Camping

Idyllwild camping comes in five kinds: three campgrounds in or near the village, Forest Service campgrounds up Highway 243, a county park and a lake down Highway 74, free yellow-post sites, and hike-in camps high on San Jacinto. Each entry names who runs it and where to book. Fees, seasons and site counts change every year, so check the booking page before you go.

In and near the village

Three campgrounds sit in town or just outside it, and all three take reservations.

In the village · State Park · ReserveCalifornia

Idyllwild Campground

Mount San Jacinto State Park’s campground is in the village, within walking distance of shops and restaurants, and the park headquarters sits at its entrance. It’s small, with hike and bike, tent, electric, full hookup and ADA-accessible sites. There are water spigots, flush toilets, coin-operated showers, picnic tables and fire rings, and trailers are limited to 24 feet. It’s open year-round. Book through ReserveCalifornia; the State Park’s campground page has current fees. Dogs are allowed here, one of only two places in the state park that allows them.

Edge of the village · County · reserve.rivcoparks.org

Idyllwild Regional Park

Riverside County’s park covers 202 acres of forest on the edge of the village, with the Idyllwild Nature Center and trails. Its campground has forested sites, each with a fire ring and picnic table, close to restrooms and showers. The bouldering problems sit right beside some of the sites, so expect climbers. Book through Riverside County Parks, which has the season and rates.

5 mi north · State Park · Spring to fall

Stone Creek Campground

The State Park’s second campground is 5 miles north of town on Highway 243. It has tent, electric and ADA-accessible sites (no full hookups), water spigots, vault toilets, picnic tables and fire rings, and no showers. Trailers up to 24 feet. It’s open spring, summer and fall, and dogs are allowed. Book through ReserveCalifornia.

Up Highway 243: the forest campgrounds

North of town, off Highway 243, the Forest Service runs a cluster of smaller campgrounds in the pines. They’re seasonal, usually from late spring into fall, and they’re booked on Recreation.gov. Don’t count on drinking water at any of them: bring all you’ll need, and check each campground’s page for this year’s dates and fees.

6.5 mi north · Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Fern Basin

A small campground at around 6,200 feet, 6.5 miles north of Idyllwild. Vault toilets, picnic tables and fire rings, and no potable water. Reservations open on a rolling window and holiday weekends carry a minimum stay; the Recreation.gov listing has the details.

Marion Mountain

At 6,440 feet, about 7 miles north of town: take Azalea Trails Road off Highway 243 at the Alandale Fire Station and go 1.5 miles. Some sites are reservable and some are first come, first served. Picnic tables, fire rings with grills, vault toilets, paved roads, and no potable water. The Marion Mountain Trail, the shortest way up San Jacinto Peak, starts just before the campground, so this is the place to sleep before an early start on the peak. Its Forest Service page has the season and fees.

Dark Canyon

About 8 miles north, 2.5 miles up Azalea Trails Road. Basic: the Forest Service lists no potable water and no restrooms. It’s also the way to the Seven Pines Trail. Check its Forest Service page for the season before you go.

Boulder Basin

The highest of the group, at 7,420 feet, up Black Mountain Road. The Forest Service calls the road poor and recommends four-wheel drive; it’s no place for a low car or a trailer. No water and no toilets. The Black Mountain boulders are nearby.

South on Highway 74

4 mi southeast of Mountain Center · County

Hurkey Creek Park

Riverside County’s other mountain park is off Highway 74, 4 miles southeast of Mountain Center, with a large campground and group loops that are reservation only. Stays, group sizes and vehicles per site are limited; Riverside County Parks has the current rules, season and booking.

Lake Hemet

Lake Hemet, at 56570 Highway 74 in Mountain Center, is owned by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District and run by a concessionaire, Lake Hemet Recreation Company. Camping is open all year, and overnight campers can fish the shoreline into the evening. There’s a cafe and a market. See Fishing for the lake rules, and the lake’s own site for sites and rates.

Yellow-post sites: free and basic

For campers who want quiet and can carry everything, the Forest Service’s yellow-post sites are free, first come, first served and bare. Each has a fire ring (and a picnic table at some), and that’s it: no water, no restrooms, no trash cans. You need a California Campfire Permit for any fire, including a gas stove. Stays are limited to 14 days.

• Thomas Mountain and Toolbox Springs: on forest road 6S13, a dirt road off Highway 74 south of Lake Hemet. Open year-round, road permitting.
• Black Mountain: off Black Mountain Road (4S01). High clearance recommended, no trailers or RVs. Open late spring to fall; the road closes with winter snow, though you can still hike, snowshoe or ski in.
• South Ridge: a few sites along South Ridge Road (5S11), a steep 1.5-mile road to the South Ridge trailhead. Camping on that road is at the posts only.

The roads to all three change with the weather, so check conditions with the San Jacinto Ranger District before you head up.

Hike-in camps in the wilderness

This is camping the way the mountain does it best: a pack, a permit and a meadow high on San Jacinto. The backcountry has two sets of camps, run by the two agencies that share it, and each needs its own permit.

State Park wilderness camps: Round Valley, Tamarack Valley, Little Round Valley and Strawberry Junction, all open year-round. No fires and no dogs, and filter or treat all water. Book ahead through the State Park, which has the current fees and booking window.

Forest Service wilderness zones: Chinquapin, Skunk Cabbage, Tahquitz, North Rim and Desert View. Permits are free and can be requested ahead. Camp on a durable surface at least 200 feet from other people, trails, meadows and water. Groups of 12 or fewer.

Our permits and trail rules explain which permit covers what and where to apply.

Fire, water and a few rules

• Fires. Campfires aren’t allowed in the wilderness, and stoves and yellow-post fires need a free California Campfire Permit. Fire rules are set by the Forest Service and the State Park and change with conditions, so check with them before you go.
• Water. Don’t count on it at the forest campgrounds. Treat water from any creek or spring by filtering, tablets or a rolling boil.
• Leave No Trace. Pack out what you pack in, and leave your site better than you found it.

The State Park’s headquarters is at 25905 Highway 243, at the entrance to Idyllwild Campground. The Forest Service’s San Jacinto Ranger District is at 54270 Pine Crest in the village. For anything that changes from season to season, their websites are the place to check.