting the trail right off the boat, many hikers spend the night here to get an early-morning start on their Trans-Catalina Trail adventure. Amenities: 40 tent sites and 7 tent cabins, potable water, coin-op hot showers, restrooms, picnic tables, BBQs. No open fires. Wax logs and charcoal fires permitted in BBQs. Ranger on site. Pros: - Check-in time is 2pm- & Check-out time is 11 am. - Loud or amplified sound and music, including radios, are not permitted. - Tent cabins so spacious! literally 6 fully functional cots and walking room. - Come with stove, propane & lantern! - Picnic tables outside tent so nice to eat/play games at. - Host present from 10-5p with a little supply shop for some items. - Easy trolley ride from the harbor up to the campground with your gear. - Only about a mile walk to the store/downtown. - Tent cabins - $75/night + $29 per person/per night fee + tax. - The Trans Catalina Trail is easy to get to! - Not many bugs Cons: - fires and smoking are permitted in the BBQ and fire ring areas only. - No Pets are allowed at Hermits Gulch Campground. - Walk was an incline on the way back from the store. - No fires makes for a less enjoyable camping experience. - Not great service at the campsite so be aware. - Tent gets warm in the day but you should be at the beach anyway! Recommendations - Book the summer months so you have more daylight! - Bring a backpack chair to walk down to the beach for the day. - Think of it like backpacking with the bonus that you don't have to bring a tent, sleeping pad, and you will not be disappointed! All in all, I'm stoked I got this glamping experience on Catalina Island and highly recommend it for your next summer adventure! read more

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Great and easy camping experience. The staff (Larry) was awesome. He was so helpful, so quick to answer questions, and seemed to genuinely enjoy his job and the island. No wood fires here which is a bummer. But it's understandable. Had a great experience and will be back for the location, the ease, and I'll hope to see Larry whenever I come. read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

This was my friends' and my first stay at the campground, and we loved it! We rented one of the 6-person tent cabins and found it to fulfill all of our needs. We had some delays in our arrival due to the Garibaldi bus being off-schedule, but made it to the check in desk just before 5pm. The ranger there was extremely friendly and helpful. She refunded me for the extra person I had paid for, let me know that everything was all clean and set up for us, and explained how to light the wax log with the paper wrapping underneath it. Our cabin was very spacious and clean indeed. We did have some user-issues with the cots, as we didn't realize there were no legs under the foot-end, so you can't sit there without ending up on the ground. It's also important to make sure that all the legs are securely on the ground before laying down on them and note that we brought our own sleeping bags, as no bedding is provided. The lantern provided plenty of light and we were able to roast marshmallows in our personal BBQ. For the most part, people respected the 10pm quiet hours and the bathrooms were clean and stocked with soap, toilet paper, and functioning locks (though some required a headlamp or flashlight at night). We were able to easily access the Hermit Gulch Lookout trail in the back of the campground and spotted many deer and foxes at night. We were impressed by how bug-free the campsite was and got no bug bites, even though we didn't apply bug spray. We would highly recommend this campsite for an affordable and nature-filled Catalina trip! read more

This was my first time coming to this campsite and honestly i will always be booking this campsite. Regina the ranger most friendly person you'll meet, every morning we went down to her little ranger shop and said good morning while we got ice cream, some supplies and ice! The campground is so well kept! The showers run off quarters and the water is warm!! The bathrooms are clean! The campground is only 1.2 mile away from avalon so you can easily hike down or take the bus down there! We had some visits from the deer, and a cat, also the foxes!! Everyone here is very friendly as well, we left our stuff open and no one even bothered it and just left. But everyone as they pass by always say good morning and talk about if we saw deers or anything!! It's such a great campground, I highly recommend coming here to camp, best experience you'll have! read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campground area, and deer - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

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Great campground! Larry greeted me at the check in and showed me where my campsite was. He gave me all the information I needed and was super helpful! The camp spot was nice and flat for the tent. Restrooms were clean and showers were hot. Not too far from Avalon so I would definitely stay here again! read more

Hated the customer service, loved the experience, considering I am usually adverse to camping. When my friend Samia asked me if I wanted to join her and her cute 2 little ones to enjoy a birthday weekend for her son, I did not hesitate. First, because they are all cool people, and that is what you need when you go camping. Second, I had never been before to Catalina island, so I did not want to miss the experience in good company. Samia did the whole reservation process and I just needed to add the price of my bed on top of it. I don't understand this system of having to pay $50/night per cabana and on top of that $25 per bed (you bring your own sleeping bag). The cabana had already 6 beds, why just don't charge a fix price and that is it? I was trying for days to add my name to the reservation and the phone answering was horrible and asking me to pay to do so, so I decided that no way, I will do via email. No one replied (similar experience as another Yelper comments below). Then, I desisted and the day I arrived with my friend and her kids to the campground I was treated like if I wanted to sneak for free. On the good side, the place is fantastic, great location only 1.5 miles from Avalon. Clean showers and toilets and good spacing between cabanas and tents. Fresh smells of nature and silent people (actually, too silent!). We did not have any plans, other than 'unstructured fun' for the kids. So some suggestions for you if you want to go on the cheap and teach your children that most important than 'paid activities' is quality time with beloved ones and let the creativity flow with whatever you have in hand. Here the list of some things we tried while at this camping: Creating funny toys out of figs, berries, flowers and leaves; doing yoga poses in a cool meditation circle; having a deluxe camping experience with fun mom (and crazy fake auntie) eating sushi and drinking frapuccinos; talking to strangers and listen to their stories; share food, ideas and hugs; singing all together; the gift of speaking foreign languages to them; open mindedness; henna creations with felt tip pens; deer watching at night; listening to birds; learning about different trees, among other things. We had table and benches conveniently located outside our cabana. Very pleasant camping experience, we moved around with a rental golf cart. read more

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We had a great time at Hermit Gulch. It was our first time camping in Catalina and everything went well. Bathrooms were clean and rangers were very helpful. Ranger Regina was the best. There were charging stations by the vending machines and every site comes with a grill. Nature was beautiful. read more

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Larry was extremely helpful during our stay in the campground. He helped us with renting sleeping pads! He is a hard working employee we would like to meet him next time we visit the island! read more

Very well kept campground! Honestly if you're camping you can't expect too much so this campground exceeds expectations, probably perfect for a first time camper because it is equipped with clean bathrooms, close to Avalon, and has nice staff there. You can't go wrong, and if you do somehow, the town and rangers are there. Am shouting out Regina and Leonard because they were beyond helpful - I like people already but these two truly reminded me that the world has kind humans in it. I was in a tough spot after losing my wallet at a different campground and felt depressed and anxious and they saved me! read more

The trail attached to the campground is an amazing hike! Very beautiful views of the island. At the top, you can see both sides. Not for the beginners but not fully intermediate either. Heading out by 10am ish and you will get in the mountain shade for roughy 30-40% of the hike. Nice for the warm days. No boulders or benches to sit and rest if needed, will need to set on the ground or side of the hill. Adventure suggestion: Walk from town to the trail head or take the bus for about $2. Hike about a quarter of a mile past the 2mile marker and on the left there is a nice spot to sit, meditate an take in the sights. Then make your way to the top of the trail and there is no benches but a shaded stone wall to sit and eat some lunch. Take it all in, it's beautiful up there. Then take the road to the left will lead you to another split, stay left. This will take you through the Garden to Sky hike and out of the gardens dropping you off at the bus stop. read more

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Stayed in tent cabin #4 which had pros and cons. It doesn't have a "deck/patio" and there are no large trees for shade BUT it is one of the most secluded spots and my husband liked that he didn't have to bend over to walk inside. We would pick spot #4 again. Part of the reservation includes a stove and a lantern and they provide propane for each which was nice. We enjoyed the visiting deer and foxes and since we saw both during the day were not scared when hearing the rustling leaves of animals nearby at night. The bathrooms and the showers were decent, definitely thankful they were available. Ashley, the ranger/host, was friendly and we look forward to a return visit to Catalina soon! read more

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This has been our 4th time visiting the campground over the years. The last time we were their the campground was switching ownership and it was a little run down due to lack of upkeeping the campsites. We camped for three nights from June 22nd- 25th 2022 and we loved it. The Ranger was super friendly and it was cool that they had a little store where you can rent gear such as sleeping bags, camp stoves, tents. Etc. When we first checked in she let us know that our sight we had booked had no shade and offered to switch us to a different one. If you have a family with kids or just want to get away this is the perfect campground as it is walking distance about 2.5 miles up Avalon, and has a great hiking trail you can complete in a day, but just make sure you bring plenty of water. We will be coming back to camp again in a year or so. read more

I stayed here Labor Day weekend for tent camping! Of course I checked out this Yelp page beforehand to get some tips for the campgrounds which I fully appreciated. Now I hope to add my own insight. So, since I don't plan to camp here again for awhile, I should let you in on the secret(?) that ~the~ best campsite is Site 29!!! Reserve this one if you can!! It's the furthest away from the road and taxi dropoff, so it can be frustrating if you have to lug all your stuff, but it's well worth it. This site is much larger than the other sites. I think it's because it's at the end and it's not big enough to make into 2 separate sites. There's also a lot of shade relative to the other sites, which generally don't have much. This of course changes depending on the time of day. Site 29 also seems to be more separated from the other sites, whereas the other sites seem to be stacked on one another. The ranger was very helpful. The bathrooms were pretty clean and well-stocked the whole time, which is impressive since it was such a busy weekend. The shuttle is now $2 exact change (I saw previous reviews say it was $1). I appreciate that there are covered trash cans scattered amongst the sites so we don't all have to lug our trash to a big smelly dumpster. The ranger said that AT&T and Verizon have service at the campground. My friends have Sprint and they did not have service. Ok that's all I can think of for now. Have fun camping here! :) read more

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We stayed the weekend in a tent cabin and had a peaceful, fun weekend. It was very clean and safe. We were especially pleased with our Ranger, Larry, a retired EMT/firefighter. He was very knowledgeable and he g ave us peace of mind in the event of an emergency. We will definitely be back! read more

I was a little apprehensive about staying at Hermit Gulch (or anywhere in Avalon). I just wanted to camp, snorkel, and swim. No interest in the tourist trap that is Avalon. But man, did this trip change my mind! Avalon (and especially Hermit Gulch Campground) was great! We were there Tuesday-Thursday the last week of September and we had the entire place to ourselves. Never saw a single other person at the campground the entire time we were there. Saw plenty of deer, elk, quail, hawks, and other creatures though! The deer would come right up to your tent to investigate. Hermit Gulch looks FAR from Avalon on the map, but really it wasn't a bad walk at all. We walked multiple times a day to/from Avalon with heavy backpacks on our backs. My girlfriend HATES walking and she never complained once! You could make it to town in maybe 10-20 minutes? It's easy to lose track of time because the walk down is seriously beautiful, tons of animals and cool stuff to look at. The campsite is privately owned so it was SUPER clean. The bathroom was maybe cleaner than my bathroom at home. Very well maintained grounds, everything here looked brand new. Off season is $12/person per night for the campsite. We rented sleeping pads for $3 a night as well. They also rent out wood floored 6 person tent cabins, complete with cots that look like they've never been used, for $45/night. If I got a group together I'd definitely consider renting one of those out. read more

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Stayed here to camp with friends for a fantasy football draft on the island. Haven't been to Catalina in 15 years and this was a nice spot up the hill to get away from the touristy areas. They have bathrooms and shower. Larry who helps manage the campgrounds during the day was so much help and did a great job keeping the campgrounds clean while people went about their day before returning back to the campsite. Would def recommend staying if you like camping and being outdoors read more

The campground offers rugged terrain with individual camp sides next to each other without separation. The pleasantly warm showers are clean and coin operate. The peeling paint on doors is unsightly, though. Some doors to the restrooms have damaged locks. The bird songs in morning are beautiful but the large number of squirrels is very annoying; so is the rangers dog that charges, barks, and growls at campers and passing by hikers. read more

My husband took our one year old this July had the most amazing time. The first day we arrived someone had taken our campsite, we went to the front desk to talk to the staff about switching sites. We decided to upgrade to an actual cabin, the lady at the front desk was very kind and helpful! Her and Larry (who worked at the campsite also) made our time there so special. They were both so helpful and kind. My husband got stung by a wasp, he is highly allergic, Larry was so quick to call the fire department and helped us out! We are so thankful for the time there and really enjoyed the beautiful peaceful scenery. Highly recommend! read more

I camped here solo because I was attending a weekend event in The Casino in Avalon. The Ranger who lives on site is so nice and helpful. She does an amazing job at keeping the facility clean. The bathrooms and showers were always clean, garbages around the site were always emptied. The wildlife is abundant with deer. I hiked a nice trail just behind the campsite. If you are arriving by boat like I did and have light gear, it's a relatively easy walk by road (1.3 miles or so) from town. There is also a taxi service that will pick you up if you don't want to lug the gear up the small incline. I'll definitely be back as Hermit Gulch is an alternative to the expensive hotels that are available in town. read more

Just stayed here with my girlfriend for just a couple nights and we were greeted by a gentleman named Larry. If we could give Larry and this campsite 10 stars we would. He showed us to our camp spot, pointed out the bathrooms and made it clear he'd be around if we needed anything. It's small, quiet, BATHROOMS ARE CLEAN, and an easy 25 minute downhill walk into town. We will be back again and hope to meet Larry again! Thank you! read more

Definitely one of the best Campsites I've ever been to. You can either bring your own tent or if you like you can try to book one to the Tent Cabins, which I highly recommend. It's a bit pricey, being that you not only pay for the Tent Cabin, but also pay per person. But it turns out to be well worth it cause you also get a propane stove, a lantern, and all the propane you need. So the additional cost offsets the need of bringing much more than your sleeping bag. It's FAR! We brought our bikes which helps tons, and there is a shuttle that comes and goes every so often but you have to pay $2/ride/person. So I recommend bringing bikes with you to this site. The bathrooms are very clean and best of all there are hot water showers on site as well, just bring quarters for the showers, but again very very cool that there are showers on site. Lockers on site as well but the campground seems very safe so no worries on that. Just wish there was a few outlets around the restrooms to charge cell phones with. Highly recommended way of camping if you are adamant about doing it on Catalina. read more

Very big campground area. Ton of space to set up camp. Great hiking trails. You can hike down to the beach area. It is pretty rocky there so wear shoes. You also could see a bison if your lucky! read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Fire Pit! - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

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This is a great place for camping with large groups. We got a cabin-tent with wooden floors and it was much larger than I expected. The cots were roomy and even with six of them in the cabin there was room to stretch with everyone's gear, didn't feel claustrophobic at all. Do bring a broom or bug spray since there are tons of spiders crawling in the corners, I'm not afraid of spiders but having a large web with what looks like egg sacs hanging over your head at night isn't soothing. Since it was summer the tent does heat up during the day, so upzip all the windows and roll up the "doors" so there is air circulation but before you go to bed check the walls around you for the creepy crawlies. Camping here felt a lot like backyard camping you had all the luxuries. There were electrical outlets placed all around and you can charge your cellphone and other electronics. Great reception here too! Hot showers that were run by quarters, be wary there's no setting for temperature so steamy hot showers it was! There are only two showers so you have to time it right, in the morning there is a rush and also as the sun is setting too. Major thumbsdown to the woman with the ginormous family who hijacked one of the showers and just ran a marathon shower ushering one family member after another. D= Great plus is how a lantern and stove is provided with fuel! =D Stock up on supplies from the Vons in Avalon combined with an ice chest and you are gold, you can take the trolley to haul it all back. Don't keep your food on the floor, hide it or hang it out since there are squirrels/chipmunks everywhere! (I don't know because they run so fast) No joke a bag of English muffins disappeared and bagels got gnawed into. With other wildlife I saw deer and quail, late at night there are these small fox like animals. Make sure you take your valuables with you and lockup anything else. It seemed pretty safe during our stay but a friend had his bike stolen right in front of the cabin! The staff was helpful in filling out a police report, but that bike is gone forever. =( There is a short but moderate hiking trail about 4 miles long that ends up in the Wrigley Botanical Gardens save $5! =) read more

Great for light backpacking. An easy walk from the boat landing about 1.5 miles. Close to trails and historical information centers. Clean site. Awesome tent cabin with legitimate cots. Clean bathrooms with running water. Quarter operated showers if needed. The camp ranger does a good job maintaining the peace- quiet hours are from 10:00PM to 8:00AM which is reasonable. Have fun in town but keep the peace at the campsite. This is some pretty easy camping but still outdoors in a canyon. Respect the wildlife- I saw a few deer and was told there may be foxes wandering. Birds and squirrels get into stuff. Secure your food, throw away your trash. read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

Very clean campground, warm showers (need quarters), flushing toilets, walking distance from the city (1 mile), and if u don't want to walk the bus stops right in front of the campground office building. If your bringing coolers, your own tents plus bags, I would suggest renting a golf cart. While u site see the scenic route stop by the campground, check-in and drop your camping stuff off while touring the island in your golf cart. (This is what we did) We rented a tent cabin for the weekend. 6 cots are available for each tent cabin. It also comes with a lantern, fire starter and portable table stove. There is a BBQ grill and a picnic table set up on front of each tent cabin. If you brought your own tent they're BBQ grills available at the picnic area. Renting the tent cabin was the greatest idea we had for our first time camping let alone our first time on Catalina island. It was $50 a night to rent tent cabin + $21 per person on top of that. Online you can pick which tent cabin you would like to rent but when you get there you just end up picking anyone you want that's available at the time of checking in. One more tip... Bring a lantern for the restroom/ showers for night time. There are no lights inside. read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Rented a tent cabin for our first time camping on Catalina island. - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

Cabin tent really smells, bring something to clean the spider webs, kinda expensive for "roughing it" camping...take the $2 shuttle up to the site, it's worth it! There's a microwave, and charging area for your cell phone. Bathrooms are clean, there are two large outdoor sinks for washing dishes or brushing your teeth. Bring earplugs, just in case there are snorers in your tent. read more

This would easily be 3 and a half stars. My boyfriend, 19 yr old son, and I just stayed for 2 nights at Hermit Gulch to celebrate my bf's birthday. Here's the breakdown: Pros: -The rangers, particularly Michael, were friendly and so helpful. Our original site was very small for our 8 person tent and the rangers moved us to a better site without making it seem trouble at all. -the site was beautiful. Picnic bench, barbecue included. Clean bathrooms, sink available, coin op showers. Right now due to drought, showers are unheated. Not adding to cons though, as it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Definitely glam camping for those less likely to love roughing it, like myself. -Deer! Came right up into our campsite! So pretty. We didn't feed her though so she left a trail of "deer berries" throughout our site. Cons: -Sites are right on top of each other. As I stated, we were moved without issue, but I wonder if it had been more crowded when we arrived, what would we have done? Our 8 person tent is 13x9, which I suppose is large by tent standards, but I don't know how we would have made it fit without encroaching on our neighbors. That's how small many of the sites are. -A local football team meeting happened right next to us on our first night. Was no problem at all to start. A little loud while they were eating, but nbd. We just went about our business and then went to use the lone fire pit that is also right next to us. As we lit our log, presumably the coach came over and nicely informed us they intended to use the pit for their meeting. He was very nice about it, so we hurried out of the way. The team took up the fire pit for well over an hour while we listened to the coach's inspirational speech. It was so close we felt compelled to be quiet to be respectful, but it did go on and on and we were whispering for a LONG time. -There are signs about quiet time being 10 pm posted all over the rangers station. Our second night was a Friday night, so it understandably got more crowded mostly with college aged campers. In fact we didn't see any other families, just couples and youngsters. If you're in this age group and single, this could potentially be perfect for you. If you're a lil older like us, and actually require some sleep now, this is not an optimal situation. Not only was the 10 pm quiet time ignored, but it stayed pretty loud fairly late. And when I say loud, I don't mean muffled far away sounds. Remember this is a fairly small campground, so it's all next to you. Special note about transportation: the walk from Avalon is not a bad walk at all, but it is a hike with groceries or gear. Cabs are plentiful, but be prepared to come out of your pocket. There is a Garibaldi bus that runs to the campsite as well for a dollar a person. Problem with that for us was that we saw it going back and forth the whole time we were there, but when we would wait for it, it never seemed to come lol. Overall, was a great trip. We paid about $150 for 3 of us for 2 nights which felt fair. But for that price paid, it would've been nice to have gotten more use out of the fire pit or had a bit more sleep. I would stay there again maybe mid-week off season. - read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

My boyfriend and I had a great time here! The bathrooms and campsite were kept very clean. We stayed at campsite #14 which was great, it was off in a corner and a little secluded by the trees. Regina was amazing and so helpful. She definitely made our stay much more enjoyable. Thank you Regina! read more

What a great stay! When arriving in Catalina we were a little overwhelmed and didn't want to wait for the bus so we took a $12 cab and the driver was bringing another couple to a wedding so we got a bit of a tour. The driver also told us the local bus didn't run and to take taxis (do not go by this advice!) The ranger who greeted and checked us in was very helpful and let us know all we needed before getting to our site. It was not busy so she let us pick another site with more shade without any hassle. Our site was number 39. It had two little trees and plenty of space! The Mexican place closest is cheap and seems like a local joint but we didn't go. We opt to taking the $1 and 10min city bus ride and eating downtown or going to Vons. We loved the camp site. It was quiet, clean and away from the crowds. We woke up to chirping birds around 6am and saw a few fox as well. Only cons: trash cans were pretty full and the showers take a while to warm up. It didn't bother my fiance and I a cold shower felt good after a long hike read more

Best place to stay on the island if you're looking for a good price. The facility is clean and the ranger is super nice and helpful. Make sure to bring quarters for the showers. The stars look amazing from the campsite. There's also a great trail for hiking. The short hike is about 4 hours. The sand trap is a half a mile away , happy hour is from 2-5 . read more

I'll just say... REGINA, REGINA, REGINA! You rock. More than a camping ranger you are like a big sister, looking out for everyone. And let me tell you, for a single dad traveling with a young kid during a pandemic, your attentions, the information that you provided, and your overall kindness were a BIG difference and provided great peace of mind. All the best!! -Jordi & Kai read more

This was our second at Hermit Gulch. We had our first night here before heading to our backpacking trip with first stop at Black Jack. This time, we have Regina, as our Ranger. She is absolutely the second most amazing Ranger I met among all my camping/backpacking trips. The campsite is awesome, restrooms are super clean and she's the most helpful , dedicated Ranger I ever met. read more

Giving this campground five stars for the welcoming attitude of the lovely Regina, the ground attendant. Warm showers, cabin tents are awesome and roomy. Great place for families. We stayed two nights to have the nature experience, and last night in Catalina we stayed in a hotel. Always look forward to visiting this camp site. read more

The campground is immaculate and very well-run. Our Ranger, Regina, was so helpful and professional. One of the nicest campgrounds I've backpacked to-- highly recommend it read more

We had a blast there!!! But if you are looking for privacy and be near the city this place is not a good option. We bought wax wood but they don't have fire pit in the campsite spot only a community one but they had a barbecue where people were burning wood we choose to not do any s'mores and give it away the wax wood so I won't buy it again. The hot shower was great surprise bc was a little cold so bring quarters or ask Ashley to change she was so nice and helpful. And for the vending machines too and vc of the holly day didn't have water. But the vons supermarket sells water and that's what we did.The walk to the city is way to far and the bus takes long time so we end up spending a good amount in cab which is fine overall a great way to stay at Avalon in a good price. read more

Hermit Gulch Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Avalon, California

Went last weekend (July 21,22,23) and had a good time. Our party consisted of 2 adults and 3 children (9,9 and 13 years old). I will recap pros and cons: Cons: 1) Price is a bit expensive for tent camping. 2) Transportation is a bit of an issue. You are at the mercy of the taxi service. Anytime we wanted a ride back to the site, it was $15. Golf cart rentals are limited to 2hr max. So don't plan on getting one for the whole length of your stay. 3) Showers are coin-op 25 cents/minute and they are cold. This is by design. There is a sign indicating that no hot water is available. Pros: 1) You are close enough to Avalon that you can get supplies if needed. The walk down is easy, but walking back up with groceries for 5 people- less than ideal. Add to that the fact that you are probably very hungry and tired after a day at the beach. 2) Campsite is fairly well maintained. Saw the ranger Saturday and Sunday, but not upon our arrival on Friday. No big deal. We just set-up. 3) Bathrooms were fine. ALways had toilet paper and soap. An outdoor sink for washing pots/pans was nice. 4) Wildlife. We had several deer come right to our site. They like eat the cherries that have fallen from the cherry tree. After one would leave, we would shake the tree to have more drop down. We also saw 3 foxes. One was on our picnic table as we set-off to sleep. 5) Trailhead starts at the campground. Overall- good experience. read more

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Recently went to Catalina for the first time and stayed at Hermit Gulch for 3 days, here's a few things to keep in mind: FRIENDLINESS: There is no welcome committee. The guy helping us check-in was helpful but not welcoming at all. I guess smiling and being friendly comes at an additional charge. We got yelled at by the Ranger (see below). PHONE CHARGER: There is only ONE electrical outlet that can be used ONLY to inflate mattresses. I suggest bringing a charger and charging your phone when you head into town at a restaurant. FIRE: They sell logs at the campground but you can get them for half the price at the VONS in town. You CANNOT make a fire on the ground. I was not aware and got YELLED at by the ranger when a fellow camper went and snitched. We had one small log burning on the ground where someone before us had done the same. The ranger arrived, did not introduce himself but rather started yelling...something about being the F***ing Ranger. Grabbed our drinking water and put the fire out. No water no fire :( only reason they got 4 stars instead of 5 (it's NOT ok to yell AND curse at other adults, there were other obvious ways this could of been handled). OTHER CAMPERS: We arrived on a Thursday and were the only ones at the camp which was a little scary but fun. A lot of other campers arrived on Friday which I did not mind but you can easily hear everyone else's conversation since assigned spots are very close in range. I suggest going during the week when it's less crowded for a better experience. WILDERNESS: There's a LOT of deer around the campground :) we also got to see a small fox. I suggest bringing a headlamp, it's pitch black at night. TRANSPORTATION: We rented bikes and rode there with our heavy backpacks on our back/tied to bike. I suggest riding the trolley that runs Sat/Sun instead, it's a little steep on the way to the campground and those backpacks felt extremely heavy (not an easy ride as I expected). read more