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The picturesque Fern Basin Campground is a perfect escape from a busy lifestyle. It provides peace and quiet in the mountains of southern California as well as access to countless recreational opportunities. Recreation Visitors to the area enjoy hiking on the Marion Mountain Trail, which leads to San Jacinto Peak. Views from the peak extend to the ocean and across the Palm Desert, as well as the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains on a clear day. The 11.8-mile Marion Mountain Trail is the shortest route up the mountain, but is also quite strenuous in areas. Facilities The campground offers multiple single-family campsites for both tent and RV camping. Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Vault toilets are also provided. Natural Features The campground is located in a grove of mixed oaks and shrubs. A surrounding mixed conifer forest provides spotty shade for the campground. It is situated at an elevation of about 6,300 feet, in the mountains overlooking California's desert. Nearby Attractions The campground is located approximately 50 miles southeast of San Bernardino, California, and about seven miles north of the small town of Idyllwild, which is known for its shops and restaurants. ADA Access: N
From Idyllwild, travel north on State Route 243 about 4 miles. Turn right at the campground sign and continue to Forest Service Road 4S02. Turn left and proceed less than a mile to an intersection. Continue straight on the Forest Service Road and turn left into the campground.
Nice off the grid camp ground.
Parking pads and fire rings (when in season) Nice concrete picnic tables in flat areas.
The bathroom wasn't kept well when I was there, but hey... You're in the woods, dog a hole.
Stayed here first week in October. Nights were cold but days were gorgeous!! We stayed in the week and the campsites were empty. Bathrooms are vault but surprisingly clean. We stayed in #21 and could smell the faint smell of the bathrooms once in awhile and bees were everywhere which was more annoying then anything.
This a a great little gem to choose if you’re looking for a quick weekend get away or if you’re just passing trough. It’s a small but cozy and very accessible campground. With water and restrooms available, but no showers and no electricity. At $10 you can’t beat the price.
Beautiful campground. We would totally come here again. The water wasn't working, due to issues with the tank. Thankfully we took enough water, as we only stood one night. There was a lot to explore outside of camp and inside.
I love this campground. It's a beautiful small campground nestled in the trees in the canyon. It has 22 sites....several first come first serve and then there are reserved spaces. I don't recommend long trailers. One man had a lot of trouble parking his 20 footer. The parking spaces are not really designed for that. It's geared towards tent camping. The bathrooms have a vault toilet in them. Currently there is no water available in Fern Basin Campground due to issues with the tanks. However, water is available at Marion Mountain Campground just up from Fern Basin. I really love staying here. I had no cell signal with Metro and another lady had T-Mobile and no signal. Her friend had one with Verizon. Please enjoy the beauty of the campground and help by picking up your trash and putting it in the dumpster provided. At $10 a night, you can't beat it. Very relaxing and peaceful.
