Several cabin campgrounds operate within the Angeles National Forest and surrounding areas near Sierra Madre, California. Crystal Lake Recreation Area features rustic cabins with basic furnishings while Millard Trail Campground offers a limited number of small cabin rentals along a creek. Most locations provide fire pits, picnic tables, and vault toilets, but amenities vary significantly between sites. Electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing are available at some locations but not all. The more developed properties like Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon include fully furnished cabins with kitchen facilities. "We spent 5 days and didn't really see a soul. If you like to read, enjoy sunsets, exercise and travel to local spots of interest or just stay put. This is a spot for you," noted one visitor about the peaceful cabin experience at Antfarm LA.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. The historic Zorthian Ranch provides more secluded cabin options with picnic areas and trails, while Huttopia Paradise Springs offers 71 furnished cabin units with electric hookups and private showers. Reservations are essential at most properties, particularly during summer months when facilities reach capacity. Pet policies vary by location—Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon and LA RV Resort at Acton permit pets in their cabins, while others maintain strict no-pet policies. One camper mentioned, "I saw my first rattlesnake and heard the coyotes at night. Very peaceful spot for a long weekend."
Most cabins require visitors to bring their own linens, pillows, and sleeping bags unless staying at premium locations like The White Lodge, which provides more complete furnishings. Basic cabins typically include beds, seating areas, and sometimes small tables, but kitchen facilities are limited or nonexistent. On-site camp stores at Crystal Lake Recreation Area stock essentials and simple food items. "There is a camp store near by just in case someone forgets their coffee mug or if you need some more firewood," explained a repeat visitor. Cabin guests should also pack flashlights, insect repellent, and appropriate seasonal clothing as mountain temperatures can fluctuate significantly, especially at higher elevations.
"Has a fire pit at each spot. Has picnic table, but very splintery, bring covers. Most sites have tree coverage."
"There are lots of spacious camping sites, clean bathrooms, running water, numerous of shade trees, and a cafe/store for all the things you forgot or for a ice cream treat on a hot day!"
"Cool drive to get to the campground. You drive up and down these hilly roads up the mountain to get there. Once there, there's a parking lot that fits about 20 cars."
"Fun little campground with decent facilities and beautiful surroundings. Lots of trails all around with a nice hike of about 1/2 mile up to Millard Falls that is easy for kids and grown ups."
"This place has a lot of sites available. If you want cell service you have to to the far back towards the top of the park for cell service for phone and streaming."
"This is one of the best handicap accessible shower and restroom areas we’ve seen."
"We ended up unexpectedly staying at Sturtevant Camp because we left a scary experience at Spruce grove trailhead nearby."
$25 - $60 / night
"We booked Camp Eaton for our wedding, and we love the camp and staff so much that we've gone back to visit and stayover for special occasions. All of the staff are incredible, just good people."
"It's quaint quiet but you're packed in like sardines it's a tight fit but everybody here is pretty friendly there's a few downfalls for some of the spot test for you can't park your car there in the parking"
"Although you are packed in pretty tightly like sardines it's a friendly environment very welcoming just the larger of your RV is little bit harder it might be to park they do offer full hookups they have"
$50 / night
"Very peaceful spot for a long weekend. 5 days was a little much unless you have a car to visit around and did I say it was gated too."
$55 - $132 / night
"Will stay here again and they are very pet friendly which was nice."
$236 - $369 / night
"The ultimate glamping experience, everything was so cozy and beautiful."
ScoutPros: campground is very short walk to Lytle Creek. Also close to the trail for a hike to Bonita Falls.
Cons: Not enough bathroom facilities for the amount of campsites. Women’s restrooms had only two stalls, constantly a long line. Also quiet hours are not enforced.
Bring cash if you want to rent a fire pit. Sites do not have their own fire rings and you must rent one.
TravelerA little something for every type of camping. Cabins, paved pull through & natural dirt & grass. Friendly staff to check us in gates close at 10:pm your provided with a security gate code to get back in if your out late.
Lots of families with children, fishing for catfish in the little lake which is shaded with trees and plenty of tables to picnic by the lake. Playground plus lots of grassy areas. We stayed in the natural area with hook-ups everything worked great.
Neighbors were nice, cute set ups with twinkle lights and people enjoying outdoor fire pits. Campers we’re playing music, laughter echoes through camp ground but nothing too loud and all quiet later.
We drove over to the Mission Inn (8 min drive) enjoyed lunch. Their is a pedestrian only shopping area with a Saturday farmer’s market plus lots of restaurants.
The campground sells firewood plus has a little store. Would stay again.
GuideCool drive to get to the campground. You drive up and down these hilly roads up the mountain to get there. Once there, there's a parking lot that fits about 20 cars. There's about 100 yd hike to the campsites. There's a road that leads to the campsite but it's been blocked off. Only the campsite managers use that road so it's not accessible by RV, just tents. A campsite manager stays in a little trailer overnight so if there's any problems there's somebody there you can go to and ask for help. There's about six campsites and their first come first serve, no reservations. I went during the week and was the only one camping. This place is heavily used for day camping and hiking. There's not a lot of privacy because there's always lots of people passing by who are hiking and biking. You can stay overnight which I did and everything was fine but there's not a lot of privacy. The next day as I was leaving there was another guy sitting up his tent. I bet on the weekends they can fill up pretty fast. It's in Bear country so they provide food storage for each campsite also trash containers too. Each side has a picnic bench and a fire pit. The fire ban has been lifted so you can have a fire. Each fire pit had wood left at it so you didn't have to go searching for campfirewood. Bathrooms included male and female toilets but no showers or water. There's a creek that runs through the campground which makes it very pretty. I saw two to three cabins along the outskirts of the campground that I assume were for rentals. There was one family at one of the cabins the night I stayed. About a 20 minute hike and you can end up at a waterfall which is very pretty. But there are several trails to take for hiking and biking and I saw lots of people doing that. Overall a good campsite four stars. Would have been five stars if they had showers and running water. I didn't see any bears although there was an animal outside my tent at one point in the night I could hear him nosing around. So it's important to keep all of your food and anything with any kind of smell in the bear boxes
ScoutVery large park for RV, cabin and tent camping. As it's listed as a "resort", we figured it would be pretty upscale. Disappointment upon our arrival. Floods have been in the area and much of the sites were closed and being cleaned?? The road closest to our site was washed away (from earlier reviews it's been months), so a long jog or drive around the perimeter to get us to the pool, laundry and hot tub…speaking of which, the pool, hot tub and laundry facilities all needed attention. You could actually see people's footprints (bottom of pool and on pool and hot tub entry steps)…that much sand, dirt, etc…I didn't venture in. When we arrived, we started driving around to find the best site for our rig. We're a 32ft class A w/20ft enclosed cargo trailer tow. So, all in all about 55ft. Well, that wasn't easy. Most of the park's electric and some sewer connections didn't exist or were "down" for repair. We have yet to actually SEE someone working on these issues. We are currently here and checked in for a two-week stay. After some boon docking prior to our arrival, we wanted all the bells and whistles the park boasted they had. Took us just over THREE HOURS to find a decent spot. Many levels to this park and most didn't have a decent WiFi (we have our own router) signal. Some sites had dumpsters blocking them from being a true "pull-thru". That left us with about two areas to choose from. It's dusty, dirty, and, really, not ready to be called a "resort"….more rustic than we'd been looking for or what website photos showed. We would not recommend this "resort" to anyone. Several folks with dogs they let simply sit outside and bark, poo, etc….strict rules against that, in most all resorts we've ever visited. Unless you plan on tenting, cabin or what have you, it's not worth it. Very disappointing! :(
LegendWe ended up unexpectedly staying at Sturtevant Camp because we left a scary experience at Spruce grove trailhead nearby. And wow, what an amazing experience we had here! We walked up to the campgrounds after it was already dark, and the camp host came outside of his cabin within a minute. He saw our headlamps and greeted us by asking if everything was okay. We asked if we could set up our tent near the cabins, and he offered to let us stay in one of the cabins that happened to be open that weekend. Some of the most amazing hospitality I've encounted while camping, really restored my faith in humanity. We made a donation after we got home as a thank you.
The facilities have running water and electricity. The camp host preps coffee and hot water in the morning so that other hikers coming through can stop for a warm beverage. What an amazing place!
RangerUsually come week after Thanksgiving when 25% occupied. They provide gate / bathroom / laundry codes for late arrivals. Nice level grounds to walk around. Lakeside has gravel roads / pads... other side has asphalt roads / concrete pads. Restrooms are clean and acceptable. Lakeside showers require tokens... inquire at check-in. Limited shower seating to change clothes both sides. Easy drives to downtown area to see Mission Inn Christmas lights and walk around lake at city park. Cabins on-site look good and had some holiday lights. Store on-site has basics for camping and fishing. Overall a good place at this time of year.
Legend[ PROS ]
[ CONS ]
TravelerBeautiful weather, great location, full hook ups, fun activities, family & pet friendly!
TravelerThis campgroud has two sections. The lakeview area has dirt roads, sparse grass and a few spots close to the lake. The Cottonwood campground has concrete pads and well maintained grass throughout. This campground may have been renovated recently by the looks of it.
There is a small store and a couple of cabins too, but the cabins don’t appear to be bookable via the website.
I stayed in both and liked the spacing and grass better in the cottonwood campground but overall this park was a nice surprise for us, especially given the limited amount of “good” campgrounds around LA.
Showers available, but only ok. Need to use tokens for them. Cottonwood has full hookups thru out, and lakeview is mostly just water/electric with a dump site near the entrance.
Definitely would stay again. Weekends are very busy here
Cabin accommodations near Sierra Madre, California offer access to Angeles National Forest at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 feet. Mountain temperatures fluctuate significantly with daytime highs reaching 90°F in summer and dropping below freezing in winter months. Cabins vary from primitive structures to fully furnished units with varying levels of accessibility depending on season and road conditions.
Hiking trails access: Crystal Lake Recreation Area connects to numerous hiking paths with varying difficulty levels. "There are several hiking trails here that are well used and well maintained. This is a great campground near the city," noted Robert A. about the Crystal Lake Rec Area Campground.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Dawn and dusk offer prime wildlife spotting times around cabin areas. "We saw black bear, deer (wandered through our site), red foxes, Stellar's Jays, woodpeckers, other birds," reported Forest G. about their experience at Crystal Lake.
Explore historic sites: The area contains preserved buildings and cultural landmarks within short drives from cabins. "Zorthian Ranch provides beautiful hiking and a small spot for picnic," according to Christeen V., who visited the Camp at the Historic Zorthian Ranch.
Proximity to Los Angeles: Cabin sites provide quick mountain escapes without long travel times. "This place was wonderful. Peaceful, restful and a perfect getaway from the city," wrote James K. about Antfarm LA.
Secluded settings: Several cabin locations offer isolation despite metropolitan proximity. "We took a very last minute trip for one night. Such a close spot and beautiful escape from LA," noted Charlie C. when describing Crystal Lake Recreation Area.
Temperature relief: Higher elevation cabins provide cooler conditions during summer months. "Stayed here two nights in August, it was nice and cool a good break from the heat," mentioned Robert A. about his Crystal Lake stay.
Winter access limitations: Roads to cabin areas may close after snowfall or during maintenance periods. Moro Campground offers year-round access with "tokens operated showers. Clean and well maintained," according to Chanel C. at Moro Campground — Crystal Cove State Park.
Bathroom facilities vary: Some cabin sites have vault toilets while others provide flush facilities. "Bathrooms are cleaned the whole day through," reported Nick V. about Moro Campground.
Train noise disruption: Several cabin locations experience railroad noise, particularly those near Acton. "The downfall is they do not assign slots so if you need a handicap accessible location it's going to be by chance if somebody is there or not," mentioned Lara O. about cabin accessibility at Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon.
Cabin size considerations: Verify square footage and sleeping capacity before booking. "The White Lodge provides more complete furnishings," while more rustic cabins may only include basic platforms.
Day-use facilities: Some locations offer playgrounds and recreation areas beyond cabin sites. "This camp cost and parking cost isn't cheap but the views are great. Also this campground is HUGE and many locations are rather secluded," reported Salem L. about Millard Trail Campground.
Safety precautions: Prepare children for wildlife encounters and terrain challenges. "Be careful of rattlesnakes," advised Chanel C., while Jeff B. noted Millard has "nice campground, active stream in the middle of summer. Waterfall 30 minutes hike upstream."
Site access limitations: Many cabin areas have restricted vehicle access due to narrow roads. "Make sure to leave your car doors unlocked, and nothing of value inside. You'd rather have someone root through your car and walk away empty handed than have a window broken," advised Mathew H. about the Fairplex RV Park.
Vehicle parking distance: Some cabin locations require parking in designated lots away from sleeping structures. "Parking is about 150 yards away, down a hill, so be prepared to haul your gear," noted K B. about Millard Trail Camp.
Cabin alternatives: RV sites sometimes offer better amenities than cabin options. "This was our first trip with our new motorhome and first camping trip ever. The staff was really friendly and accommodating. The grounds are nice and very large," mentioned Gadgetboy J. about staying at LA RV Resort at Action Camp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Sierra Madre, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Sierra Madre, CA is Crystal Lake Rec Area Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Sierra Madre, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 32 cabin camping locations near Sierra Madre, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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