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43 Free Campgrounds This Saturday in Southern California

By Zach Behrens
June 12, 2014
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Scenery in the Figueroa Mountain area of Los Padres National Forest
Scenery in the Figueroa Mountain area of Los Padres National Forest.  | Photo: Damian Gadal/Flickr/Creative Commons License

It's time for another fee free event in national forests, this time in celebration of National Get Outdoors Day, which is this Saturday, June 14. For Southern California, this means adventure passes won't be needed and lots of campgrounds, mostly in Los Padres National Forest, will be free. Details below.

Adventure Passes

The hotly debated Adventure Pass program that is unique to California's four most-southern national forests, recently took a hit in court, but they're still around. Casey Schreiner at Modern Hiker explained what's going on in depth last month. What you need to know for Saturday is that there's no need for them. Come Sunday, they'll be required again.

Campgrounds

Like other fee free events, a number of first come, first serve campsites become free -- because the Adventure Pass is used as payment for these -- for Saturday night. There's 41 in Los Padres National Forest and two Cleveland National Forest. San Bernardino National Forest does not have Adventure Pass-driven sites and while Angeles National Forest does have several, they won't be offering the fee off this weekend, according to a spokesperson. Here's the full list.

Cleveland National Forest
both are popular with off-road vehicle users

- Corral Canyon
- Bobcat Meadow

Los Padres National Forest
Both Pino Alto and Cumbre day sse areas will also be free

Santa Barbara Area
- Middle Santa Ynez Campground
- Mono Campground
- P-Bar Flat Campground
- Rock Camp

Ojai Area
- Middle Lion Campground
- Pine Moutain Campground
- Reyes Peak Campground
- Rose Valley Campground

Frazier Park Area
- Aliso Park Campground
- Ballinger Campground
- Caballo Campground
- Campo Alto Campground
- Chuchupate Campground
- Chula Vista Campground
- Dome Springs Campground
- Dutchman Campground
- Halfmoon Campground
- Kings Camp Campground
- Marian Campground
- Nettle Springs Campground
- Pine Springs Campground
- Rancho Nuevo Campground
- Reyes Creek Campground
- Thorn Meadows Campground
- Tinta Campground
- Toad Springs Campground
- Valle Vista Campground

Northern Santa Barbara County
- Baja Campground
- Bates Canyon Campground
- Brookshire Campground
- Buck Spring Campground
- Colson Campground
- Davy Brown Campground
- Figueroa Campground
- Friis Campground
- Hi Mountain Campground
- Horseshoe Spring Campground
- La Panza Campground
- Miranda Pine Campground
- Navajo OHV Staging Area/Campground
- Nira Campground

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