Free camping near Mountain Center, CA
Yes. 23 of the 34 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Mountain Center, CA are listed as free; 7 charge a fee and 4 have no price on record. The closest free one is South Ridge Yellow Post #3, 1.9 miles northeast, on U.S. Forest Service land.
Dave has slept at one of these camps.
All 34 camps near Mountain Center, CA
| 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 | — |
Who manages the camps near Mountain Center, CA
Who manages them: 32 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM.
- San Bernardino National Forest — 30 camps: 23 free, 6 fee, 1 unpriced
- Cleveland National Forest — 2 camps: 1 fee, 1 unpriced
- Palm Springs/S. Coast Field Office — 2 camps: 2 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 34 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Mountain Center, 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 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.