Free camping near Colton, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Colton, CA there are 30 camps: 15 free, 10 fee, 5 unpriced. The closest is Dogwood Family Campground, 14 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Bench Camp, Pct Trail Camp, 16 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 29 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogwood Family Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Grass Valley Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Meadowbrook Woods | — |
| Bench Camp, Pct Trail Camp | 16 | Free | — | 1.1 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Joe Elliott Yellow Post Sites | 17 | Free | — | 1.5 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Applewhite Campground | 17 | Unpriced | North Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Joe Elliot Yellow Post Sites | 17 | Free | Day Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Scotland | — |
| North Shore Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 1.3 mi to Lake Arrowhead | — |
| Fishermans Group Cg | 18 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | — | 6.8 mi to Oak Glen | — |
| Stonehouse | 19 | Free | Middle Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 3.0 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Thomas Mtn Yp Sites Along 6S13 | 19 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to Oak Glen | — |
| Tent Peg Group Campground | 19 | Fee | Crab Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Green Valley Lake | — |
| Keller Peak Yellow Post Sites Along 1N96 | 19 | Free | — | 3.5 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Commanche | 20 | Free | Old Rust Stream (stream) | 4.6 mi to Mount Baldy | — |
| Third Stream Crossing | 20 | Free | Middle Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 4.1 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Crab Flats Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Green Valley Campground | 20 | Fee | Crab Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Green Valley Lake | — |
| Holcomb Crossing, Pct Trail Camp | 21 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Gobblers Knob Yellow Post Sites | 22 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 4.6 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Coldwater Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 22 | Free | Big Butch Wash (stream) | 4.6 mi to Mount Baldy | — |
| Stockton Flats Yellow Post Sites | 23 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 5.1 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Manker Flat | 23 | Fee | — | 5.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Gobbler's Knob Yellow Post Sites | 23 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Bluff Mesa Group Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Siberia Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Boulder Bay | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 23 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Paiute Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 24 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Juniper Flats | 24 | Unpriced | — | 3.1 mi to Apple Valley Highlands | — |
| Jackstraw Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Forsee Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Pinezanita | — |
| Boulder Group Cg | 25 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Big Bear Yellow Post Sites | 25 | Free | — | 5.5 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Ironwood Group Cg | 25 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Colton, 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.