Free camping near Palmdale, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Palmdale, CA there are 34 camps: 15 free, 16 fee, 3 unpriced. The closest is Rocky Point, 9.3 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Big Buck Trail Camp, 14 miles out.
Who manages them: 34 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Point | 9.3 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Sage | 9.6 | Fee | — | 4.6 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Basin | 10 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Big Buck Trail Camp | 14 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Singing Springs | — |
| Mt. Pacifico | 15 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Messenger Flats | 15 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Acton | — |
| Lightning Point | 16 | Fee | — | 8.6 mi to Acton | — |
| Spunky | 16 | Free | — | 0.9 mi to Green Valley | — |
| Rowher Flats OHV Area #1 | 16 | Free | Texas Canyon (stream) | 1.6 mi to Sleepy Valley | — |
| Sulphur Springs Trail Camp | 17 | Free | South Fork Little Rock Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Chilao | — |
| Monte Cristo | 17 | Fee | — | 10 mi to La Crescenta-Montrose | — |
| Bandido | 18 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Horse Flats | 18 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Streamside | 19 | Free | Mystic Canyon (stream) | 3.2 mi to Las Cantilles | — |
| Cooper Canyon Trail Camp | 19 | Free | Cooper Canyon Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Coulter Group Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Chilao | — |
| Chilao Campgrounds | 19 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Sycamore Flat | 20 | Fee | Big Rock Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Old Point Comfort | — |
| Buckhorn | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Duarte | — |
| Zuni | 21 | Free | Texas Canyon (stream) | 0.1 mi to Las Cantilles | — |
| South Fork | 21 | Fee | South Fork Big Rock Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Paradise Springs | — |
| Live Oak Cg | 22 | Free | Bear Canyon (stream) | 3.1 mi to Humphreys | — |
| Cottonwood | 23 | Free | — | — | — |
| Little Jimmy Campground | 23 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Valley Forge Trail Camp | 23 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.9 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Big Rock Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Big Rock Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mile High | — |
| Deer Flat | 23 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 24 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| West Fork Trail Camp | 24 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Bear Canyon Trail Camp | 24 | Free | — | — | — |
| Oakwilde | 24 | Free | Brown Canyon (stream) | 2.4 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Bear Canyon | 24 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Altadena | — |
| Devore Trail Camp | 24 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Palmdale, 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.