Best Campgrounds near South Pasadena, CA

Great location. I mean what can I say to diminish a beach spot for 60 bucks? How about a motorcycle passing right outside your bedroom window at 12,000 rpm every two minutes all night long? Yeah, that’ll do it. Bring earplugs and lots of white noise. You’ll still feel the rumble but maybe you can dream it’s just an earthquake.

Felt really clean and cozy! Lots to do nearby!

Attention pour avoir accès à la mer, le véhicule doit faire moins de 8 feet!

Okay, so it looks like a decent site for finding campsites. Lots of popular parks and forests listed, which is helpful for planning! Might give it a try next time I'm looking for a spot

Nice campground for a big state park. Good for Hiks and bikes. Some interesting movie TV sets in the area. Decent cell coverage. Best for tents, tight for RVs.

I've camped here a few times over the last few years, and it's not a bad place to stay.  Shade is plentiful, and benches and bear boxes available for each of the 6 sites.  Few bugs around, so no need to hose yourself down with repellent.   

As mentioned by others, there will be a constant stream of hikers walking by, but for the most part they aren't loud or obnoxious.  At night they lock the gates so its really only you, other campers (usually not more than one or two on the weekdays), and the camp host.  Its vault toilets and BYO water, but as long as you're expecting that its all good.

WARNING: 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 and items stolen.  I've had my car broken into once, and have seen broken glass in the parking lot every time I've stayed here.

Stayed for 2 nights and we didn't want to leave. Security was great and super friendly. Roomy camping spots and amazing views.

We were originally going to do an overnight stay at a gas station or Walmart but had a hard time finding one in this area. Luckily we found this spot which was just a few minutes of the highway. We arrived at night so were pleasantly surprised when the sun came up in the morning and we realized how beautiful it was!

You do need to purchase a $5 Adventure Pass in order to stay here and someone will come around to check in the morning. The fine if you don't have a pass is over $500 so highly recommend you get the pass before arriving for the evening.

Les employés sont super gentils on est arrivé à 19h et c'était ouvert. Choix avec ou sans électricité, petite épicerie, douches bbc et table. Calme et nature au rdv à quelques pas de los Angeles. Ambiance très familiale !

This state park has 14,000 acres. It feels secluded, but the city is only 20 minutes away. The trails are varied, accessible by horseback, hiking, biking. Some trails are ready walking, some very strenuous. The hills are green in spring. It's a beautiful oasis right near Riverside or Anaheim.

Ranger woke me up early asking for a permit. He was not agro, as I didn't look like I bum I think that helped. He explained a shell station off the 176 nearby sells $5 day passes and $30 annual.

Three miles from a the grocery and only minutes from north LA, you'll find a basic campground with flush toilets, coin showers, and easily accessible hiking trails. The sites are basic with campfire pit and grill, open space for a tent or rv, and picnic table. The inner circle of sites abuts the bathrooms and is better for groups. The outer rings on three sides have nice views, but some sites on the south side are shorter and abut a fence.

We stayed in site 59 which had a really nice shade tree and great views of a meadow and the cliffs out the back of the site. The sites are fairly open and close to each other, so be prepared to hear everything, and because the campground is close to the city it is popular with groups and families.

The campground was under fire warning all weekend, but faux wood (javalog or duraflame) and charcoal was still allowed. The camphost sold Javalogs, and there were plenty of options at the nearby Albertson's.

The state park is a former movie set and is filled with easily accessible trails for hiking and some for mountain biking. The primary trails were open fire roads with off-shoots to lakes, pools, meadows, and more. It was easy to imagine you weren't anywhere close to the city. During a holiday weekend the trails were fairly busy with day-use hikers, but even then, it was easy to get away and be on trails alone if you wanted. There is also a visitor center in the park, but it has limited hours.
The wildlife is abundant. There is plenty of birdwatching, and coyotes were wandering through the park and campground without fear. If you have a dog with you make sure they don't try join the pack. On a hike right out of the park a few hundred yards, I came across a pair of bobcats—mom and cub—making their way to a running creek.

I'd recommend a visit if you're looking for a close to town escape.