Established Camping

Messenger Flats Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS OF 2023

Messenger Flats Campground is located in the Angeles National Forest near Palmdale, CA. The terrain consists of forested areas with elevations that provide views of the surrounding landscape. Temperatures can range from 30°F in winter to 90°F in summer, and nearby attractions include hiking trails and scenic overlooks within the national forest.

Description

National Forest

Angeles National Forest

January 2023 - TEMPORARILY CLOSED for the season and for a restoration project.

Elevation 5,500 feet. 10 campsites. $12 per site per night. Campsites are first come - first served. Two corral stalls provided. Located adjacent to the Pacific Crest Trail. Call (818) 899-1900 for current conditions and additional information.

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Location

Messenger Flats Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED AS OF 2023 is located in California

Directions

From Interstate 210 in La Canada exit at Angeles Crest Hwy (Hwy. 2) and drive north for 9 miles. Turn left onto the Angeles Forest Hwy (County Rd. N3) and drive about 12 miles to Mill Creek Summit. Turn left on Santa Clara Divide Rd. and continue 9 miles to the campground.

Coordinates

34.37994344 N
118.1894504 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Tent Sites

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Toilets
Pets

Contact

General Info

Drive Time

1 hr 36 min from Los Angeles
2 hrs 10 min from Oxnard
2 hrs 22 min from Bakersfield
3 hrs 20 min from San Diego

Alexa S.

Guide

Reviewed May. 24, 2017

Currently closed (2017)

We stayed at Messenger Flats while hiking the PCT, only because you can camp anywhere within 20 ft and we wound up arriving at camp well past dark. We were surprised to find that the campground was closed but had clearly been used by hikers for the past season. We met a ranger the following day at a water cache not too far from the campground, and he told us that the entire national forest (except for the trail) was closed to camping due to fire damage from previous years.

The campground was a nice place to stop. When in full service, it has pit toilets, and each site has a picnic table. There's beautiful views of the ocean on clear days, we could even see the Channel Islands and the LA lights once the sun set hiking in.

I highly recommend staying here once it reopens. It's a great, pretty secluded campsite.

Month of VisitMay