This campsite cost $20 per night and has toilets that drop into the ground and a spigot for water…read more You'll need to bring everything else for your comfort and truck out your trash. It's about 45 minutes from the bottom of the hill off Sierra Madre Ave and San Gabriel Canyon rd. No cellphone service a mile from that intersection going north into the canyon. If you're going in two or more cars you should bring walkie talkies and that'll be useful when you look for a campsite if it's packed or all sites are taken. Drive around separately to locate a site for yourself. Some sites allow for single car usage and others allowed for three or more cars. The car that pays for the campsite doesn't need to buy the adventure pass but those additional cars do and it's $5 per day. As soon as you find a site. Park your vehicle there and trek over to the ranger station and tell them the Loop your on and the campsite # your at and pay the fee. They'll give you a piece of paper you attach to your site number so when the ranger comes by to verify they'll know you paid. They have trails to Crystal lake and around the campsite. Bring plenty of drinkable water especially during the summer months. Most campsites have shade but some do not. There are roughly 125 campsites in all. You can just go there for the day but you'll still need an adventure pass to park in the parking lot. The actual lake as of summer 2025 is low and not safe to swim in but you can fish and you'll need a fishing license to do that. You don't need a 4x4 vehicle to go up to the campsite as the roads are all paved. Come and check this campground out in your next adventure to your local mountains!

Crystal Lake campground bathrooms need help! Let me emphasize this...the bathrooms here need…read moreserious help. I love camping and I understand that the idea of maintaining a toilet may be difficult in a forest environment, but these facilities need either regular maintenance or should just be shut down. The smell is horrific, and the amount of flies in the bathroom feasting on the poop that is drenched along the rim and bowl of the toilets says to me that these spaces haven't been cleaned in months. I really enjoyed Crystal Lake itself and the grounds, but I highly recommend that people plan an alternative solution for bathroom needs. In my opinion it is required that you bring your own toiletries and I feel the best solution is to bring your own portable toilet tent. I noticed others had made this choice and if I had known, my 3 day trip would have been better. On one night, in the women's bathroom, someone decided to poop on the floor. I imagine pooping in the toilet was too gross for them. The level of abhorrence that person must have felt is truly undeniable.

9/7/2026 thru 9/9/2025…read more We come to Dogwood every year because we really Love it here. We do the hiking trail twice a day, grill some meats, take Hot showers before bed and sleep in tents. It is beautiful here, the facilities are clean and most importantly you can take Free HOT showers. This year we planned to stay two nights at Campsite #87. But left early, only staying the one night leaving around 1pm on 9/8/2025. During the night around 1am we heard someone or an animal walking around outside our tent. (We have Never experienced any kind of wild life animal or people walking into our campsite before. This was the first time this happened to us). The steps were light and almost human. The light grunting and chewing on what sounded like twigs or maybe acorns and light heavy breathing is what made us realize it was not human. But we were not sure and all of us were scared to look outside. After staying still and playing dead for two to three hours we finally fell asleep and woke up around 5:30am. And started our day. Went for a hike and came back to our tent / campground. HUGE Black Bear encounter. We got back to our campsite before 10ish, ate, relaxed and were drinking tea. When suddenly out of no where I saw a huge Black Bear just casually strolling into our neighbors campsite walking past their RV camper and headed we towards the garbage dumpsters or towards the Rimforest high school. We Jumped into our car and stayed there until the bear was out of site. Then we met with the Park ranger and let them know that we just saw the Black bear. Park ranger then confirmed that the bear was also here last night. And that that there was a Mountain Lion lurking around as well. So we had to be on high alert and if we see the mountain lion to hide or get in your car. I gave my family members one look and within one second we agreed to pack up and head back home. Although we know bears can be seen whenever you go hiking or camping. We never expected it to actually ever happen to us. So to be safe we had to cut our trip short.

Another great stay. This year we did not have nearly as many yellow jackets (thank goodness). This…read moreyear we maybe had 4-5 all trip. Last year 6-year-old nephew got stung over 16 times one afternoon. They ended up having to take him to the emergency room and leave to go back home on the first night. I suggest if you're going to bring traps just incase to hang them around the site. Last year we set up 6 traps around the site and water spout. Each trap had between 50-over 100 in just 2 days. That would be my only complaint about this campground. The bathrooms are plentiful clean. They are serviced and refilled multiple times a day. There are free hot showers too. The sites are pretty shaded and depending on where you stay...some sites are small and others are nice and secluded. There are some sites with hookups towards the front of the campground. The camp hosts are attentive and give you warnings when wild animals have been spotted. We did have a black bear run through our site at breakfast one day but it just passed through and didn't bother us. Best local campground close enough to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear.

As a regular attendee to the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, I pride myself on planning the best…read moreway to enjoy the day which includes spending the night here. I had booked a site 3 months in advance and had forgotten that I'd rebooked a different site days later after I booked the first site in a quest for perfection. Upon arriving of course I had forgotten all of this and insisted to the park rangers at the gate that they had the wrong info. They graciously and kindly accommodated me regardless. Then the fun started as I realized not only were they right but I also insisted on the lesser enjoyable site. Hat in hand I had to return to the gate and 'splained myself. Enter Alexa. With charm, deference, humor and all around good vibes she settled the whole affair and made everything right. Good people need to be recognized. Alexa is def one of them.

So nice here at Malibu creek state park after the rains. Everything was nice and green. Spotted a…read morefew budding lavenders that might be blooming in a few weeks. For hiking parking is 3 dollars an hour. Lots of parking spaces.

This campground was great! Very quiet, clean, and has pretty views of the mountain ridge. I arrived…read moreon Friday around 1pm, the campground was still very empty; fellow campers didn't start arriving until Saturday afternoon. The entire campground was clean, restrooms were clean for being outhouses, and everyone was very respectful. I took out the wild horse trail which was 4.5 miles out and 4.5 miles back to the trailhead. Trailheads are literally walking (steps) away from my site. Gorgeous views out here!!!

Walked through here to get to the hiking trails, everything looked clean and well maintained, no…read moretrash anywhere. It was hard to find where to leave payments and the "camp host" was not around. Maybe set up a more convenient payment process with QR codes to pay electronically. We were the only people there in the couple hours with another couple on the way out when we got there. It was an enjoyable hike with convenient signs marking all the different paths.

The smaller sign is first and then the big sign for Buckhorn Campground is shortly after and now…read morehas a small arrow pointing to the left. That's where you make a left onto a small road. Keep driving and you'll reach the campground.

No fires, stoves or grills. Not until Jan 2026, found this…read moreout the hard way. I didn't see much on the websites or reviews. I should have called first.

Well maintained campground and one of the cleanest I've been to in the area! The campground host…read morefrom Mountain High saved the day when we forgot a lighter and made sure we had everything we needed to have a good time. We definitely had a great time and recommend staying if you're nearby and looking for a clean, quaint campground with a lot of space. Only thing to note is the sites are not directly accessible by car, you will need to walk just a few steps off pavement.

Kinda cool that you can review campsites on Yelp, too. Anyway, here's my review of this site I…read morevisited just recently: I initially planned on visiting Table Mountain campground, just 5 minutes away, but that place was packed out the wazoo. Couldn't grab a spot. So I came here as a backup. It was 11pm or so, but my party was able to snag a spot out of 6/8 occupied sites. We grabbed an empty table and some real estate at the top of the hill. The site is used for sledding when the snow comes in for the winter, so the grade is quite noticeable. Cars must be parked at the bottom of the hill, so if you have a lot of things, be prepared for some tiring back-and-forth from the bottom to the top and back again. Since our tents were set at the very top, we had the privilege of getting some extra steps in. Each campsite here is within 50 feet of another. You are within eyesight and earshot of your neighbors - this is a bit of a downside, as I prefer camping in peace and away from other people, to get away from the city. Bring earplugs if you can spare the space. We were granted the opportunity to listen to a large family rev up their trucks throughout the first night. It went on from 11pm-3am. That would have been ideal if my definition of camping was setting up my tent in the middle of a monster truck rally. But alas, it's not. Sites also come with a grill and a fire-ring, very nice for cooking if you wish to do so. I think firewood is sold at a few stores nearby, but you can scavenge for extra around the grounds, too. The two bathrooms at the bottom of hill were a predicament. It wasn't entirely clean (which most camp potties aren't already) but you are galactically screwed if the door gets left open. Flies will swarm the two toilets and make it virtually impossible to do your business. One or two flies won't deter me from popping my squat, but I'm telling you: I instead chose to dig a hole way uphill, park myself behind a tree out of sight, and did my thing out there. It was that bad. The black plague would have been proud. On the topic of bugs: BRING BUG SPRAY. And citronella candles. And keep your tent doors closed at all times. The bugs here go crazy. Seal your foods, especially any sweets, and make sure to keep your cooking materials off the ground to avoid ants. Other than that, there was plentiful shade and the trees are swept by a decent breeze that visits every so often. It made up for the sweltering heat that had been bogging down LA for weeks. When our louder neighbors would leave to hang out at the nearby lake, it was serene and awfully peaceful. Plus, since the campground is situated between two bigger hills, the sun doesn't linger around too much during the day. While it gets the job done, this site is a sub-par escape from the city and serves only as a mediocre, last minute find; my advice would be to reserve a much nicer, cleaner, and quieter campsite months in advance. Do your research, pack smartly, and have fun.

Nice beginner destination for a backpacking trip…read more Likes: + Great view of Altadena/Pasadena and the LA county. Maybe you can spot Catalina or the Disney fireworks at night in the distance. + Pleasant getaway from town. Quiet, peaceful nature ambience. + A couple firepits for roasting your food with friends. + Great Mt Wilson with access to the giant 60-inch and the 100-inch Hooker telescopes. A hike you can do in a day. A camping/backpacking trip you can do in day & night. + Trails are wide and well defined. Non-likes: - The water spigot here runs extremely slow. I recommend packing your own extra water. - Restrooms running low on toilet paper. - Cosmic Cafe only open Apr-Sept 10am-5pm, and 10-4pm late Sept-Nov. If you walk farther uphill about 1-2 min, you'll find the white lavatory. Restroom stalls are more spacious than the auburn one. The water fountain and the water spigot there run fine and strong.

What goes up, must come down…read more This hike was a moderate 3 mile hike up and around the San Gabriel Mountains, but so much easier to trek back down. Although we did an extra mile after missing the turn and ended up hiking a total of 7 miles; it wasn't too bad. I only hike about once a month, so I took a few breaks along the way up so it took us about 3 hours roundtrip. The hike starts at the Eaton Canyon Nature Reserve after parking on the street along Altadena. There's parking in a lot as well but I find it easier to park on the street than finding a spot during peak hours. We started the hike by following the Eaton Canyon Falls trail, then veered onto the Walnut Canyon trail, and then followed the Old Mount Wilson Toll Road the rest of the way to the campground. There's some shade on the hike but not much so I wouldn't hike this during the Summer. We did this on 12/2/18 in 64 degree weather and it was perfect. We saw some people that did a one night backpacking trip so it's an ideal spot to practice for longer trips. There are bathrooms but they were locked when we were there and there is no water. There are also lots of tables available so pack a picnic and enjoy the view. Directions I used. If you see a white bridge on your way back, you missed the turn like I did and just did an extra mile. https://modernhiker.com/hike/henninger-flats/

Camping at Carlsbad State Beach is unmatched…read more This campsite offers the best of both worlds: city life + beach life. It sits right on the ocean bluff with two sides, bluff-side (oceanfront) and streetside. Obviously bluff-side is preferred, but staying on the streetside is still a treat. A few things I love about this camping experience: - They allow all forms of camping. Tent, RV, van, etc. - The site has clean bathrooms and warm showers. Just be sure to purchase tokens at the front for the shower. - Dog friendly! You can bring your pet along but they must be on leash and aren't allowed on the beach. - Carlsbad has the most captivating sunsets, and if you're lucky, you'll even see a few dolphins. Truly the most memorable 32nd birthday activity with all my favorite people.

Such a cool spot to beach camp. Also, live music, a store, a pizza and wing spot, and decent shower…read moreand bathroom for a state beach. It's a great place to catch the sunset on a Friday evening. We were lucky to book a bon fire pit near the music and lots of bench seating for the show. It does get crowded so glad we had our own space. The camp sites are pretty big also, fitting large RV's, two cars, and comes with an outdoor table. If parking off-site (like we did since we were just there for the evening), be sure to walk back to the main entrance to exit if later at night as the side entrances are locked at sunset. Great selection of beers, wines, pizzas, wings, and even some Mac & cheese bites.

Kids and I enjoy coming to this campground. The sites are big and spread out so you don't feel like…read moreyou are on top of other campers. There's a good amount of trees for shade, but also a lot of clearings so you can see the stars. We like to come up for meteor showers. The toilets are not flushing. They seem to keep them clean, at least when we've been there, they weren't bad. There are no showers, so this is strictly a long weekend type place for us. Our first time there, the first night was WINDY, so be prepared. The other nights were fine and we've been a few times now. They have fire pits and sell firewood at the managers camp site. Check before you go though, because Angeles National Forest does ban all fires when it's dry. It's only affected us once. Overall we like this campground and plan on visiting again soon.

Beautiful campground . Good weather around June. Really relaxing. There are some store and supply…read morenearby at the town.

The restroom's are nasty you can barely pee the smell is awful and for the price you pay the night…read more. I don't think so

I give this place two stars, just because the restrictions not being able to have a restroom and a…read moreshower tent up, or you will get a fine for having one. The restroom was dirty which I didn't like the trash containers were full. The days we were there they weren't being empty, also there was trash everywhere. The reason they don't let portable bathrooms tents is because people would throw their poop into the river which is disgusting people need to respect Gods nature, please don't leave trash when you leave. Besides all this place is beautiful slightly quiet but some noisy with cars and motorcycles racing on the Main Street going up or down hill. Be careful and stay safe have a wonderful time, oh also didn't see or hear any bears just foxes