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Coldbrook Campground offers 22 shaded campsites* at the intersection of Coldbrook and Soldier Creeks that are open year round. Available on a first-come, first-serve basis, each campsite can fit up eight people and two vehicles (additional fee applies for the second vehicle). This campground is less populated then nearby Crystal Lake Recreation Area. However, it does reach capacity on most summer weekends. Each campsite has a fire pit and grill, and picnic tables are available on the grounds. Potable water is available on the campgrounds. The trailhead for the 7-mile round trip hike to the summit of Smith Mountain is just 1/3 of a mile away and the popular Bridge to Nowhere hike is a short drive away. RV's are allowed up to 22 feet, but there are no hookups for electricity or waste. *Note: Camping - $12 per night per site, $5 for extra vehicle. Day use - $5 per vehicle. Adventure Pass will be honored for day use. Campsites are first-come-first-served. Adventure Pass required for vehicles parked outside the campground. A California Campfire Permit is required.
From Azusa, CA, take State Rt. 39 (San Gabriel Cyn Rd) north 14.4 miles to campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground.
Ron the campground host was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. He did a great job of upkeep of the grounds and restrooms. I enjoyed my stay there. It was quiet and the campsites were good sized and not squeezed in together like some campgrounds. I would recommend this spot to friends and family.
Let me start with the water, its clean and its super cold! Thats why its called COLDbrook for a reason! The campsites are first come first serve. The bathrooms are pit bathrooms. There is running faucets but no shower. No ranger on site.
Its a nice campsite. I will definitely come back here!
It’s a beautiful campground. Very small, and first come, first serve, so get there early. The brook is freezing, but clean and fresh.
Also, BEARS. We went on Labor Day weekend and saw bears both nights. We left our ice chest for about 15 mins to go for a walk at dusk, and came back to a very large bear going through it. He wasn’t aggressive, but also wasn’t scared of us at all. Our site butted against the mountain and he slowly made his way up and hung out for a bit. Our neighbors had a gun to try and scare him away, but he didn’t flinch. Eventually he got sick of us bothering him and he went on his way. Even tho we packed our stuff away very tight, he still came back through our site in the middle of the night and caused some damage.
On night 2 We heard sites around us trying to scare another one off. Lots of yelling, flashing lights, or honking horns. Again, these bears did not seem aggressive—they really only wanted food. BUT they were not scared of people at all, so just be prepared to see them. Bring bear spray. And be smart with putting all food away at night. Like locked in an ice chest, in a car away. They still may come to your site, especially if you cooked, but if they can’t find anything, they’ll be on their way.
Oh and we briefly saw the host, but they never warned anyone about bear sightings or checked in after it was clear multiple sites were trying to scare them off. Not sure if that’s their job, but it would have been a nice gesture. I’m sure these bears frequent this area.
Oh and bugs. Be very prepared with bug spray, and a place to escape at night. There were lots of them. We brought an easy up/bug net but the bear broke it the first night trying to get to our kitchen.
Also be prepared for cold/wet. The elevation is somewhat high and you’re in a mountain so often times it’ll just starts drizzling or everything gets wet because you’re in a cloud.
Dang I love this place. What makes this place so special is that there a all year round flowing creek shaded with Elms and so much foliage and special plants. The campgrounds however are very close to each other, so yes, no privacy or immune to not so quiet campers. It’s a small number of campgrounds with 3 loops. And the other down side is that during the nights, you will hear cars racing up and down. But, if you go the very back loop, it certainly helps with the noise.
It is first come first serve, so definitely plan when no holidays or during the summer for sure.
Here is my dilemma though. Sadly most people who come here much like other areas that have water, there is so much trash everywhere including in the creeks. Which means, it’s a constant place for Bear encounters which I personally experienced having one bear actually walking up in my sleep and pull at my hair. I’m not one to panico but clearly the bears here are so used to humans leaving foods out and NOT secure. I DO NOT leave any of my foods out and are secured in my vehicle. Which means this bear was Way to darn curious as to why I sleep on the ground in the open. Oh, a tent won’t stop a bear if you leave foods out exposed near you or in your tents.
Coldbrook Campground in San Gabriel Canyon deserves every bit of its five stars! Ron, the camp host, is incredibly cool and has been maintaining the place for over ten years. The campground is spotless, thanks to Ron's dedication. He's not only inviting but also genuinely welcoming. The overall atmosphere is really nice—I thoroughly enjoy my time there.
