Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Big Bear Lake, CA

this camp ground was the first I stayed in while growing up. It sits right along the head waters of the Santa Ana river, and is a perfect spot for fishermen looking to get and early jump on the river in fishing season, or for hikers looking to take the Santa Ana trail into the San Gorgonio wilderness. It is also only about 20 min out from Big Bear Lake. the grounds are equipped with fresh water from pumps, restrooms, as well as picnic tables and fire rings.

One of my favorite parts about this campground is that it is surrounded by cedar trees, providing amazing shade to the grounds from the hot summer sun. However, As I said, it sits along the river, which mean it is in a valley like formation of the mountain. due to this it can get chilly quickly in these sites regardless of the season.

the campground is much smaller than many others in the area, some close together, and the whole campground has been recently renovated. it hasn’t been open for nearly two seasons in a row now, however it does look ready to go, so hopefully next.

By far this has got to be the best and largest campground on the 38. First reason is the pricing. At only $21 per night for a single site, this is the best priced campground in the area excluding free yellow post sites. With this price however you get the basics. No showers, no rv dump station, just water from the pipe, toilets, picnic tables, fire ring, and a bear box. can’t complain about that though.

second reason; there are many many sites to choose from. this camp ground has several loops that each contain roughly 20 campsites, sometimes more. on any given day you should be able to drive up, though a reservation is definitely still recommended.

3rd; the location. Topography-wise this camp sits right over a small meadow that boarders the San Gorgonio wilderness. it sits higher above the highway and displaces sound nicely. this spot is excellent for wildlife viewing and entry to the wilderness for hiking and exploring. The campground is also littered with tall standing pines and even some massive junipers, providing ample shade. You can’t help but feel like your are elsewhere like the Eastern Sierra with the dry desert winds the blow in and chill on the mountains and the smell of the sage brush. This campground is only about 20 min out from big bear lake as well, and does have cell reception (unfortunately).

Highly recommend sites 32, 37, 47, 58, or 24 & 49 which are both double sites. This was due to their more isolated positioning to other spots, shade, flat ground, and proximity to bathrooms and the beautiful little meadow where deer graze in the evenings. happy trails.

Bit of a hassle getting up the washboard dirt road from Fawnskin but what you gain is worth it! No cell service except legend has it that site 37 has service if you stand on the rocks. We were at site 22, got occasional Verizon service in one corner of the driveway. Steep incline down to picnic table, tent area, and Bear locker. Almost no shade at this site. The draw for this campground even with pit and chemical toilets and little shade in the Westernmost loop, is access to the hiking trail (camp near the #50-60 sites to get closer to trailhead. Southern Sierra vibe, so close to Big Bear Lake and its amenities but you really feel isolated. Gets crowded and can be noisy on weekends but midweek is quite empty and usually peaceful.