Free camping near Mountain Center, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Mountain Center, CA there are 34 camps: 23 free, 7 fee, 4 unpriced. The closest is South Ridge Yellow Post #3, 1.9 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is South Ridge Yellow Post #3, 1.9 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 32 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Ridge Yellow Post #3 | 1.9 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #1 | 2.1 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #2 | 2.2 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post Sites | 2.8 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Apple Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 3.9 | Free | Antsell Rock Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Center | — |
| Yellow Post 2 | 4.9 | Free | Stone Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Cove | — |
| Fern Basin Campground | 5.5 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.7 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 5.7 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.5 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Dark Canyon Campground | 6.5 | Unpriced | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 0.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 6.8 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Seven Pines Yellow Post Sites | 6.9 | Free | — | — | — |
| Ramona Campground | 7.5 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Tool Box Springs Campground | 7.7 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #1 | 8.2 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Boulder Basin Cg | 8.2 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #3 | 8.3 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Group Campground | 8.5 | Fee | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site | 8.6 | Free | North Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Goff Flat Yellow Post Site | 8.7 | Free | Honor Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #4 | 8.8 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #6 | 8.9 | Free | West Fork Snow Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Pinyon Flat Cg | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Ribbonwood Equestrian Camp | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Beauty Mountain Wilderness | 18 | Unpriced | — | 5.1 mi to Chihuahua Valley | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Spring Yellow Post 4 | 19 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 9 | 19 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 7 | 19 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 5 | 19 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 11 | 20 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 16 | 20 | Free | Deep Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Dripping Springs Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Arroyo Seco Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Butterfield Lake Estates | — |
| Oak Grove Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Aguanga | — |
| San Gorgonio Wilderness | 25 | Unpriced | — | 2.7 mi to Morongo Valley | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Mountain Center, 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.