Three weekends of fun, music and merriment. An authentic re-creation of an English Summer Faire. Visit an exciting, vibrant village where you can experience a joust, strolling entertainers, stage performances, beautiful handcrafts, delicious food and drink, children’s area and the spirit of the days of William Shakespeare and the Renaissance.
Meadow Park
41276 Park Ave.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Annual event; August
909-237-0448
Yucaipa’s hidden secret – rural area of OAK GLEN, is a apple orchard canyon near the Inland Empire.
After the harvest is finished and the apples have all been picked from the trees – celebrate the coming winter with a historic festival that traces its roots back to the 16th century.
Los Rios Ranch holds the annual Apple Butter Festival & Apple Butter Hoedown on Thanksgiving weekend.
Annual event: November
Big Bear City Airport host a one day air show in the mountains of SoCal. The hot rodders like to show up too. This event is not running every year, so make sure to check their web site for the latest info and dates.
Annual event: August
Mt San Jacinto State Park & Idyllwild Campgrounds
San Jacinto State Park Headquarters
25905 Highway 243
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Rangers & Wilderness Permits
951-659-2607
Mount San Jacinto State Park is surrounded by Wilderness area, the village of Idyllwild & the Palm Springs Tram station. Tahquitz Peak close to Idyllwild, is a rock climbing favorite.
Stone Creek Campground is located in the forest, along Highway 243. Elevation 5900′ w/ 50 camp sites & max RV = 24′
Idyllwild Campground is walking distance from town. North end of Idyllwild, CA. 33 camp sites & max RV = 24′
For more Idylwild Camping options see –
San Bernardino Campgrounds & Yellow Post Sites
Topo trail maps, wilderness hiking maps –
nearby towns:
Yellow Stake Camp Sites / Back Roads Camping NFS
near Cajon Pass, Big Bear & Idyllwild CA
YELLOW POST CAMPS are dispersed camping sites on the back roads in Southern California, where fire danger is greatest. Forest authorities have designated certain spots as ‘fire safe’ for remote, open camping options around Big Bear Lake, Fawnskin and the Idyllwild mountain area.
If you prefer to stay out of the developed campgrounds, you will be the minority. But you must know how to read a map well to reach these beauties.
SoCal camping doesn’t have to mean crowded campgrounds. Seek your seclusion on the dirt back roads, where there are no fees, minimal noises & a private site waiting just for you. These are usually on a first come, first serve basis. A high clearance vehicle (SUV, truck or 4×4) may be needed to reach some of the premium camp spots, but there are also sites accessible by passenger cars. And, of course, a fire permit is required.
In the San Bernardino National Forest there are several back woods ‘fire safe’ camping spots, that are noted with a single yellow post & some may require reservations in busy summer months. You can find out more on reserving from the Big Bear Discovery Center, 909-382-2790
Extra caution should be used when winds are high, camp fires are often banned due to wildfire danger. Check with local rangers for up to date conditions and always get your campfire permit.
No restrooms, no water, no facilities. Just a dirt road, a fire ring & a single picnic table. Hopefully your table will not be shot up, by the local rednecks who ‘get off’ doing stupid stuff like this. Pick up any litter & leave the place better than your found it.
These backroad camps are perfect for the 4×4 group, stressed out social club, church group w/ rugged van, or the city SUVer who wants to get away from the crowds. The most sought after camp spots are nearest to the lake or a site accessible by RVs and horse trailers, but there are many more excellent camp sites to be discovered. USDA Forest Service Map is highly advised to reach these remote, dirt road camp areas. Rugged, steep, one lane dirt roads that lead to some of these spots. A passenger car is sometimes not suitable for all dirt roads. Rutted and steep means turn around. Wet weather changes dirt roads. Often routes close for winter w/ locked gates.
download PDF maps
on Big Bear Yellow Post Sites
Topo maps, Wilderness hiking maps, Equestrian trails, OHV maps –
On the eastern mountain slopes of Big Bear Lake, Holcomb Creek creates a forested sage valley – called Holcomb Valley, located only a few miles away from the big lake. A graded dirt road leads out to this pine forest & a prime campground area. Perfect location for picnics and sightseeing.
| campground | elev. | veg | toilet | water | comment | |
| Holcomb Valley |
7400′ | 19 | pines | vault | no | Road 3N16, open year round |
National Forest Campground in San Bernardino NF, located at higher elevations.
Although the developed campground is open all year long, please take into consideration that SNOW and mud is the norm for winter months.
Nice shady sites to beat the summer heat. Camp spots spaced out fairly well. Hikers parking lot is located at one end of the campground. Bears are well known in the region, so please lock all food in the provided metal bear lockers.
The epic Pacific Crest Trail runs right through the Holcomb Valley. Doble Trail Camp is out this way for PCT parking, next to Holcomb Valley Road #3N16 which encircles this whole forested area inside San Bernardino National Forest.
Holcomb Valley has a historic cabin to see. Numerous old mines exist around this area. Nearby Gold Mountain is a popular 4WD route.
The dirt back road leads east down to the high desert @ Highway 162. Down to Pioneertown and Yucca Valley, and eventually Joshua Tree National Park.
towns nearby –
Big Bear – San Bernardino National Forest Camping & Campgrounds
areas include:
Big Bear Lake, Fawnskin, San Gorgonio, Lake Arrowhead, Forest Falls, Green Valley Lake & Idyllwild
Listed below are all the San Bernardino National Forest campgrounds, public lands for outdoor recreation. SoCal campground reservations can be booked online with the linked campsites below.
Big Bear Campgrounds near Big Bear Lake & Fawnskin area
| campground | elev | spots | veg | toilet | water | notes |
| Applewhite Campground | 6800′ | 42 | pines | vault | piped | disabled access, RV 30′ |
| Barton Flats Campground | 6300′ | 52 | pines | vault | shwrs | disabled access, RV 45′ |
| Big Pine Flats Horse Camp | 6800′ | 17 | pines | vault | piped | Way back 3N14, year round |
| Cold Brook Campground | 7000′ | 36 | pines | vault | piped | RV max 25′ |
| Crab Flats Campground | 6200′ | 29 | pines | vault | piped | 3N16, Green Valley Lk |
| Dogwood Campground | 7000′ | 90 | pines | vault | piped | disabled access, RV 22′ |
| Green Valley Campground | 7000′ | 37 | pines | vault | piped | Green Valley Lake |
| Hanna Flat Campground | 7000′ | 88 | pines | vault | – | RV max 25′ |
| Heart Bar Campground | 6900′ | 94 | pines | vault | seasonal | Hwy 38, equestrian |
| Holcomb Valley Campgr | 7400′ | 19 | pines | vault | no | Rd 3N16, year round |
| Horse Springs Campgr | 5800′ | 17 | pines | vault | no | Rd 3N17, year round |
| North Shore Arrowhead | 5100′ | 27 | – | vault | piped | disabled access |
| Pineknot Campground | 6400′ | 48 | – | vault | piped | disabled access, RV 45′ |
| San Gorgonio Campground | 7000′ | 54 | pines | vault | shwrs | Hwy 38, disabled, RV 43′ |
| South Fork Campground | 6400′ | 24 | pines | vault | piped | Hwy 38, RV max 30′ |
San Jacinto Campgrounds near Idyllwild area
| campground | elev | spots | veg | toilet | water | notes |
| Black Mountain Group | 6000′ | 16 | pines | pit | piped | group site |
| Boulder Basin Campground | 7300′ | 34 | pines | pit | piped | CLOSED |
| Dark Canyon | 5800′ | 22 | pines | pit | piped | CLOSED |
| Fern Basin Campground | 6000′ | 22 | pines | vault | piped | Rd# 4S02 |
| Marion Mountain Campground | 6400′ | 24 | pines | vault | piped | Rd# 4S02 |
| Pinyon Flat Campground | 4000′ | 18 | pinyon | vault | piped | bighorn sheep, year round |
| Santa Rosa Springs Camp | 7000′ | 3 | pines | pit | no | no RVs, Toro Peak |
| Thomas Mountain Camp | 6800′ | 6 | mixed | vault | no | no RVs, Rd 6S13; Lk Hemet |
| Tool Box Spring Campground | 6500′ | 6 | mixed | vault | piped | no RVs, above Lake Hemet |
| Toro Campground | 7800′ | 5 | pines | pit | no | Santa Rosa Wilderness |
Southern California Camping see also –
Topo maps, wilderness hiking maps, Equestrian trails, OHV maps –
SoCal mountain communities include:
San Bernardino National Forest: Heart Bar Campground
At Hwy 38 & Forest Road #1N02 is a huge, pine forested valley, right next to San Gorgonio Wilderness. Heartbar Campground, Heart Bar Horse Camps, RV Dispersed Sites. Highway 38 – SE of Big Bear Lake, California; Mountain Bike, Hiking & Equestrian Trails with ridges of 10,000′ elevation. SAN GORGONIO peak nearby. Best high elevation scenery for SoCal by far.
This gorgeous valley is a developed recreation area w/ 89 camp sites, plus big equestrian area. Picnic, hiking, mountain biking, horseback trails, plenty RV spots, even a creek. (Oooops I meant the Santa Ana River) Highway 38 is kinda the long way into Big Bear Lake, up thru Angelus Oaks. Locals call this stretch of the highway Barton Flats.
Bring the Horses & RVs
Leading out the back way of HeartBar, past the horse camp – is a nice one lane dirt road, narrow in spots, with random, primitive camp sites along the roadway. Authorities refer to these spots as yellow post camp sites.
Big Bear Discovery Center
at Big Bear Lake
909-382-2790
nearby mountain communities:
Forest Falls is well worth a stop for a quick picnic or hike – and head dunk. Weekends can be busy and crowded. Since this location is close to Southern California and the population centers, expect weekends to be busy in the Big Bear mountains. Plan a trip for week days to experience less people, and more nature.
Heart Bar Camp: Forest Road #1N02 – San Bernardino National Forest
Heartbar Campground, Heart Bar Horse Camps, RV Dispersed Sites, Coon Creek Cabin. SE of Big Bear Lake; Hiking & Equestrian Trails
Hwy 38 , the long way into Big Bear Lake, up thru Angelus Oaks CA. Heartbar Campground is a developed recreation area, right up front. 94 camp sites, plus the recreation all around. Big equestrian area.
HART BAR: Heart Bar is large pine valley w/ alpine meadows, great camping, San Gorgonio looms overhead with ridges of 10,000′ elevation.
free, dispersed, primitive camping
in Southern Cal
Forest Service Rd #1N02 – the dirt road is graded & maintained, about half the year. Primitive camp sites require permits; see local rangers. Many forest roads can close due to heavy snow, big rain or rock slides. Best traveled in the warmer months. Winter can be questionable with open gates and road access.
Large open sites, with tables & moderately level dirt access. Seen RV campers way back here. RV’s beyond 30′ are not recommended. At end of this 5 mile dirt route is a hiking trail to Big Morongo Canyon & a really neat historic place called the Coon Creek Cabin.
Totally worth a visit, if you plan on driving to the end of the road – just for the heck of it. Cabin area can be reserved for small group camping in summer months.
COON CREEK CABIN reservations
909-794-4861
San Bernardino forest maps:
nearby mountain communities:
nearby cities:
San Berdu National Forest: Crab Flats Campground
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MTS:
Big Bear Area Camping; Crabflats is on dirt road – Road# 3N16
North of Green Valley Lake, off Hwy 18. Between Big Bear Lake & Lake Arrowhead, California.
OHV trails abundant in this region, so expect some 4x4s, dirt bikes and engine noise. Looking for peaceful camp, try Heart Bar Camp.
• Elevation: 6,200′
• Number of Sites: 28
• Camping Reservations: Yes
• Sites Available: 3 first come
• Vehicle Accessibility: RV 15′ max
• Length of Stay: 14 Days
• Water: No Piped; seasonal creek iffy
• Toilet: Vault
• Season: Open APR-NOV
• Fee: Yes
• Operated By: National Forest Service
• Closest Town: Lake Arrowhead, CA
San Bernardino National Forest
Big Bear Discovery Center
Big Bear Lake, CA
909-382-2790
Topo maps, wilderness hiking maps, Equestrian trails, OHV maps –
nearby mountain communities:
LA forest / Los Angeles Mountain / LA National Forest
San Bernardino National Forest
Angeles National Forest
Los Padres National Forest
Santa Monica Mountains NRA
Malibu Creek State Park
Verdugo Mountains Park
Mount San Jacinto State Park
+ numerous Wilderness Areas
Los Angeles mountain towns –
Big Bear, Angelus Oaks, Arrowhead, Forest Falls, Green Valley Lake, Idyllwild, Wrightwood
Angeles Crest Highway 2
Southern California is a culture unto itself. The SoCal region spans from the coast of San Diego to the inland deserts of Imperial. Upward to included most of Mojave desert and over to the Santa Barbara coast, with he coastal mountains in Los Padres National Forest as the backdrop. If you seek a mountain bike trail in Big Bear, a picnic spot on the Malibu coast, a camp site in Anza Borrego Desert or an 4×4 route near Gorman, we will have you covered with our large selection of topos and trail maps.
hike, bike, camp, off road and explore
SoCal Map Set
A handy map set that includes all 4 Southern California National Forests
SoCal More Maps for 4×4 trails, ATV, dirt bikes, quads, rally, 4WD routes
Agua Tibia Wilderness Map
Channel Islands Map
Cucamonga Wilderness Map
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Death Valley National Park Map
Dick Smith Wilderness Map
Joshua Tree National Park Map
Malibu Creek Map
Mojave Desert Map
Mount Wilson Map
Mount Baldy Map
PCT Trail Maps
Pine Creek / Hauser
Point Mugu State Park
Anza Borrego Desert Map
San Diego Backcountry Map
San Gorgonio Map
San Jacinto Map
Santa Monica Mountains Map
Sespe Wilderness Map
Topanga Canyon
Verdugo Trail Map
Zuma Canyon Map
Southern California /San Gorgonio Wilderness Area / San Gorgonio Mountain Peak Hikes / Backpack Gorgonio
The tallest mountain peak in Southern California towers over the often smoggy basin of the Inland Empire, Riverside & San Bernardino. Coachella Valley lies to the southeast. Joshua Tree National Park lies due east.
Old Greyback is a fitting nickname for the peak. The massive, bald, decomposed granite gravel paves the whole top layer, above treeline (altitude nearing 12,000 feet above sea level) and this impressive peak can be seen from most of the Los Angeles basin and the Palm Springs desert. The expanding view of the Pacific Ocean can be seen 70 miles to the west, but only if the skies are clear. Windy, winter days are excellent conditions for viewing, but plan your hike accordingly as this peak could be covered in deep snow during winter or springtime.
This is a very popular backpacking weekend trip to escape from the big urban populations. San Diegans and Angelinos can easily access this location in a few hours from home, via Interstate 10 and some mountain driving on a 2 lane highway.
94,702 acres
San Gorgonio Peak – 11,503′ elevation
San Bernardino National Forest
Forest & Hiking Maps –
Gorgonio trailheads –
nearby campgrounds –
Heartbar Campground (Hwy 38)
Mission Springs Trailhead Camp
nearby communities & towns –
ANGELES OAKS
BIG BEAR CITY
BIG BEAR LAKE
FOREST FALLS
San Bernardino National Forest
Pipes Canyon Pioneertown Preserve
San Jacinto Wilderness
summitpost.org/san-gorgonio-wilderness
San Gorgonio Wilderness Wiki
Trails of the San Gorgonio
Several hot spring pools line this desert canyon on the SW side of Deep Creek. There are smaller hot tubs, as well a large warm tub that is big enough to swim in. The vegetation around the springs and main creek is fairly lush for this desert terrain. A variety of trees, including willows, plus small meadows and grasslands add to the visual balance of this land. Deep Creek is one of the popular Southern California hot springs due to its proximity to the big, urban areas.
East of Lake Arrowhead; South West of I-15 @ Hesperia & Victorville
San Bernardino National Forest
option A: Bowen Ranch, 2 mile hike
Bowen Ranch parking area, pay a fee to the crazy man and have the shortest hike to springs. The word ‘ranch” is used to describe a small shack with some junker cars. No entry after 10PM and the man at this private property is not a friendly ranger, nor is he a pleasant person to deal with (which is why we list 2 other parking options).
Interstate 15, exit Bear Valley in Victorville. Go East on Bear Valley 10 miles to Central. Turn right on Central. Just beyond the top of the hill turn left on Ocotillo, which becomes a dirt road. Turn right on Bowen Ranch Road and continue until you get to Bowen Ranch. National Forest Trail #3W02 the Goat Trail (aka Bowen trail) is 2 miles, the steepest and shortest route into the desert creek canyon.
option B: PCT Trail Route, 6 mile hike
Interstate 15, exit Hesperia & take Main St. @ Y veer left- Rock Springs Rd., right on Deep Creek Road and follow it up to Mojave River at the Saddle Dike Embankment. Park near the dam; Look for Pacific Crest Trail sign for hike up canyon to the hot springs.
option C: Bradford Ridge, 3 mile hike
Lake Arrowhead hike-in way via the Bradford Ridge Path. Take Highway 173 East, which becomes a wide graded dirt road heading toward the desert. From the shooting (rifle) range where the pavement ends, clock your trip meter on your vehicle 3 miles further down the road. Park at small pull out on the left side. Near the sign that says ‘Narrow Bridge’, where a gated old fire is directly across. Trail head was not marked. If you are into hiking, this option is for you. Narrow sandy ridge trails, single track. Bring flashlights for a successful hike out at night.
Deep Creek Forum – deepcreekhotsprings.net
Deep Creek Volunteers – deepcreekvolunteers.com
NFS link – http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recarea/?recid=34152
