Clean. Safe. Helpful staff. Spacious sites. Lovely pool. Close to lots of fun LB activities!read more

Sheeeeeesh! So many negative reviews I had to come break it up with our groups positive experience…read more We camped here the last weekend of July for the Warped Tour music festival down the street. This was our first time camping in a park like this, we've only done some dry camping in the desert prior. I didn't know what to expect but was incredibly happy with everything. Booking online was easy peasy. Checking in was just as easy. Checkout was even easier as we didn't have to do anything besides pack up and go. Now our stay, we were a little worried on the size of the site as we had friends joining us with a second vehicle. Upon arrival we were ecstatic to see that our trailer, tow vehicle, and friends car all fit into our space and still gave us plenty of room to hangout. They had amenities like a bathroom/shower/pool, little market etc. We didn't have time for a dip in the pool but it looked well kept and nice. Our friends used the bathrooms and said they were standard campground showers. I didn't feel they were super necessary as the site has full hookups so I took a nice hot shower in our travel trailer. But hey, they're there if you need! The WiFi wasn't great, but it worked okay. If having high speed internet is important to you when traveling, get a hot spot on your phone or one of those spaceX satellite things. Anyway, we had a great experience, no issues at all. We already booked a site for next year as did a few of our friends!

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.

Love this place…read more Tide pools (check!) Caves (check!) Rocks to climb (check!) Dog friendly beach areas (check!) Nearby campgrounds (check!) Awesome to walk down to the beach at night from our camping spot and explore the tide pools at low tide as more creatures are out and about. It can get crowded as it is a popular stop for some summer camp groups or scouts that will visit by the bus load. Otherwise, it's usually pretty chill. Often there are a handful of surfers too and one time my brother-in-law saw Jason Momoa there watching the waves from the shore.

Always a great time! We love it here! Day trip or camping trip, it's always fun. Passing on the fun…read morefrom generations!

Stunning park. Great campgrounds and easy hiking trails. We spotted a deer while on a walk. Sooo…read moreincredible. $5 parking per vehicle. Ok, bye.

As near perfect as you can get. Wilderness for miles and miles. Uphill downhill, twisty curves,…read more tree canopies, parks along the way, skunks squirrels and quietness. From O'Neil Park from the north to the south of Capistrano. GREAT for bikers, great for long distance runners and amazing all day walk and hikes. I just touched 15 of the passage.... looking to see so much more. I started from the 241 freeway area and headed south. Bathrooms water fountains and great ambiance make this a great place - and so many entry points. Take water, and be prepared to just stay here for hours. Definitely one of just a few 5 star places.

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/

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.

Catalina can be SO amazing - but also SO expensive! I waited until the last minute for booking a…read morefriend'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!

Absolutely loved this campground. We have been here twice. Once we stayed in a tent and the second…read morewe 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!

Great location and affordable pricing for RV camping experience with nicest view of lake around the…read morearea. There's other too nearby also but with top views this one is recommended

Cool spot for casual intro camping, but not if you want the full wilderness experience. I didn't…read moreget any photos of our camp spot, but the bring your own tent (BYOT lol) area is limited. You are perched away on a small hill with 3 shared fire pits between about 6 - 8 different tent sites. So if you want your own fire pit and privacy I definitely recommend some place else or else you'll be rolling the dice if people are there before you. This also isn't the best place for getting lost in nature as there is lots of light pollution from street lights, RV's, campers and cars coming in and out. You also have great cellular reception - so, if you want that full wilderness experience with a technology break, definitely check out parks further out. Reservations for tent sites are all done via telephone so be sure to call! As of the last date I went in Jan it was $31 to reserve a tent spot and fire wood bought from the campground was $15. (A bit pricey for sharing). The bring your own tent spots are also NOT next to or near the lake! Keep that in mind if you wanted to night fish! The pro is that the tent spot is close to the bathroom and the bathrooms do have showers! I will say this place is very RV and camper heavy with the main bulk of it being RV's - so if you have an RV or enjoy glamping this is an awesome spot!

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.