Free camping near El Monte, CA
Yes. 18 of the 32 camps within 25 straight-line miles of El Monte, CA are listed as free; 12 charge a fee and 2 have no price on record. The closest free one is Hoegees, 9.2 miles north, on U.S. Forest Service land.
All 32 camps near El Monte, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoegees | 9.2 | Free | — | — | — |
| Idlehour Trail Camp | 9.7 | Free | Eaton Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Spruce Grove Trail Camp | 10 | Free | Santa Anita Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Spring Camp | 10 | Free | Monrovia Canyon (stream) | 4.7 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Mt. Lowe Trail Camp | 11 | Free | Las Flores Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Devore Trail Camp | 12 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| West Fork Trail Camp | 12 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Millard Trail Camp | 12 | Free | Millard Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Altadena | — |
| Glenn Camp Campground | 12 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (river) | 6.6 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Valley Forge Trail Camp | 13 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.9 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Bear Canyon | 13 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Altadena | — |
| Gould Mesa Trail Camp | 13 | Free | Arroyo Seco (stream) | 1.9 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Bear Canyon Trail Camp | 13 | Free | — | — | — |
| Oakwilde | 15 | Free | Brown Canyon (stream) | 2.4 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Gould Mesa | 15 | Free | Debris Basin (water) | 0.6 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Chilao Campgrounds | 17 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Coulter Group Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Chilao | — |
| Coldbrook | 18 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Glendora | — |
| Horse Flats | 19 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Bandido | 19 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Monte Cristo | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to La Crescenta-Montrose | — |
| Buckhorn | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Duarte | — |
| Sulphur Springs Trail Camp | 20 | Free | South Fork Little Rock Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Chilao | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 20 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Cooper Canyon Trail Camp | 21 | Free | Cooper Canyon Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Deer Flat | 21 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Mt. Pacifico | 21 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Little Jimmy Campground | 22 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Lightning Point | 22 | Fee | — | 8.6 mi to Acton | — |
| Big Buck Trail Camp | 22 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Singing Springs | — |
| Messenger Flats | 23 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Acton | — |
Who manages the camps near El Monte, CA
Who manages them: 32 on the Forest Service.
- Angeles National Forest — 32 camps: 18 free, 12 fee, 2 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 32 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near El Monte, 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 El Monte, 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.