Free camping near Palm Desert, CA
Yes. 23 of the 32 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Palm Desert, CA are listed as free; 6 charge a fee and 3 have no price on record. The closest free one is Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site, 14 miles southwest, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Pinyon Flat Cg, 12 miles southwest, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at one of these camps.
All 32 camps near Palm Desert, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinyon Flat Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Ribbonwood Equestrian Camp | 12 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Indian Wells | — |
| Cedar Springs Yellow Post Site | 14 | Free | North Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 11 | 14 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 16 | 15 | Free | Deep Canyon Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Pinyon Pines | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post Sites | 15 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 9 | 15 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 7 | 15 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Spring Yellow Post 4 | 15 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Goff Flat Yellow Post Site | 15 | Free | Honor Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Santa Rosa Yellow Post 5 | 15 | Free | Omstott Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Ribbonwood | — |
| Santa Rosa Wilderness | 15 | Unpriced | — | 5.0 mi to Vista Santa Rosa | — |
| Apple Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 18 | Free | Antsell Rock Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Center | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post Sites | 18 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Ramona Campground | 19 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Tool Box Springs Campground | 19 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #2 | 19 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #3 | 19 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #1 | 20 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 20 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 21 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.5 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Dark Canyon Campground | 22 | Unpriced | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 0.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Fern Basin Campground | 22 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.7 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Seven Pines Yellow Post Sites | 22 | Free | — | — | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #6 | 22 | Free | West Fork Snow Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Group Campground | 23 | Fee | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #3 | 23 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #1 | 23 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #4 | 23 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Yellow Post 2 | 23 | Free | Stone Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Cove | — |
| Boulder Basin Cg | 23 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Mecca Hills Wilderness | 24 | Unpriced | — | 6.3 mi to Mecca | — |
Who manages the camps near Palm Desert, CA
Who manages them: 30 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM.
- San Bernardino National Forest — 30 camps: 23 free, 6 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 32 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert, 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.