Free camping near Winchester, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Winchester, CA there are 28 camps: 16 free, 9 fee, 3 unpriced. The closest is Wildomar Campground, 18 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Yellow Post 2, 18 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 28 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildomar Campground | 18 | Unpriced | — | 4.1 mi to La Cresta Highlands | — |
| Yellow Post 2 | 18 | Free | Stone Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Cove | — |
| Dripping Springs Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Arroyo Seco Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Butterfield Lake Estates | — |
| El Cariso Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Lake Elsinore | — |
| Boulder Basin Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Fern Basin Campground | 20 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.7 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 21 | Fee | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 1.5 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #1 | 21 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Dark Canyon Campground | 21 | Unpriced | North Fork San Jacinto River (river) | 0.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Seven Pines Yellow Post Sites | 21 | Free | — | — | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #3 | 21 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #4 | 21 | Free | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Group Campground | 21 | Fee | Brown Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| Black Mountain Yellow Post #6 | 21 | Free | West Fork Snow Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Pine Wood | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #1 | 21 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #3 | 22 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| Upper San Juan Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Lakeland | — |
| Upper San Juan Campground | 22 | Fee | San Juan Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to San Juan Hot Springs | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post #2 | 22 | Free | Dry Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Idyllwild | — |
| Falcon Group Camp | 22 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Lakeland | — |
| Blue Jay Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Lakeland | — |
| Falcon Group Campsite | 22 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Horsethief Canyon Ranch | — |
| South Ridge Yellow Post Sites | 23 | Free | — | 2.6 mi to Idyllwild-Pine Cove | — |
| Tenaja Campground (Closed) | 23 | Free | San Mateo Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to La Cresta Highlands | — |
| Apple Canyon Yellow Post Sites | 24 | Free | Antsell Rock Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Center | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 24 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Ramona Campground | 25 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
| Tool Box Springs Campground | 25 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Thomas Mountain | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Winchester, 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.