Free camping near South El Monte, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of South El Monte, CA there are 32 camps: 18 free, 12 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Hoegees, 11 miles north of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Hoegees, 11 miles out.
Who manages them: 32 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoegees | 11 | Free | — | — | — |
| Idlehour Trail Camp | 11 | Free | Eaton Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Spruce Grove Trail Camp | 12 | Free | Santa Anita Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Spring Camp | 12 | Free | Monrovia Canyon (stream) | 4.7 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Mt. Lowe Trail Camp | 13 | Free | Las Flores Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Millard Trail Camp | 13 | Free | Millard Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Altadena | — |
| Devore Trail Camp | 13 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 2.1 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| West Fork Trail Camp | 14 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.7 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Gould Mesa Trail Camp | 14 | Free | Arroyo Seco (stream) | 1.9 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Bear Canyon | 14 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 3.5 mi to Altadena | — |
| Valley Forge Trail Camp | 14 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (stream) | 1.9 mi to Mount Wilson | — |
| Glenn Camp Campground | 14 | Free | West Fork San Gabriel River (river) | 6.6 mi to Bradbury | — |
| Bear Canyon Trail Camp | 14 | Free | — | — | — |
| Gould Mesa | 15 | Free | Debris Basin (water) | 0.6 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Oakwilde | 16 | Free | Brown Canyon (stream) | 2.4 mi to Altacanyada | — |
| Chilao Campgrounds | 19 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Coulter Group Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Chilao | — |
| Horse Flats | 20 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Coldbrook | 20 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Glendora | — |
| Monte Cristo | 21 | Fee | — | 10 mi to La Crescenta-Montrose | — |
| Bandido | 21 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Sierra Madre | — |
| Buckhorn | 22 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Duarte | — |
| Sulphur Springs Trail Camp | 22 | Free | South Fork Little Rock Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Chilao | — |
| Crystal Lake Recreation Area | 22 | Unpriced | Crystal Lake (water) | 0.3 mi to Crystal Lake | — |
| Crystal Lake Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Cooper Canyon Trail Camp | 23 | Free | Cooper Canyon Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Deer Flat | 23 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Wrightwood | — |
| Mt. Pacifico | 23 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Littlerock | — |
| Lightning Point | 24 | Fee | — | 8.6 mi to Acton | — |
| Big Buck Trail Camp | 24 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Singing Springs | — |
| Little Jimmy Campground | 24 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Messenger Flats | 24 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Acton | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from South El Monte, 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.