Free camping near Hemet, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Hemet, CA there are 24 camps: 16 free, 5 fee, 3 unpriced. The closest is Yellow Post 2, 13 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Yellow Post 2, 13 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 24 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Post 2 | 13 | Free | Stone Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Cove | — |
| Boulder Basin Cg | 15 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Fern Basin Campground | 15 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.7 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 16 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.5 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #1 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| 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 #3 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #4 | 16 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Group Campground | 16 | Fee | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #6 | 17 | Free | West Fork Snow Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #1 | 17 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #3 | 17 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #2 | 17 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post Sites | 18 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Dripping Springs Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Arroyo Seco Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Butterfield Lake Estates | — |
| Apple Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | Antsell Rock Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Center | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 20 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Ramona Campground | 21 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Tool Box Springs Campground | 21 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Wildomar Campground | 22 | Unpriced | — | 4.1 mi to La Cresta Highlands | — |
| Goff Flat Yellow Post Site | 24 | Free | Honor Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site | 24 | Free | North Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| El Cariso Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Lake Elsinore | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Hemet, 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.