Free camping near La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of La Crescenta-Montrose, CA there are 39 camps: 22 free, 15 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Gould Mesa, 1.1 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Gould Mesa, 1.1 miles out.
Who manages them: 39 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gould Mesa | 1.1 | Free | Debris Basin (water) | 0.6 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Oakwilde | 3.2 | Free | Brown Canyon (stream) | 2.4 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Gould Mesa Trail Camp | 3.4 | Free | Arroyo Seco (stream) | 1.9 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Millard Trail Camp | 5.2 | Free | Millard Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Altadena | — |
| Bear Canyon Trail Camp | 5.5 | Free | — | — | — |
| Bear Canyon | 5.9 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Altadena | — |
| Mt. Lowe Trail Camp | 7.2 | Free | Las Flores Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Idlehour Trail Camp | 8.8 | Free | Eaton Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Valley Forge Trail Camp | 9.4 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.9 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Lightning Point | 10 | Fee | — | 8.6 mi to Acton | — |
| Monte Cristo | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to La Crescenta-Montrose | — |
| Messenger Flats | 11 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Acton | — |
| West Fork Trail Camp | 11 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Devore Trail Camp | 11 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Hoegees | 12 | Free | — | — | — |
| Spruce Grove Trail Camp | 12 | Free | Santa Anita Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Big Buck Trail Camp | 12 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Singing Springs | — |
| Live Oak Cg | 14 | Free | Bear Canyon (stream) | 3.1 mi to Humphreys | — |
| Coulter Group Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Chilao | — |
| Chilao Campgrounds | 14 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Spring Camp | 15 | Free | Monrovia Canyon (stream) | 4.7 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Horse Flats | 15 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Bandido | 15 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Mt. Pacifico | 15 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Glenn Camp Campground | 16 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (river) | 6.6 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Sulphur Springs Trail Camp | 17 | Free | South Fork Little Rock Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Chilao | — |
| Basin | 20 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Buckhorn | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Duarte | — |
| Cooper Canyon Trail Camp | 20 | Free | Cooper Canyon Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Sage | 20 | Fee | — | 4.6 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Rocky Point | 21 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Rowher Flats OHV Area #1 | 22 | Free | Texas Canyon (stream) | 1.6 mi to Sleepy Valley | — |
| Zuni | 23 | Free | Texas Canyon (stream) | 0.1 mi to Las Cantilles | — |
| Coldbrook | 23 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Glendora | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 23 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Deer Flat | 24 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Little Jimmy Campground | 24 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Streamside | 25 | Free | Mystic Canyon (stream) | 3.2 mi to Las Cantilles | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from La Crescenta-Montrose, 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.