San Jacinto - Santa Rosa Mountains Recreation Area

High elevation dispersed camping at 14 Yellow Post sites in the gorgeous Santa Rosa Mountains are awesome!  Easily navigated with Google maps and we had good Verizon signal for most of the way up and at our site at 7900'.  A maintained dirt road, 7S02 Santa Rosa Truck Trail, takes you up to the various sites, and is accessible by 2-wheel drive vehicles.  We saw plenty at the top, just be cautious as you drive up.  There is potable water only near sites 3 and 4 and there are vault toilets near sites 10-14, no other services available otherwise.  These are dispersed camping sites with no trash receptacles, so be sure to pack out what you carry in.  Leave it better than you found it and pick up trash that you find.  Spectacular sunrises/sunsets and the star gazing is EXCELLENT!  We saw the Starlink satellites, too.  A walk or drive up to the top of the hill will provide a phenomenal view of the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego areas. 

Fire permits are available online and are required for ANY type of open flame, including a camp stove.  Campfires must only be built in the designated metal rings.  Ignore the self-made rock rings as they are not authorized and can be very dangerous.  Respect the regulations as a wild fire could make evacuation extremely difficult.  Know before you go and do your homework to find out if fires are allowed even with a permit as conditions change. 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=74096