Best Tent Camping near Azusa, CA

Been here many times since it is local to me.

This place has changed a lot over the years, and not necessarily for the good, in my opinion.

What there is:

• Trailer camping
• Tent camping
• Fishing
• A playground
• Small water park
• Two lakes to fish at
• Trains, lots of them
• Bathrooms with showers
• Frisbee golf
• Picnic tables and shelters

What there is no longer:

• Paddle boats
• Horse riding stables
• Horses and cows
• Other interesting animals
• Water in the grass fields where the animals roamed
• Arenas

Beware of skunks and loud trains!

It is still a somewhat nice place to visit for a couple hours with the kids.

We have camped in a tent. The tents sites are adjacent to the lake.

Trailer camping isn't too bad, other than being adjacent to the busy railroad. Most sites have grass.

Access to this campground is so easy, whether it's by car or by bike. I have bikepacked here a couple times now; once biking up Highway 39 from Azusa (after taking the Metro Gold Line to Azusa), and once driving up the 39 with bikes and bags in the trunk.

The trailhead to the campground is impossible to miss, as it is marked by a large parking lot and a sign marked "Cogswell Dam". This campground is so perfect for bikepacking novices or those looking to do a gear check because it's an honest 6.5 miles of a relatively flat paved road. If you're trying to bike_fish_ (it's a thing), this road is lined with fishing platforms for all sorts of trout, as the road follows a river the entire way.

The campsite itself is relatively large, with two vault toilets and two bear-safe trash cans. There are at least 5 campsites with picnic tables The river lining the road to the campsite is very accessible, and is perfect as a water source, or washing camp dishes.

While bugs are an inevitable aspect of being outdoors, the biting gnats and/or mosquitos are very formidable in the summer. We had some "natural" bug spray that had little to no effect, so you might want to bring your bug repellant A-game if bugs bother you.

Overall this campground is near and dear to my heart as it was my first bikepacking experience. If you're looking to introduce a bunch of friends to bikepacking, or backpacking, bikefishing, fishpacking (?), then this is the place to do it.

This is your typical regional park Campground. There’s a lot to do here, including fishing, playgrounds, and even a waterpark in the summer. The bathrooms are decent, no showers.

We stayed in group campsite A. Tent camping is only allowed in group sites. They do have about 30 to 40 RV sites as well. The tent camping sites come with plenty of space for group camping. There’s a built-in grill and running water.

There’s no larger wildlife, like bears, so less stressful when you have pets or kids. Plenty of space to bring bikes and ride around. There’s a large community park right next-door where you can go and play baseball, basketball, sand volleyball, or frisbee.

We’ve been here several times over the last few years and really enjoy a nice quiet place close to home.