Looking for the best campgrounds near Idyllwild, CA? Idyllwild is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
$45 / night
"Really a fun lake to actually catch some fish. Kayaking, biking & boat rentals. Busy on weekends and empty during the week; it’s a great place to bring a tent or RV."
"You can fit two 10' x10' canopies to cover the bench table, and fit 2 individual tents (4-6 person) OR a bigger 12p tent however you decide to position it. It has its own Fire pit."
$10 / night
"Bathrooms were clean and parking was nice. Paved road all the way to your site. Not able to use fire pits due to fire restrictions."
"It was close to Idyllwild, which was convenient when we ran out of ice. There are no bear boxes, not sure if it was needed though. For the best spots, make sure to reserve."
"We really enjoyed the drive up Idylwild, beautiful scenery. I think the sites are a bit too close to each other, I would prefer more space between sites."
"When I first got to Idyllwild, a little heat wave was hanging around, but by the 2nd week, the weather was beautiful. They have plenty of spots for tents, RV’s, and cabins."
$22 - $44 / night
"We loved our location of our site, right by all the awesome amenities this place has! Our kids loved the pool and we couldn’t get enough of the hot mineral spring."
"This gem is located on the outskirts of Desert Hot Springs, CA. With two hot spring-fed pools and hot tubs (one of which is massive and SO luxe), we didn’t want to leave. Like, ever."
$25 - $45 / night
"The park does allow fires in the fire pits, of course. And the lake does have fish, so if you’re a fisherman you’re going to love this campground."
"Lake Skinner is spacious and can take any type of camper. Bathrooms & showers are clean. Store was well stocked. We will visit again."
"Near and clean campground with clean restrooms requiring a key code to enter. Two laundry rooms."
"The KOA is reasonably priced for KOA and California. 3 hot spring tubs. Pool is warm and wall stops wind. Many activities for kids miniature golf, jump board, play ground."
$90 / night
"It’s walking distance to downtown, across the street from a convenience store, Starbucks and restaurants, and has multiple hiking trails within walking distance, including one out the back gate."
"We spent 5 nights here and choose this location for it’s proximity to downtown, Aerial Tramway, and Joshua Tree. The park could be a gem once again, but currently worn down."
"When you enter the park, they give you a map and you drive around and choose the site you like and park."
"In the back of a small town 2 miles behind a stater brother's. Most sites are near level on gravel and close together. Laundry uses quarters or a third party app to pay."
$40 - $130 / night
"Also, you walk down a few stone steps to pitch your tent, so your car parked a level about you on the street provides nice privacy."
"I stumbled across this campground while looking for a nearby spot to set my tent up under some trees."
RangerWe stayed at Lake Hemet during a weekend in August and it was super crowed and hot. It has all the amenities to make for great car camping and fishing but a bit too noisy. Would be a great place for to camp with children. RV's and tents welcome. There's even a store at the entrance of the park if you need any last minute items you forgot. It's about 15 mins from Idyllwild if you want to escape the heat and/or do a little hiking.
GuideReally a fun lake to actually catch some fish. Kayaking, biking & boat rentals. Busy on weekends and empty during the week; it’s a great place to bring a tent or RV. No hookups unless you want to park in the full time resident area. Lots of water spigots/trash cans located throughout each zone. Friendly staff host & 25min. from idyllwild
TravelerWe travel Fulltime and have been to countless campgrounds and RV resorts. After spending some time roughing it in Utah this place was exactly what we needed! Christina greeted us with such kindness and attention it blew us away. We loved our location of our site, right by all the awesome amenities this place has! Our kids loved the pool and we couldn’t get enough of the hot mineral spring. The bathrooms are better than I think we’ve ever had, honestly, nice modern style, super clean and hot showers with great pressure. Laundry room was clean and conveniently located. There were more amenities like horse shoes and a really nice outdoor kitchen covered patio. What more could you ask for? I am shocked at how much you get for how much you pay! Beyond a great quality value here. I would recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a location that has easy access to Joshua tree, Palm Springs and we even took a day trip out to Oceanside. We loved our stay so much we ended up extending for a few more days. We for sure will be staying here next time we come through the area.
TravelerThis camp site is located walking distance to the lake. There are bike paths and walking trails located near the camp ground. The bathrooms are very well kept, everything is clean and the showers have warm water. Each camp site has more than enough room to set up tents and chairs and not feel cramped. My only ding about this campground would be the fire pits, which are 8 inches off the ground and the cooling grate is welding off to the side making inefficient to utilize for cooking. If you go during summer time there is a kayak rental shop walking distance from the camp grounds.
GuideThis campground is one of my favorites. My practical side enjoys the clean bathrooms with hot showers and proximity to markets for refills on ice and beer. My adventurous side enjoys the hikes, coyotes singing and clear skies to observe the night sky. This campground has been enjoyable every time I’ve gone. I’ve been to many campgrounds where neighbors keep you up late, but something about this location demands quiet enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, my friends and I stay up laughing around the campfire well after sunset but everyone seems to respect the quiet hours. The sites are spacious, each with a shade ramada, grill and fire-ring. The visitors center is a must see and there are numerous hiking trails near the campground. As beautiful as the wildflowers are during a super bloom, the crowds are super distracting. March is the best time of year to go, if there is a super bloom you’ll enjoy that, if not, you’ll enjoy the solitude.
TravelerJust out of the town of San Juan Capistrano, one might think that it is too city like. Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you. The electric hook up camp area to me unfortunately it’s too close to State Route 74 however I have never stayed there so I do not know what the noise is like. It is a nice area though and much better than camping in a trailer park that is filled with concrete. Live Oak is where my husband and I stay and I am not going to tell you the space because it is the most perfect of all. There is plenty of space between most of the campsites. It is quiet And very scenic. Upon arrival they were fliers and signs that warned us to be careful because they were mountain lions in the area. We have stayed there at least a dozen times and have never seen a mountain lion. There are also rattlesnakes and although we have never seen one, a friend who was visiting us so saw one on the road on their way to our site. We have truly enjoyed this campsite and campground. I have an area where they display the history of the area and the animals in the area. Very beautiful view as well up on the hill. Although we have never gone hiking, I hear there are many many trails that are very beautiful. I am disabled but the sides and the showers and bathrooms are very friendly to those who are disabled. This is one of my favorite campground and you don’t need to get on a year in advance to get a reservation! We did have a coyote one night in our campsite in our kitchen area, while we were sitting around the fire. Once we shooed him away, he ran off. Probably why no pets!
ScoutVisited the last 2 weeks of August. Great place for family and kids. Affordable. Campsite #295. You can fit two 10' x10' canopies to cover the bench table, and fit 2 individual tents (4-6 person) OR a bigger 12p tent however you decide to position it. It has its own Fire pit. Different campgrounds for all chosen methods (Tent, RV, Glamping, etc..) There's restrooms you can use. There's showers you can pay per use. The swim zone isn't too far from this campsite, 5-10 min walk w/ no accessories. If you have little ones, you can take them with a wagon but I'd recommend just driving your car with a few items to the zone. Bring your own shade for this campsite, your own water too. The marketplace is near the entrance BUT they only sell individual waters (No 48 pack types). You'll definitely hear your neighbors snore at night after a long day LOL.. quiet hours are from 10pm - 8am. Overall, this is a great spot. If you're lucky to snag other spots with trees covering you then great but this is still a good campsite. Happy camping! ... Oh yeah, T-Mobile no service up there (apparently Verizon, AT&T do)
TravelerSo this weekend, I got a wild hair up my butt to go camping. Keep in mind I’m 8 months pregnant and kept forgetting everything at my house.
With that said, I tried Silverwood to late and KNEW that it’d be packed. I was a bit disappointed but came across North shore.
It’s a nice little getaway from the hustle bustle with decent shade(depending on site) and relatively cool neighbors (campers).
I will say it’s down the way from a community hospital so you might here some forms of traffic including a rescue helicopter but it’s not an end all.
Again this was not my first choice. We got there and found no showers but they did have running toilets and cool tap water near our site. We totally lucked out and were able to switch with a couple who wanted more privacy and shade.
We eventually stayed on site 4 which was even and open. Our tent (as pictured) was nestled amongst the few trees on our site- only downside was the constant traffic going to and from sites 5/6- a bit of a drag. I felt like it was the prefect spot given the leveled ground and the fact that we had a kid and dog posse.
But let me tell you about the ranger named Shawn. Omg, he’s a character but he’s a good one. Gave him a tip, he tried to help us not spend money unnecessarily on wood and lent us his ax to go collect nearby. Super chill, down to earth guy who was just generally a lover of nature- you could tell.
Again, no showers. A bit of noise, but manageable. Quiet hours are the usual 10-7 but we unfortunately were situated next to a group that violated both times- how can someone go to bed after 10 and manage to wake up before 7 and make noise is beyond me....but it’s also been a while since I knew what having no kids and a dog meant- lol.
Would recommend IF you reserve a decent site. The first one we originally had was 3, super hilly and not leveled. Recommend 4,5,6 if you can and even the one right next to that (assuming it’s 7). Lake is a stones throw away!
Hope that helps!
ScoutStayed in site #73 this past weekend. I wouldn't recommend that spot. It is too close to #74. They are both large spots but the actually fire pits are too close to eachother. Luckily there was a nice family staying next to us so we hardly noticed them. Had they been too loud it could have ruined the trip. Also this spot had very little shade in the afternoon when the sun was the hottest.
The bathrooms were shut down for maintenance in that loop so they offered portable toilets which got full quick. The hand washing station ran out of water the second day and was never refilled so you had to go back to your site to wash your hands. The running water coming from the spigot was orange and frothy and had a sign saying not to use it for drinking.
The hiking trail that was near by was the best part. Tons of wildflowers everywhere and beautiful views.
I probably won't come back to this campground next time I got camping. There are campgrounds closer to San Diego that are have bigger sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Idyllwild, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Idyllwild, CA is Lake Hemet Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 39 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Idyllwild, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 49 glamping camping locations near Idyllwild, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
