Free camping near Cathedral, CA
Yes. 24 of the 33 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Cathedral, CA are listed as free; 6 charge a fee and 3 have no price on record. The closest free one is Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site, 14 miles southwest, on U.S. Forest Service land.
Dave has slept at one of these camps.
All 33 camps near Cathedral, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site | 14 | Free | North Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post Sites | 15 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #2 | 15 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #1 | 15 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #3 | 15 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| Goff Flat Yellow Post Site | 16 | Free | Honor Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Dark Canyon Campground | 16 | Unpriced | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 0.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Seven Pines Yellow Post Sites | 16 | Free | — | — | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #6 | 16 | Free | West Fork Snow Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 16 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.5 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Group Campground | 16 | Fee | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #3 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Fern Basin Campground | 16 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.7 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Apple Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 16 | Free | Antsell Rock Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Center | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #4 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #1 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Boulder Basin Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Pinyon Flat Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Ribbonwood Equestrian Camp | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Yellow Post 2 | 18 | Free | Stone Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Cove | — |
| San Gorgonio Wilderness | 18 | Unpriced | — | 2.7 mi to Morongo Valley | — |
| Sand To Snow National Monument | 19 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Morongo Valley | — |
| Ramona Campground | 19 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Tool Box Springs Campground | 19 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 19 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post Sites | 20 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 9 | 20 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Spring Yellow Post 4 | 20 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 11 | 20 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 7 | 21 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 16 | 21 | Free | Deep Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 5 | 21 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Wilderness | 24 | Unpriced | — | 5.0 mi to Vista Santa Rosa | — |
Who manages the camps near Cathedral, CA
Who manages them: 30 on the Forest Service; 3 on the BLM.
- San Bernardino National Forest — 30 camps: 23 free, 6 fee, 1 unpriced
- Palm Springs/S. Coast Field Office — 3 camps: 1 free, 2 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 33 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Cathedral, CA
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Cathedral, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.