Free camping near Ontario, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Ontario, CA there are 25 camps: 12 free, 9 fee, 4 unpriced. The closest is Joe Elliot Yellow Post Sites, 13 miles north of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Joe Elliot Yellow Post Sites, 13 miles out.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Elliot Yellow Post Sites | 13 | Free | Day Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Scotland | — |
| Commanche | 14 | Free | Old Rust Stream (stream) | 4.6 mi to Mount Baldy | — |
| Joe Elliott Yellow Post Sites | 14 | Free | — | 1.5 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Third Stream Crossing | 15 | Free | Middle Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 4.1 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Stonehouse | 15 | Free | Middle Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 3.0 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Manker Flat | 16 | Fee | — | 5.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Applewhite Campground | 17 | Unpriced | North Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Coldwater Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 17 | Free | Big Butch Wash (stream) | 4.6 mi to Mount Baldy | — |
| Stockton Flats Yellow Post Sites | 18 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 5.1 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Gobblers Knob Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 4.6 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Gobbler's Knob Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Paiute Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 19 | Free | North Fork Lytle Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Lupine Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Prairie Fork (stream) | 2.9 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Guffy | 21 | Fee | — | 1.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Coldbrook | 22 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Glendora | — |
| Blue Ridge | 23 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Jackson Flat Group | 24 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 24 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Glenn Camp Campground | 24 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (river) | 6.6 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Deer Flat | 24 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Spring Camp | 25 | Free | Monrovia Canyon (stream) | 4.7 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Table Mountain Campground | 25 | Fee | Mescal Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Big Pines | — |
| Jackson Flat Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Jackson Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
| Apple Tree Campground | 25 | Fee | Mescal Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Jackson Lake | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Ontario, 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.