San Jacinto State Park Campground

Came here for a quick one night stay Saturday-​Sunday. We were able to check in and set up our campsite before 1 pm. We had camp site ID17 and it had 2 fully shaded flat-​ish areas to set up a tent. I recommend this site compared to a lot of the other ones I saw because it was more covered with trees and felt a bit more private. It’s a 2 car, 8 ppl max site. There are fire pits, picnic tables and a food storage box at every camp site. You can bring your own lock for the food box if you’re worried about that. The bathrooms and showers were very clean when we got there but by the morning they were pretty gross. People are just nasty. Like how does that happen? I’d hate to see these peoples bathrooms at their homes. The Rangers were there early in the morning to clean everything up and empty trashes though. There are outlets in the bathrooms if you are desperate to charge your phone or really need that blow dryer, camping or not. There were phones plugged in there and left for hours and no one bothered them. The whole campsite is very well maintained. The showers require tokens that you can purchase at the Ranger station. 1 dollar gets you 1 token and it says 1 token gets you 5 minutes so I put in 2 tokens and had way more time than I needed. It was over 10 minutes for sure! Reserve your site on
and don’t just show up expecting there to be a spot. We saw 2 guys get turned away who tried this. The campsite is literally a 5 minute walk into Idyllwild with restaurants, coffee shops and a market all right there. There are bundles of wood available to buy at several places in town or at the ranger station for $ 6-​$ 7. It got very cold the night we were there. My phone said 32° but «feels like» said 25° and they weren’t kidding. We had to get up at 3 am to get towels and all jackets from our car to pile on top of us. Check the weather and bring lots of layers! Lots of beautiful hiking nearby but keep in mind for most you need an adventure pass ($ 6/​day) and you need to register at the Ranger station to let them know when and where you will hiking (safety reasons). Even though it isn’t super remote since town is right there, it’s a lovely place to camp and we plan to come back soon! The 243 runs right by the campsite so at night you can hear the faint hum of cars but it didn’t bother us. Happy camping!

Great place for a car camp. Restrooms are very well maintained by the Rangers /​employees that take care of the location. We went there on a Thursday and left on Saturday and it was kept clean during our stay; but I’m sure depending on the type of people that camp there, the bathrooms can get totally trashed, but the employees do give it a very good effort to keep it in good shape. Campground site spacing could be better, but it did not feel crowded or close… but it could be that our camp neighbors were pretty quiet and behaved. Reserve your trip and your site via
and not risk taking the drive and running out of sites. Firewood is available to purchase at the Ranger’s office.

Great basic campground. Nice staff and restrooms. Some sites near road which is why 4 stars, also close to other campers (even tho when we go it’s empty) other than that perfect getaway from sd and close to town if needs…

Look at me, I have become #CamperRater!
I give this campground 4 stars because it is well-​maintained and has great facilities like restrooms, showers and an area to wash dishes.
By no fault of its own, however, San Jacinto State Park Campground, especially the Idyllwild side, is loud and crowded during the peak months. There are lots of kid groups and I remember awaking at 6am or 7am to the sound of screaming kids. Another thing that is a downside of its popularity is that it attracts groups. There were large groups everywhere, some sites with 8 or more campers. Our neighbors were WAY too close for comfort, I think they even took some of our reserved space.
The area is beautiful though and the town of Idyllwild Pine Cove is walking distance. There is a hiking trail nearby. All in all it was a good campsite with some density issues.

We stayed here last week and had a miserable time, but it wasn’t the campground’s fault. The weather was awful — cold and misty. Blech.
But this is a really nice campground and I’d like to give it another try in better weather. The amenities are great — flush toilets, sinks, mirrors, electrical outlets in the bathrooms, water spigots (turned off in winter). The sites are cute, clean and have a little storage cabinet (not a bear box) to help you keep things organized. A campsite after my own heart!
Idyllwild is an adorable town, and it’s literally steps away from the campground. We stopped by the market near the camp for our supplies — they have a decent deli and all of the other things you’ll need. They are selling firewood for $ 7 a bundle, and it’s a mix of hard and soft woods.
However, avoid the campsites on the outside and head for one of the inner ones. Our site — 21 — had a lovely view of people’s back yards and snow plows. Other sides on the outside are next to 243, which means you’ll be hearing traffic all day.
If you go to one of the interior sites, they’re much more private and secluded.

This is a well-​run, fully-​staffed campground. The entrance to the park is right off of CA-​243, just before the town of Idyllwild. It has flush toilets, showers, and plenty of people. Due to the nature of the beauty nearby, it is clear why many families/​people camp here. The sites are close together, and not everyone observes the 10pm quiet time. My four-​star rating is based mostly on what is nearby.
If you are looking for a secluded campground, this is not the one. Try some of the sites nearby in the San Bernardino National Forest.
That said, the hiking here is awesome. We did two hikes, with the first being to Suicide Rock. Parking for the trailhead is very close to this campground, and you do not need an Adventure Pass to park in this area. The hike is 3.3 miles each way, although our GPS said we went about 3.9 miles to the top. The elevation gain is about 1,500 feet, so this hike is more than moderate in difficulty. It took us about 3 hours to get up, and 2 hours to get down. The view at the end is exceptional. You will need a permit to hike this trail, but it is free and available at the Forest Service Station across the street from the campground.
The second hike, more strenuous but with a bigger payoff, was our hike to Tahquitz Peak. Park you car at Humber Park. You will need a permit for the Devil’s Slide Trail for this hike, and an Adventure Pass ($ 5), both available at the Forest Service Station. This hike has an elevation gain of about 2,600ft, and ends at an elevation of 8,800ft. The path is well groomed, and most of the hike is only difficult because of the elevation gain. The view is incredible. Seeing SoCal 360 degrees at 8,800ft is only describable by John Muir. This hike took us about 3.5hrs up and about 2.5 hrs down. We brought a jetboil and some mountain houses with us and had lunch on the peak. It is one of the most memorable lunches I have had in this state. DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON THIS HIKE!
Dogs are only allowed in the San Bernardino National Forest, and not in San Jacinto State Park. If you plan on bringing your dog, and want to hike with it, avoid the trails in the SP. Instead hike the numerous trails nearby that are in the national forest.
Idyllwild is a small town, but cute. It made me nostalgic of small towns in the midwest. There are a few bars, a general store, and some of the other lovely boutique, artisanal shops that make a town like this the all-​around package.
We will certainly go back, although we will likely find a more primitive campground.

This is what I call luxury camping.
The pros: 1) running water in the bathroom, 2) flushable toilet, 3) very close to town, 4) showers that cost $ 1 for five minutes.
The cons: 1) $ 1 for five minutes isn’t enough time for a thorough shower, so I opted to stink instead, 2) first vehicle is free to park, but second costs $ 8, 3) campsite costs $ 25/​night
I would stay here again if I were going with people who don’t camp much. The campground is nice and there are plenty of places to pitch a tent. I would’ve given this place a higher rating had it not been for some drunk woman talking loudly at past 11 pm and some screaming children before 7 am. Now, I don’t usually mind this, but after a long day of climbing and a tiring approach, all I wanted was a good night’s sleep, which I didn’t get.
I recommend this place for family camping, but if you’re just looking for a place to crash after a day of climbing, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

I love this campground! Showers, flushers (as in toilets), nice layout, semi-small’ish (as in a few sites), great Ranger station and it’s a hop and not quite a jump into the magnificent town of Idyllwild.