Free camping near Lake Los Angeles, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Lake Los Angeles, CA there are 35 camps: 5 free, 25 fee, 5 unpriced. The closest is Sycamore Flat, 14 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Cooper Canyon Trail Camp, 18 miles out.
Who manages them: 34 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Flat | 14 | Fee | Big Rock Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Old Point Comfort | — |
| Rocky Point | 15 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Sage | 15 | Fee | — | 4.6 mi to Littlerock | — |
| South Fork | 15 | Fee | South Fork Big Rock Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Paradise Springs | — |
| Basin | 15 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Big Rock Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Big Rock Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mile High | — |
| Mt. Oak Campground | 16 | Fee | Jackson Lake (water) | 0.4 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
| Lake Campground | 16 | Fee | Jackson Lake (water) | 0.2 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
| El Mirage Ohv Area | 16 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to El Mirage | — |
| Peavine | 16 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Appletree | 17 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Jackson Flat Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Jackson Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
| Apple Tree Campground | 17 | Fee | Mescal Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
| Table Mountain Campground | 17 | Fee | Mescal Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Big Pines | — |
| Jackson Flat Group | 18 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Cooper Canyon Trail Camp | 18 | Free | Cooper Canyon Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Little Jimmy Campground | 18 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Buckhorn | 19 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Duarte | — |
| Blue Ridge | 19 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Deer Flat | 19 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Sulphur Springs Trail Camp | 19 | Free | South Fork Little Rock Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Chilao | — |
| Mt. Pacifico | 20 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 20 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Bandido | 21 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Guffy | 21 | Fee | — | 1.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Horse Flats | 21 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Lupine Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Prairie Fork (stream) | 2.9 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Coldbrook | 22 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Glendora | — |
| Coulter Group Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Chilao | — |
| Chilao Campgrounds | 23 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Big Buck Trail Camp | 23 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Singing Springs | — |
| Paiute Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 24 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Monte Cristo | 24 | Fee | — | 10 mi to La Crescenta-Montrose | — |
| Gobbler's Knob Yellow Post Sites | 25 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Wrightwood | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Lake Los Angeles, 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.