Free camping near Ojai, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Ojai, CA there are 25 camps: 8 free, 16 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Wheeler Gorge, 4.6 miles north of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Cross Camp, 11 miles out.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler Gorge | 4.6 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Holiday Group | 5.0 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Rose Valley | 6.8 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Ojai | — |
| Middle Lion | 8.3 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Ojai | — |
| Cross Camp | 11 | Free | Santa Paula Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Sulphur Springs | — |
| Big Cone | 11 | Free | Santa Paula Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Sulphur Springs | — |
| Jackson Camp | 11 | Free | Santa Paula Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Sulphur Springs | — |
| Reyes Peak | 14 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Pine Mountain | 14 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Meiners Oaks | — |
| Beartrap Campsite | 14 | Free | Beartrap Creek (stream) | 10 mi to Wheeler Springs | — |
| Thorn Meadows Campground | 14 | Free | Cedar Creek (stream) | 9.2 mi to Stauffer | — |
| Upper Reyes Creek Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Reyes Creek (stream) | 10 mi to Wheeler Springs | — |
| Reyes Creek | 16 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pine Mountain Club | — |
| Halfmoon | 17 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Lake of the Woods | — |
| Ozena | 18 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pine Mountain Club | — |
| Pine Springs | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Pine Mountain Club | — |
| Lower Caliente | 19 | Fee | — | 7.8 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| Middle Santa Ynez | 19 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| P-Bar Flat | 20 | Fee | — | 6.6 mi to Toro Canyon | — |
| Dome Springs | 22 | Free | — | 9.4 mi to Stauffer | — |
| Dutchman | 22 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Frazier Park | — |
| Mono | 22 | Fee | — | 7.1 mi to Mission Canyon | — |
| Lily Meadows Camp | 23 | Free | North Fork Lockwood Creek (stream) | 6.0 mi to Stauffer | — |
| Nettle Springs | 25 | Free | — | 10 mi to Ventucopa | — |
| Gold Hill Camping Area | 25 | Fee | — | — | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Ojai, 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.