Hermit Gulch Campground

This would easily be 3 and a half stars. My boyfriend, 19 yr old son, and I just stayed for 2 nights at Hermit Gulch to celebrate my bf’s birthday. Here’s the breakdown:
Pros:
–The rangers, particularly Michael, were friendly and so helpful. Our original site was very small for our 8 person tent and the rangers moved us to a better site without making it seem trouble at all.
–the site was beautiful. Picnic bench, barbecue included. Clean bathrooms, sink available, coin op showers. Right now due to drought, showers are unheated. Not adding to cons though, as it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Definitely glam camping for those less likely to love roughing it, like myself.
–Deer! Came right up into our campsite! So pretty. We didn’t feed her though so she left a trail of «deer berries» throughout our site.
Cons:
–Sites are right on top of each other. As I stated, we were moved without issue, but I wonder if it had been more crowded when we arrived, what would we have done? Our 8 person tent is 13×9, which I suppose is large by tent standards, but I don’t know how we would have made it fit without encroaching on our neighbors. That’s how small many of the sites are.
–A local football team meeting happened right next to us on our first night. Was no problem at all to start. A little loud while they were eating, but nbd. We just went about our business and then went to use the lone fire pit that is also right next to us. As we lit our log, presumably the coach came over and nicely informed us they intended to use the pit for their meeting. He was very nice about it, so we hurried out of the way. The team took up the fire pit for well over an hour while we listened to the coach’s inspirational speech. It was so close we felt compelled to be quiet to be respectful, but it did go on and on and we were whispering for a LONG time.
–There are signs about quiet time being 10 pm posted all over the rangers station. Our second night was a Friday night, so it understandably got more crowded mostly with college aged campers. In fact we didn’t see any other families, just couples and youngsters. If you’re in this age group and single, this could potentially be perfect for you. If you’re a lil older like us, and actually require some sleep now, this is not an optimal situation. Not only was the 10 pm quiet time ignored, but it stayed pretty loud fairly late. And when I say loud, I don’t mean muffled far away sounds. Remember this is a fairly small campground, so it’s all next to you.
Special note about transportation: the walk from Avalon is not a bad walk at all, but it is a hike with groceries or gear. Cabs are plentiful, but be prepared to come out of your pocket. There is a Garibaldi bus that runs to the campsite as well for a dollar a person. Problem with that for us was that we saw it going back and forth the whole time we were there, but when we would wait for it, it never seemed to come lol.
Overall, was a great trip. We paid about $ 150 for 3 of us for 2 nights which felt fair. But for that price paid, it would’ve been nice to have gotten more use out of the fire pit or had a bit more sleep. I would stay there again maybe mid-​week off season.
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We visited this campground 5 years ago and had a good experience, so we thought that we would try it again. We arrived on a Wednesday for a 3 night stay. It is $ 24 per night per person to camp (if you bring all of your own gear) which isn’t too bad. It’s a miracle if there’s someone there at the office at your check-​in time. They have really gone out of their way to make sure that there is absolutely nowhere to charge your phone. There are several light posts with power outlets that they have deactivated to make sure you can’t charge your phone. Conveniently, they do charge you $ 3 to charge your phone at their office, and once you come to check the battery percentage then that’s the end of your charging. I’ve never heard of a place where you have to pay to charge your phone. ESPECIALLY A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE PAYING TO STAY AT. We left our sleeping bags and sleeping pads at home since we were concerned about having too much to carry since we also brought our bicycles. They wanted to charge us $ 150 for 2 sleeping bags and pads for 3 nights, which is more than what we paid total for the 3 night stay. As for the camping areas, they are very close together. You will hear your neighbors snoring nearby as you try to sleep. The ground is so hard and rocky that you might as well try to pitch your tent on pavement. I understand the severity of the drought in Avalon, but they can at least rake or till the area where tents are put up. The grounds are not maintained at all. We bent every stake trying to hammer them into the concrete dirt. It is a guarantee that you’ll see the deer and fox. They work as a team to get your food. The deer acts as the distraction as the fox finds the one weakness in your tent to get inside. The staff does warn you of the animals during check in. Conveniently, they do have lockers that cost you $ 1.50 each time you want to open it to keep food in. It is a good sized campground, and it is about a 10 – 15 minute bicycle ride all uphill from Avalon Bay if your an avid biker. It’s a nice location tucked in a canyon just outside of Avalon. The bathrooms are clean, and there are two outside sinks. The shower is a quarter for one minute. It took 2 minutes just for the water to warm up and it never did get hot but it was warm enough. We ended up just staying the one night and eating the other 2 nights because of course they wouldn’t refund us the difference. Might be worth it if you’re only staying one night. Otherwise, camp at Two Harbors or get a room in Avalon for a longer stay.

Great for light backpacking. An easy walk from the boat landing about 1.5 miles. Close to trails and historical information centers. Clean site. Awesome tent cabin with legitimate cots. Clean bathrooms with running water. Quarter operated showers if needed. The camp ranger does a good job maintaining the peace– quiet hours are from 10:00PM to 8:00AM which is reasonable.
Have fun in town but keep the peace at the campsite. This is some pretty easy camping but still outdoors in a canyon. Respect the wildlife– I saw a few deer and was told there may be foxes wandering. Birds and squirrels get into stuff. Secure your food, throw away your trash.

We rented a tent cabin and found it to be very uncomfortable. I could not fall asleep on the cots, which are hard as rock. The symphony of snoring from surrounding men in tents nearby also made sleep impossible. After one night of no sleep, I had to go get a hotel room so we just left and forfeited what we’d paid. Other negatives include the distance from town. You will end up spending a fair amount on taxis back up to camp unless everyone in your group is ok with a mile walk slightly up hill. We had a person with mobility disability in our group and the campgrounds weren’t practical for her needs given their distance from town, sloping terrain, and lack of electricity, which is another reason we left.

Reservation system is messed up. Our tents were given away, and then they were able to provide one. Bathrooms and camp ground areas were clean. The tent was clean, but one window didn’t close. Not usually a big deal in Catalina, but we were caught by a rainstorm during the summer.

We stayed in the tent cabin, took a cold shower, hiked a little, saw a deer up close. Place was well kept, clean bathrooms, and just the right distance from town. We will hopefully be back.

Had to cancel at the last minute due to an injury in our group. I knew we’d still have to pay something since it was so late in the game, so that didn’t bother me.
After listening to an endless recording about booking, cancellations, etc., I left a message with all of the details they requested, which is what they ask you to do when canceling (otherwise you pay ten bucks to speak to someone.) The recording indicates you’ll get an email back. Never received one, nor did I receive a phone call. No messages in spam, nothing. And most importantly, weeks later, no refund.
The campground may very well be fine, but the customer service is non-​existent. I won’t make the same mistake twice.

LOCATION — it’s a bit far from town (if you are walking) there are taxis and a trolley you can take but we decided to walk. If you are walking make sure you have a map and know where you are going! If you are bringing camping gear I would spend the $ 2 and wait for the trolley. Lucky for us a local picked us up half way to the campsite and gave us a ride!
PONYTAIL GUY — He isn’t mean he just wants to get his point across. Just follow the rules and you will be fine. He told us that he is the only one running the place so if he seems agitated you know why.
CAMP GROUNDS —
The camp grounds are very clean! I read others experienced lack of hot water but maybe that’s during summer when the weather is warm. We got pretty warm water, and it was only a quarter a minute! (Although I’m not sure how accurate the timer is.)
CAMPING —
We stayed in a tent cabin which was awesome! We didn’t have many neighbors during the first day which was peaceful. Once other campers started coming in we noticed how close the tent cabins really are, but nothing tragic. I recommend bringing a battery lantern. Although the campsite comes with a propane lantern it is not very bright.
OVERALL — Great experience! Take into consideration we went during April so we missed all the hooligans that camp during the summer. Expect to hear a lot of golf carts driving by. Be prepared with camping gear and just have fun :)

Before I say anything about Hermit Gulch and my experience there, I want to mention that the campsites are very clean, spacious, lots of shade and perfect for a weekend get away.
Now comes the bad… After about an hour of unorganized confusion from the staff, sending us all over Avalon cause no one was on the same page we finally made it to the campsite and met the owner. Upon arrival the owner William told us before even greeting us that he was skeptical of letting us stay at his campsite (we were a large group of ranging from 19 – 24) and that he would have no problem kicking us out if we were loud past 10. The first impression he gave off was extremely rude and that followed through the rest of the weekend every time we talked to him. We never got a single complaint by any fellow campers and were quiet as soon as it 10 p.m. We left our campsite spotless and in better condition than the day we arrived, and when we leaving all he had to say to us were negative comments such as «you guys were walking on thin ice all weekend… and my notes about you guys are going to follow you for a long time… «Even though no one around us had a problem with us but the owner.
As a business owner you need to treat your customers with respect and fairly until they do something that warrants a different tone. Not just treating them like garbage because you ‘assume’ that the group would cause trouble. I refuse to come back and camp here dolt because of the owner, which is unfortunate because the campsite is quite nice. Beware of him.

We visited October, 2014, for birthdays on the Island. Camping was our choice over hotels. The Camp Host was very kind. It is a longer hike than we expected from the downtown area of Avalon. However, we hiked down to town, and usually took a taxi back up. Because we came out on the boats, and you have to carry all your equipment, it was a little rough. Next time, we rent a tent. It’s a typical campground. At this time of year it was quiet. There are some really nice hikes from the campground itself. The trail starts at the campground and there are 3 – 8 hr hikes, your choice. You are a short 10 min walk from the Wrigley Museum, too. We had a nice trip. We would camp there again, no problem.

Very big campground area.
Ton of space to set up camp.
Great hiking trails.
You can hike down to the beach area. It is pretty rocky there so wear shoes.
You also could see a bison if your lucky!

Enjoyed the peaceful two-​night stay at Hermit Gulch with my 11-​year-​old daughter. Mid week in June the place was only a third full, so it was perfect. I suspect it could feel kind of cramped at full capacity on a weekend in the summer. The ranger who checked us in was great, gave good trail suggestions, and was all around helpful. Bathrooms and showers were in good repair and clean. The surroundings were really pretty, and yet still very close to town. Nightly visits from deer and fox were awesome, although eerie how tame they seem to be. Consider waiting to buy all your food when you get there from Vons, which has pretty much everything and at the same price as the mainland. Also consider skipping the camp stove since you can’t carry flammables on the boat anyway and just cooking over charcoal for the weekend. Early arrivals get their pick of campsites so don’t think you’re good to roll in late just because you chose a site online. Great experience! Taking the whole fam next time!

Your average campground. The sites are very close together. In August the place was packed but when I was there recently (late May/​Early June) the place was practically deserted.

This campground exceeded my expectations by far! It was extremely clean! We had a group of 5 people in one of the tent cabins. The two men in the front office were very kind and helpful. They gave us great information for a hike and other activities we were planning on, they were very friendly. We rented a few sleeping bags from them for $ 5 each… they were very clean and comfortable. The tent cabin came with a lantern, stovetop, picnic table, bbq and 6 cots. We felt very accommodated. The bathrooms were very clean with toilet paper. The showers were really nice too, they actually got warm after the first minute. This site is a great option if you have a short weekend and don’t want to spend a lot of time setting up and taking down. We all really enjoyed ourselves and got to enjoy the best of nature, but also had our comforts nearby. The walk to the camp from town takes about 30min and it pretty easy. We ended up taking a shuttle for $ 15 up to the camp because we had a lot of gear/​food. We did a hike on the trail behind the campsite. It’s May, and I would suggest waking up early, before 8am for this hike. The sun was very unforgiving when we left around 9am… there are no trees for shade on this trail. Great views though! We also got to see some foxes and deer at night, which was a treat. When we woke up, a fox had nibbled into some of our bread… so do seal your food away in a bag or something at night. They have no fear to come in your tent. We thought it was funny. :)

Recently went to Catalina for the first time and stayed at Hermit Gulch for 3 days, here’s a few things to keep in mind:
FRIENDLINESS: There is no welcome committee. The guy helping us check-​in was helpful but not welcoming at all. I guess smiling and being friendly comes at an additional charge. We got yelled at by the Ranger (see below).
PHONE CHARGER: There is only ONE electrical outlet that can be used ONLY to inflate mattresses. I suggest bringing a charger and charging your phone when you head into town at a restaurant.
FIRE: They sell logs at the campground but you can get them for half the price at the VONS in town. You CANNOT make a fire on the ground. I was not aware and got YELLED at by the ranger when a fellow camper went and snitched. We had one small log burning on the ground where someone before us had done the same. The ranger arrived, did not introduce himself but rather started yelling… something about being the F***ing Ranger. Grabbed our drinking water and put the fire out. No water no fire :(only reason they got 4 stars instead of 5 (it’s NOT ok to yell AND curse at other adults, there were other obvious ways this could of been handled).
OTHER CAMPERS: We arrived on a Thursday and were the only ones at the camp which was a little scary but fun. A lot of other campers arrived on Friday which I did not mind but you can easily hear everyone else’s conversation since assigned spots are very close in range. I suggest going during the week when it’s less crowded for a better experience.
WILDERNESS: There’s a LOT of deer around the campground :) we also got to see a small fox. I suggest bringing a headlamp, it’s pitch black at night.
TRANSPORTATION: We rented bikes and rode there with our heavy backpacks on our back/​tied to bike. I suggest riding the trolley that runs Sat/​Sun instead, it’s a little steep on the way to the campground and those backpacks felt extremely heavy (not an easy ride as I expected).

The front desk guy with the long ponytailed hair was very rude! Just plain rude, rude, rude!
Also, the zipper on the front entrance of our cabin was broken, and with all the animals running around the campsite (deers, fox, squirrels), we felt so unsafe and unable to sleep through the night. We actually returned to camp one night and found our food have been attacked by animals and found animal footprints on our sheets! Not to mention the cobwebs and black widow we found in one of the cabins our family occupied. They could’ve at least given us something to clean out those cobwebs!
On a positive note, the restrooms and showers were kept very clean. The cots were not too too bad. And not too much bugs out there.
Definitely use the Baggage Service to get your luggages up to and down from the campgrounds. Pay the fee… so worth it!

Hated the customer service, loved the experience, considering I am usually adverse to camping. When my friend Samia asked me if I wanted to join her and her cute 2 little ones to enjoy a birthday weekend for her son, I did not hesitate. First, because they are all cool people, and that is what you need when you go camping. Second, I had never been before to Catalina island, so I did not want to miss the experience in good company.
Samia did the whole reservation process and I just needed to add the price of my bed on top of it. I don’t understand this system of having to pay $ 50/​night per cabana and on top of that $ 25 per bed (you bring your own sleeping bag). The cabana had already 6 beds, why just don’t charge a fix price and that is it? I was trying for days to add my name to the reservation and the phone answering was horrible and asking me to pay to do so, so I decided that no way, I will do via email. No one replied (similar experience as another Unilocaler comments below). Then, I desisted and the day I arrived with my friend and her kids to the campground I was treated like if I wanted to sneak for free.
On the good side, the place is fantastic, great location only 1.5 miles from Avalon. Clean showers and toilets and good spacing between cabanas and tents. Fresh smells of nature and silent people (actually, too silent!). We did not have any plans, other than ‘unstructured fun’ for the kids. So some suggestions for you if you want to go on the cheap and teach your children that most important than ‘paid activities’ is quality time with beloved ones and let the creativity flow with whatever you have in hand.
Here the list of some things we tried while at this camping: Creating funny toys out of figs, berries, flowers and leaves; doing yoga poses in a cool meditation circle; having a deluxe camping experience with fun mom (and crazy fake auntie) eating sushi and drinking frapuccinos; talking to strangers and listen to their stories; share food, ideas and hugs; singing all together; the gift of speaking foreign languages to them; open mindedness; henna creations with felt tip pens; deer watching at night; listening to birds; learning about different trees, among other things.
We had table and benches conveniently located outside our cabana. Very pleasant camping experience, we moved around with a rental golf cart.

This campground was terrible. The sites are almost on top of one another, and even though you reserve a site online when you make your (quite expensive) reservation, they do not save it for you, and it’s «first-​come, first-​served».
No one respects quiet hour, and it’s party central on weekend evenings. Not much more than a cheap (er) place for people to sleep that wanna roam around Avalon.
Avoid this one at all costs if you’re looking for any sort of real backpacking experience.
Best campgrounds on island: Parson’s Landing and Little Harbor
Mediocre: Black Jack
Awful: Two Harbors and Hermit Gulch
One can do the TCT by avoiding the awful campgrounds if one makes it to black jack on day one. A strong argument for starting from the East End (Avalon) when doing the TCT is that one can hoof it to Black Jack, then leisurely make one’s way to Little harbor’s, then Parson’s landing, and back out of Two Harbors without having to stay at the «town» campgrounds.

Cabin tent really smells, bring something to clean the spider webs, kinda expensive for «roughing it» camping… take the $ 2 shuttle up to the site, it’s worth it!
There’s a microwave, and charging area for your cell phone.
Bathrooms are clean, there are two large outdoor sinks for washing dishes or brushing your teeth.
Bring earplugs, just in case there are snorers in your tent.

This is a great place for camping with large groups. We got a cabin-​tent with wooden floors and it was much larger than I expected. The cots were roomy and even with six of them in the cabin there was room to stretch with everyone’s gear, didn’t feel claustrophobic at all.
Do bring a broom or bug spray since there are tons of spiders crawling in the corners, I’m not afraid of spiders but having a large web with what looks like egg sacs hanging over your head at night isn’t soothing. Since it was summer the tent does heat up during the day, so upzip all the windows and roll up the «doors» so there is air circulation but before you go to bed check the walls around you for the creepy crawlies.
Camping here felt a lot like backyard camping you had all the luxuries. There were electrical outlets placed all around and you can charge your cellphone and other electronics. Great reception here too! Hot showers that were run by quarters, be wary there’s no setting for temperature so steamy hot showers it was! There are only two showers so you have to time it right, in the morning there is a rush and also as the sun is setting too. Major thumbsdown to the woman with the ginormous family who hijacked one of the showers and just ran a marathon shower ushering one family member after another. D=
Great plus is how a lantern and stove is provided with fuel! =D Stock up on supplies from the Vons in Avalon combined with an ice chest and you are gold, you can take the trolley to haul it all back. Don’t keep your food on the floor, hide it or hang it out since there are squirrels/​chipmunks everywhere! (I don’t know because they run so fast) No joke a bag of English muffins disappeared and bagels got gnawed into. With other wildlife I saw deer and quail, late at night there are these small fox like animals.
Make sure you take your valuables with you and lockup anything else. It seemed pretty safe during our stay but a friend had his bike stolen right in front of the cabin! The staff was helpful in filling out a police report, but that bike is gone forever. =(
There is a short but moderate hiking trail about 4 miles long that ends up in the Wrigley Botanical Gardens save $ 5! =)