I have been there as a scoutmaster with my scout troop in the 1990s the camp is a great camp for first time scouts the hiking is not to hard a good training hike have a great time ! . read more

I've fancied myself an outdoorsman since I was a kid--fishing, hunting, kayaking, hiking, orienteering... heck, all I needed was an Eagle Project to finish the whole BSA thing, but instead, I got a girlfriend... oh well, I was THAT close... But all that as prologue to a couple of weeks ago, when I went with my son, another dad, and a slew of Boy Scouts on a two-night backpacking trip into the San Gabriels. I've completed the Sturtevant Falls hike more times than I can count, and I've hiked and re-hiked all sorts of trails in this area. But I can't say that prior to this trip, I had taken the path to Spruce Grove Campground... it just never came up I guess. I'm glad to have experienced this nice little spot just a few miles from the parking lot at Chantry Flats. The campground is little more than a marginally flat area between the trail and the creek. Plenty of shade trees in the riparian spot makes for a tranquil camping place, despite the steady flow of hiking and trail biking traffic just feet from your tent. Each campsite features a fire pit, and there is a rather unique toilet with a conveyor belt "flushing" system. Kudos to the engineers for not only a waterless set-up, but also the clear plexiglass roof offers light and a nicer view of the laurel and sycamore trees. Just a few minutes from Sturtevant Camp, this simple little camp site is first come, first served, and free to use. No bear boxes here, so bring a good bear can/hard-sided bear container. Unless you're really good at it and know what you're doing, don't bother trying to hang a bear bag. Really, you're doing it wrong. Pack out what you pack in, trash wise, too. If you're camping here, it's probably during the "absolutely no fires.... seriously, what were you thinking even bringing a lighter?" season. So there's that, too. Four stars for being a cool, free, close, and relatively pretty campsite in a high traffic area. The consistent parade of people in their REI-inspired plumage was definitely a few steps higher on the food chain than the Eaton Canyon waterfall people, but still distracting. read more

See all

I camped here overnight after bikepacking in from Mt Wilson. It is everything one could hope for on a warm summer evening. The tall tree canopy keeps the area completely shaded even on the brightest, hottest days. In mid-July there was still enough water flowing through the campsite stream to use for camping needs, especially if you have a filter or water treatment tablets, not to mention being a great sound to drift off to sleep to. There was plenty of wild life, including gray squirrels leaping through the trees, and a variety of birds; wood peckers, crows, blue jays, and an owl. In the evening several deer made their way through the camp as they munched on leaves. They seemed fairly comfortable with campers, as they did not run away as I moved about the camp watching them. As a bonus, if you are a hiker or mountain biker, there is a great system of mostly shaded trails throughout the area. Finally, each campground has a shovel and a pail for putting out your fire, as well as a rake, which was handy for setting up camp. read more

See all

We were very pleased with our stay. The campground is very well maintained and bathrooms were cleaned regularly. Great trails for beginners and beautiful scenery. I recommend knowing which campsite you want ahead of time. Many offer no shade. The camp host was very friendly and accommodating. I'm glad the family chose this spot for our stay. read more

Just got back from another Scout outing. 6 Boys and 3 adults on a backpack. All experienced hikers training for our huge Philmont outing this July. Parking was hard to come by at 7am. The place was just packed. One of us had to park about a half mile down the road. The base camp area is nice. Picnic tables, a snack shop, a few rangers to assist in the parking and some pit toilets. Pretty space......gets the job done. Several trails heading up towards Mt. Wilson. Thin, but well maintained trails, and easy water crossings. Spruce Grove campsite is fairly well maintained. The pit toilets are in need of remodeling but those funds won't come easily. The sites are decent sized with a picnic table, fire ring and very old rickety stoves that look mostly unused in years. Get here early as the campsites will be gone by noon. The scenery is beautiful. Lots of spruce trees, squirrels and birds. A nice bubbling stream with delicious water (used a uv light filter) provided a delightful soundtrack. Few bugs or mosquitos. Make sure to hang your food as there have been recent bear sightings. The Boys took an additional 5 hour round trip to Mt. Wilson before our dinner and campfire. The loop trail gave us a different route home. Another perfect weekend with the Boy Scouts. read more

Spruce Grove is a nice shaded campground in the middle of the forest. Don't go expecting any amazing views but also be grateful that you won't be roasting in your tent when the sun comes up. My boyfriend and I went on our very first backpacking training trip here! I would definitely rate it as intermediate but definitely doable even as a beginner, assuming you are moderately fit. You can hear the babbling brook at all times of day, and it provides cool water for you as long as you have a filter. TO BE HONEST, I thought the latrine was pretty clean, so I guess this means I've seen some pretty disgusting latrines and porta-potties in my lifetime. All in all, a nicely kept campground for a weekend getaway that's just a 40 minute drive from LA. read more

This is such a beautiful camping area! The tubing is so much fun. Our only complaint was the camp host. Our site didn't get cleaned and he just walked around camp smoking cigarettes. When we needed help, he was not at all helpful. The hosts in previous years have been wonderful. read more

Camped here for one night a few weekends ago. We came in late in the afternoon and were surprised to find a spot available. Amenities are obviously basic. Stove, picnic benches, some spots have fire pits. The area is beautiful and right next to the stream. We will definitely come back up and camp another night. It's a beautiful hike up to the camp and makes you feel like you're far from Southern California. My only knock are the pit toilets, and I'm saying this as an avid hiker/backpacker that has no problem with pit toilets, or the lack thereof. These ones are particularly gross (which is probably more of a reflection on the people using them). read more

I went backpacking to Spruce Grove Campground last weekend, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The bf and I took the main route away from the pack station towards Sturdevant Falls, and at first I was apprehensive because of the large number of people going up and down the trail (not to mention the fact that the road starts off paved, which isn't a very good sign when you're looking for a rustic weekend in the mountains). Apparently an extremely popular spot amongst the locals for day trips and quick hikes, the trail stayed fairly crowded all the way to the Falls, but once we went past the waterfall and on toward the campground the number of hikers dropped off to almost nothing. How refreshing! Six miles in you arrive at Spruce Grove Campground, which is the first campground in on this leg of the trail. The location is fairly nice: well-shaded and just off the creek, it's a comfy place to stop after an afternoon of hiking. There are maybe 6 or 7 camping spots total, and each is fairly large and equipped with an iron stove (don't forget your fire permit. Also, open campfires pose too much of a hazard, so be sure to keep your flaming fun inside the stove). The park ranger stopped by in the late evening to check on us, and he was super-friendly and really made us feel quite welcome and comfortable. On our way back out the next morning we stopped by Sturdevant's Camp, which is a sort of historical landmark and has a lot of cool, old buildings to look at, as well as a giant swing to amuse your inner 5 year-old. Another 6 miles along the trail, which runs by the mountain's peak overlooking Pasadena and then descends back down to the creek at the bottom of the canyon, and you're back where you started by the pack station. All-in-all, I tend to like my hiking/camping spots to be a little less developed and crowded than this particular trail, but considering its extremely close proximity to the city this is a surprisingly rustic place. Aside from the occasional hiker or trail-runner who made their way through every once in a while, the campground itself was fairly quiet and tucked away from everything. Apparently there's another campground about 10 miles inland that's completely undeveloped, and I think I would like to hike all the way in someday, maybe on a three-day weekend. But when you don't have the time to drive all the way up to Big Sur or some other spectacular spot, this is definitely a great place to go for a weekend escape from the city. read more

You can legitimately go backpacking in Los Angeles. The place to do it is here, the Spruce Grove Campground. You can access the campground from the Chantry Flats Parking lot and it's approximately a 3.5 mile hike in. There are picnic tables and old stoves for heating up food and to utilize as a fire place. There is a pit toilet. The only water source is a creek so a filter is necessary if you're not packing in all of your water. Lots of tree cover and even though the parking lot of chantry flats is often filled to the max, you can find solitude at Spruce Grove. read more

Bathrooms reeked, but other than that, it was a beautiful camp. Went with a group of 12 people and stayed overnight. We set up camp and then did a day hike to the summit at Wilson. It rained on us that afternoon. They have fire rings and stoves and there is a running stream nearby. read more

Spruce Grove Campground - There's a nice restaurant at the end of the parking lot where you can buy patches. It's kinda nice to have one. - Campgrounds Near Me - Arcadia, California

We arrived at our campsite at 12:30. A family was still set up in our site. I talked to the teen that was there and told him that they were in our site. He said that his family was down in the water. We waited an hour till they showed up. They wouldn't leave. I approached them and told the father that we had been waiting. He gave me an attitude informing me that he didn't have to leave and that the hostess said it was ok. He knew check out was noon. He took his time and didn't leave until 2:30. I talked to the hostess. At first she agreed that she said it was ok. The next day she told me that he lied and he knew he was supposed to leave by noon. This would never have happened with the prior host. With the prior host I knew the rules. I've never seen anyone try to take my reservation like that and I never thought I would see the host allow it. Honestly, it ruined my trip. Oh, bring blue water for the toilets. No matter how clean, they will smell. Be warned if you have a site next to the water. People don't seem to care if it's your site. They come in packs with innertubes and barge right through. There was some guy fishing in our area. I first saw him staring at me through the trees. I went to the water and he threw his line at me. We've been camping here for 7 years now You know when you get that feeling that you lost something good? I hope it gets better instead of the direction it's going now. read more

Ive been to spruce grove more times than i can count and esch time its been amazing. Its a short but challenging 3.5 mile hike to reach. The hike itself is mostly shaded with a slight grade. Beautiful views. The campground is under the canopy of spruce, oaks and pines and has a seasonal stream. There are several private cabins doting the landscape beyond the stream. The only real drawback are the toilets but thats a given at any pit toilet. Be sure to hang your food 100 yars down wind to keep from bears read more

Spruce Grove campground is a surprisingly nice trail camp for most. Forget the crowds...more than likely you'll be the only group there for the evening. Our only visitors were the Sunday morning cross country runners on there way to Mt. Wilson (whewwww!). We (a small group of Boy Scouts) have stayed there at least 4 times and every visit was enjoyable. The running stream was very convenient for water re-supply. Evenings were cold during the winter months but stove fires kept us warm for the most part. The campsite was clean and well maintained considering the location. The trail there was just fine for our youngest Scouts (age 11). Great hike/great place to visit! read more