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Submission
Developed campsites are available in Mount San Jacinto State Park at Idyllwild and Stone Creek campgrounds. Reservations are recommended; visit www.parks.ca.gov or call (800) 444-7275 up to six months in advance. Summer weekends fill quickly.
Sites accommodate motor homes or trailers up to 24 feet long. Winter camping demands preparation and good equipment. In the San Bernardino National Forest, developed campsites may be reserved by calling United States Forest Service (USFS) at (877) 444-6777.
Hike-in Camping A Wilderness Camping Permit is required. California State Parks and the USFS manage the two wilderness areas in the San Jacinto
Mountains. Camping permits must be obtained from the agency that administers the area where you plan to camp. This permit serves as a hike-through pass within all state park and US Forest Service boundaries. For weekend camping in one of the four state wilderness campgrounds, obtaining a camping permit in advance is highly recommended.
Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness permit applications are available at www.parks.ca.gov/msjsp. Allow at least two weeks before your visit for valid permits to be issued and returned to you. For USFS camping info and permits, visit www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf.
Within the state wilderness boundaries, camping is permitted only in designated campsites .
Coming from the 10 Freeway East: Exit 8th Street (243) in Banning. Right on 8th Street. Left on Lincoln. Right on San Gorgonio. Follow Hwy 243 signs to Idyllwild; Coming fom the 10 Freeway West: Exit 8th Street (243) in Banning. Left on 8th Street. Left on Lincoln. Right on San Gorgonio. Follow Hwy 243 signs to Idyllwild.
Close to town, mostly tent spots with some RV. Clean bathrooms, no trash.
Clean bathrooms, well maintained campsite, and ranger station at the campground was really nice to have. They are knowledgeable and can help with hike recommendations, parking fees, and permits. The site is close to town, a nature center, and deer springs trailhead so it's a great spot to be for any activity you're interested in. The board next to the station displayed useful information for the campground and check in was easily completed in the morning when we arrived after hours. Would recommend!
As a beginner camper, my first experience at this campsite was truly remarkable. Despite arriving during a winter storm, we opted for campsite 4 with an electricity hookup, which worked well for car camping in Tesla. Even though we had to shovel our way into the site, the snowy scenery added to the surreal beauty of the location, especially considering it's only an hour and a half drive from LA.
The campground itself was great, with a surprising level of quietness even though it's near the main road, this could be due to the weather conditions, but regardless, campground had clean bathrooms, friendly staff, and a ranger who periodically drove around the campground which made us felt safe.
We definitely plan on returning during a warmer season to take advantage of the hiking trails and bask in the natural scenery once again.
This turned out to be a nice little campground. We called to see if there were any cancellations for a one night trip and we got lucky. We stayed here on a Friday before Labor Day so it ended up getting pretty full. The bathrooms and showers are super clean and you get a 5 min hot shower for a buck. The sites are all nice and decently spread out. Fire rings and a grill top to cook on are all present as well as water spickets. Our only complaint was that it was kinda noisy in the morning. One from being so busy and the road that's right behind the site had a good amount of traffice. We will stay here again for sure. Being close enough to the town to walk there is a huge plus. You can get food from the store and come back to grill it at your site.
