By:
Submission
Currently NO toilet facilities at this site.
Just above Crystal Lake lies Little Jimmy trail camp...a backcountry campground nestled just 2 miles off the Angeles Crest Highway.
It features seven first-come, first-served sites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault/composting toilets, and vintage backcountry ovens.
Hike-in only (2.5 miles one-way). After parking your vehicle at Islip Saddle, cross the highway and begin hiking for 2.5 miles up the switchbacks until you reach Little Jimmy Campground on your right.
Popular with Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, this scenic spot offers a chance to get away from established campgrounds and live amongst the Coulter Pines and Bigcone Douglas Firs.
Campers turned hikers have easy access to hop on the legendary Pacific Crest Trail which runs through the camp.
There is no fee to camp here other than an Adventure Pass for your parking. In the summertime, bears can be common visitors, so it please secure your food and scented items in bear-proof boxes provided or bring your own bear canisters. As always, make sure you follow the "Leave No Trace" principles and pack everything in and out!
First-Come-First-Served
A 6 mile trail ends at base camp. There are good pit toilets, an outdoor wood grill a couple picnic tables etc. And running clear water spring. Warning: I have seen 10 foot snowpacks as late as may here! The road is closer to an emergency road that was poorly paved... but if you hike it you can do it in 8 to 10 hours at a brisk pace.
The perfect little campground. The 16 sites located here allow you to know where several of your neighbors are without them breathing down your neck. Each site is complete with a metal bear-box for keeping your food safe from bears and other predators. Plenty of wonderful hikes to experience from here if you make this your base camp! Bring a trowel if you’re staying at Little Jimmy, as the bathrooms on site are either boarded up or home to quite a mess of bugs and other animals.
The hike to the campground is kind of steep so be ready for that if you're backpacking. It's about 2.1 miles to get to the campground.
The main downside to this campground is that it's very popular with girl and boy scouts. I don't know about you, but when I am out in nature, I prefer to be away from yelling children. I still enjoyed my outing but I can't deny that it was kind of frustrating having so many kids running around and yelling when you're trying to relax and enjoy some quiet nature time.
Within walking distance of the campground is Islip Peak. I recommend taking to short (1.1 miles) hike to the peak for some gorgeous views of the forest.
My favorite campground in the Angeles National Forest. Easy hike in, a little over 2 miles, and the spring is almost always running. You don't even need to filter the water. It can be a popular spot so he developed campsites may fill up quickly, but there are plenty of places to put up a tent all around. Hike up to Mt Islip and enjoy the views on a clear day. If the PCT hikers are coming through, it will be very crowded though.
Beautiful scenery and great place to camp! If you hike in from the bottom be prepared for some steep terrain. Well worth it, I just packed a little bit heavy which I will not do next time. Either way amazing place and will definitely be going back again.
