Are you in need of a campground near Angeles National Forest, CA? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Discover great camping spots near Angeles National Forest, reviewed by campers like you.
$12 / night
"There are a few campgrounds in this area of the Angeles National Forest. Horse Flats is not as popular as Buckhorn, and is a little less "green" with regards to the immediate scenery."
"Horse Flats is a popular campground deep in Angeles National Forest.
There are a bunch of sites (more than 20) and there are vault toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables."
"great views 360 degrees once you're on top. a 7 mile hike north on the Pacific Crest Trail from mill creek fire station. fire rings with multiple spots"
"But otherwise a great spot to spend a few summer days away from anyone not hale enough to trek in a few miles."
"Crossing the tiny bridge at the west end of Switzer Picinic area(park up top during the weekdays, adds half a mile), you’ll see Switzer Trail Camp."
"A little remote and you have to drive to the nearest town(s), but clean grounds and nice site. Very easy to book online.
The RV park is pretty large so it's a nice daily walk."
"I didn’t actually stay here as I was looking for a tent camping spot, but I did drive around the facility and it was super clean and looked like a great spot if you’ve got an RV."
$45 - $225 / night
"It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well."
"The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the camp host super friendly and helpful, the bathrooms well positioned and clean, and the sites had shade and everything we needed."
"This is a very nice campground near everything but still away from it all. No issues parking our 42' 5th wheel here. Clean and quiet despite the peacocks. They can be rather loud when startled."
"This campground happens to be very close to home so we went here to try out our brand new pull behind camper trailer for the very first time.
The campground is small, quiet and very well-kept."
$7 / night
"If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction."
"Although it’s not the most scenic campground itself, the state park has plenty of beauty to offer on its hiking trails. Not a single other party at the campsite on a Tuesday in September."
LegendDisregard the "closed for the season" post in the name - this campground is open.
There are a few campgrounds in this area of the Angeles National Forest. Horse Flats is not as popular as Buckhorn, and is a little less "green" with regards to the immediate scenery. It is also quieter for this reason, which is nice. The individual sites are large and spread out from each other, so it is easy to have some privacy. Make sure to get food and firewood before you start the drive up the mountain, as there is no place to purchase such supplies near the camps.
TravelerHorse Flats is a popular campground deep in Angeles National Forest.
There are a bunch of sites (more than 20) and there are vault toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables.
$12 fee per site, not sure how many cars that means but you might need the adventure pass if you have a lot of other cars parking overnight.
It's a great escape from the city, about an hour from DTLA. Popular with climbers as there's bouldering in the area.
Know before you go - it's closed from November-ish to April-ish - so check the forest website before you head out there.
When driving there, you take a left off the 2 and it's a little past Bandido Group site. Some people have a hard time finding it their first time going.
LegendCampground Review
We come to this campground throughout the year, and its one of our favorite spots for summer camping when we're short on time. It's an hours drive from LA and because the campground is at elevation it stays cooler during the hot months. This is my third review for this campground, and one thing I will say that I've noticed over time is that as the popularity of the campground has increased, so has the noise. We've been kept awake by other campsites on three different occasions now. Part of the issue is that rangers aren't regularly monitoring in order to enforce the quiet hours. We usually only see rangers come around in the morning. With that said, we still like Horse Flats because there is usually a spot or two open if we arrive on a Saturday. Also, the sites are relatively well spread out compared to other SoCal camping options. And it's dog friendly, which is a must for us.
Things to know before coming
Things to do nearby
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products to review for some of my camping trips. On this trip, we tested out two meals from Mountain House. (See my review of other meal options in my Meander Lake campground review). After cooking these pre-made camping meals, I may never go back! On this trip we had the Noodle with Chicken for dinner and Granola with Milk and Blueberries for breakfast. They were seriously DELICIOUS. Better than anything I can cook with my backcountry kitchen set-up. Here's what I love about these meals:
All in all, I'd say these meals are a game changer for short trips or backcountry camping , when you want to pack minimally. If you're doing a week of camping with easy access to your car, then these meals aren't necessarily your cheapest option for the whole week, but it's totally worth the money in terms of taste and convenience (so you can spend more time on other outdoor activities!).
There are only two things I'd like to see change to further improve Mountain House meals. First, there are no vegan options, and very few vegetarian options. Second, I find the serving amounts to be unhelpful in their current format, because the calories per serving are so low. For example, with the Noodle with Chicken, the pouch says "2.5 services", but there are only 220 calories per serving. If this were your sole meal item for dinner, I'd say that more like 1 serving, especially if you're consuming these meals after a day of rock climbing or hiking. So if I meal plan with Mountain House pouches, you have to calculate servings based on the calories, rendering the "servings" as advertised uninformative.
GuideMusch Camp is an easy one mile hike from from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park. If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction. This will add a few more miles to your hike and allow you to make a loop by hiking back to Trippet Ranch via the one mile Musch Trail.
The cost is $7 per person per night. You can pay at the Entrance Station at the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot or the Iron Ranger at the camp. If you are parking your vehicle overnight in the parking lot please leave a note on your dashboard so that the Rangers are aware that you are camping at Musch Camp.
The campground has around 6 campsites in two sections surrounded by fencing. Each site has a picnic table. FIRES ARE NOT ALLOWED. There is also a restroom with flush toilets' and sinks as well as a water spigot. There are also horse corrals across the trail from the campground. Some of the sites have shade.
There are meadows down the trail on either side of the campground. There is limited cell service at the campground.
RangerI recently moved to WA from Los Angeles so this review is legit 😁 This was and still continues to be one of my favorite campsite close to Los Angeles, I have plenty of fond memories with close friends at this site. It’s completely exposed all the way to the top, a well worth 3 mile uphill hike to three different camp sites. My favorite is the middle site where you get a clear view of the city, beautiful views at night. They say there’s no water but there is, there’s a spout located by the restroom close to the museum, you’ll have to treat it before using (but don’t take my word for it, they tend to shut it off so take plenty of water for your time there and check it out if you need more) If you continue past the middle campsite to the upper site, you’ll have plenty of space for tents and hammocks just no view due to the trees on the edge. If you continue on that trail for another 3 miles i believe, you’ll get to idlehour campground. It’s a small site right next to a creek, you can continue on to Mt Lowe campground and inspiration point. Back to Henninger, plenty of trees for hammocks and sometimes they have firewood collected. At the museum you can buy soda cans so take some change. Hauling a 24 pack of cold Modelos in my pack was not fun at all, but boy did they taste good at the top hahaha. Bugs can get annoying so carry some bug spray, hang your food and PACK IT OUT!!! Leave no trace behind.
LegendWe camped here this weekend, which is the latest we’ve gone before the winter months. This past week had record high temperatures for all of Southern California, so I can’t say how representative our experience was compared to typically late fall trips in other years. The temperature was warm during the day, but we definitely brought layers and adequate sleeping gear for the night. Even though it was 79 degrees in the day, temperature got down to 54 at night. We were surprised to find the campground sites mostly claimed. Probably 75% full by Saturday afternoon. Again, this experience might be an anomaly due to the warmer weather
GuideClose by campsite and pitstop on the way to Mt. Wilson. Great overlook of the Los Angeles. Lots of bugs around good thing we had a head net. Not many people around when we were camping so it was pretty quiet.
GuideAt $45/night this campground is the most I have paid thus far. I also believe it is worth it as well. It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well. For hot showers you will need to purchase tokens at .50 cents each for 2 minutes of hot water. 8 minute hot shower will set you back $2 or take a cold shower for free. The gate to the park closes at 10pm. The campground is tucked away behind all the day use parking area so you won’t be bothered by that if you’re staying multiple days. Not much all spots have shade but the majority of spots do.
RangerI have camped here many times over the years. It’s an absurdly expensive campground. It’s close to LA so I assume that is why they feel they can charge so much for a mediocre campground. The sites are close together and I camped here once when it was almost empty but they blocked off half the campground so you couldn’t get away from even just a few neighboring campers. There is a lot of cool stuff in the park like the old MASH set and a rock pool to swim in. But the campground itself is just OK.
Horse camping near Angeles National Forest in California offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to unwind and connect with nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Angeles National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Angeles National Forest is Horse Flats Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Angeles National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Angeles National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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