Boulder Basin Campground, Idyllwild, CA

Boulder Basin Campground is located in the San Jacinto Ranger District, San Bernardino National Forest (1 hr 23 min west of Palm Springs, CA) with an elevation of 7,537 feet. There are a total of 16 campsites. The campground is normally open from mid May to the end of October. 7 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 20 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. There is a fee of $10.00 per night. Activities include biking, fishing, horseback riding, hiking trails.

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Campsite Reviews (31)

4.4 out of 5

5 star		55%
4 star		26%
3 star		6%
2 star		6%
1 star		0%

@AlejandraC7664 · Camped on Oct 25, 2024 at Campsite #23

Best campground for kids, there is so much to explore. The hike to the tower is a must. Its beautiful. There is 30 minutes of dirt road right before getting there, a low clearance or sedan type car may have difficulty getting there. We were there in October.

@JenniferH28313 · Camped on Aug 10, 2024 at Campsite #17

I probably should have read the description a little more closely when I booked this. When I was due to drive to this place and camp for the night, it was there that I saw it was 20 miles off the freeway. No problem I had enough daylight to get there. However, I didn't realize it was close to 17 miles of small two-lane narrow road, up up and deep back into who knows where, and when I got to the turnoff to the four-wheel drive part (that I did remember reading about, I believe it said "the last bit is four-wheel drive only,") that bit turned out to be 5 miles. 5 MILES. About a thousand feet into yes a classic medium four-wheel drive rut filled, bouncy, holey road, I decided to turn around. It probably would have taken me about an hour to do that stretch, and by that time I was losing daylight. I turned around in a nice scary narrow bit in the road, came down the mountain, and slept a couple hours at a truck stop. It's probably a very nice, remote, quiet, peaceful campground but not for this chickie.

@LoleVADF1BD8C0 · Camped on Oct 19, 2023 at Campsite #3

Amazing spot! Road was PRETTY banged up. Going in my Corolla was a bit of a challenge but made it up fine. Definitely recommend 4x4 lifted vehicles

@JamesB7853748 · Camped on Sep 19, 2023 at Campsite #30

Boulder Basin was a perfect getaway! Went Tue-Thur and didn't have one person there aside from myself. The campgrounds were clean and you can easily tell this place is well maintained even though it's a bit of a trek to get to. Be aware getting up to the campgrounds it is highly recommended to have a vehicle with a high clearance and to call the local rangers to see the status of the road as it is a dirt path and has parts that would be risky with a sedan.

@MarkJ8680764 · Camped on Aug 10, 2023 at Campsite #15

Beautiful place and we had the place to ourselves.

@EricG3571303 · Camped on Jul 7, 2023 at Campsite #28

Great place to camp 🏕 and enjoy the grounds. Our site was just as the images shown. We hiked up the moutain to the look-out tower for the views. FYI the roads just before the camp site need a little TCL so had to drive a bit more carefully. Me and my gentleman can't wait to come back and enjoy next summer!

@PaulG9606243 · Camped on Jul 6, 2023 at Campsite #8

Beautiful campground. It says water is available from a spring along Black Mountain Road. I couldn't find it. It would be nice if there was more information about where it is. The road was very rough. I made it in my 2wd SUV, but it is not for the faint of heart or passenger cars.

@alexb6244786 · Camped on Jun 9, 2023 at Campsite #25

Nice and peaceful location. Site 25 was excellent. The dirt road up could cause a lot of issues for 2wd and low ground clearance vehicles. Toilets smelled so badly. Other than the hikes up to the lookout tower, there is not a lot to do if you are not bouldering.

@ScottD5141264 · Camped on Jun 9, 2023 at Campsite #9

Really a good camping spot with some great hiking and exploring opportunities. A bit remote and road can be difficult for some vehicles, but worth the challenge. Restroom facilities were clean and stocked. Forest Service staff were polite and busy prepping campsites for visitors. Looking forward to our next trip.

@SteveC5760416 · Camped on Oct 28, 2022 at Campsite #9

beautiful spot

@LaceyR1502179 · Camped on Oct 28, 2022 at Campsite #23

Boulder Basin is the perfect site for campers who truly want to get off the beaten path. The site is at the end of a 5-mile dirt road which is difficult to access in anything but an SUV/truck. Many of the campers are climbers spending the weekend bouldering. Not too many families which is nice if you want a weekend away from the sound of kiddos. Will definitely go back next season.

@RebeccaL294673 · Camped on Aug 19, 2022 at Campsite #26

The pit toilets at Boulder Basin were some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Other than that, it’s a nice campground with relatively spread out sites.

@JeffC9633298 · Camped on Aug 5, 2022 at Campsite #29

Great time with the family.

@SherryK2438999 · Camped on Jul 25, 2022 at Campsite #28

Beautiful and Quiet

@LeonsoN9750243 · Camped on Jul 20, 2022 at Campsite #30

Excellent Campsite

@SANTIAGOR78190 · Camped on Oct 22, 2021 at Campsite #27

Great spot. It was a little loud at night w a bunch of people partying but other than that it was perfect. Did a sunrise hike to lookout and it is a must do.

@SANTIAGOR291 · Camped on Oct 22, 2021 at Campsite #27

Great spot. It was a little loud at night w a bunch of people partying but other than that it was perfect. Did a sunrise hike to lookout and it is a must do.

@AbigailL759007 · Camped on Oct 1, 2021 at Campsite #27

A large, beautiful campground with sites that are decently spaced out for privacy. Tons of great boulder problems are accessible just steps away from each campsite. The dirt road leading to the campground seems to help keep it from becoming overly crowded. We will definitely be returning!

@AbigailL239 · Camped on Oct 1, 2021 at Campsite #27

@NealP683 · Camped on Aug 20, 2021 at Campsite #13

The bathrooms were unbearable. The smell made some of our scouts sick and vomit. However, the scenery, the location, and the camping were outstanding. We enjoyed bouldering and hiking around the camp.

@JamesW641 · Camped on Aug 18, 2021 at Campsite #30

The campground was quite well maintained. Stayed midweek, I believe there were only 2 other sites in use during this time. Only suggestions I could make is for the park to look into more rapid breakdown methods for the restroom waste. Camping approximately 200’ away the odor was still quite strong and could easily take your breath away if you had to use the restroom.

@RobertoM655308 · Camped on Aug 7, 2021 at Campsite #29

Campground is awesome. However, beware that the dirt road to get to up the mountain is very long (5 miles), rugged, windy, and steep. 4x4 is not needed, but recommended.

@RobertoM898 · Camped on Aug 7, 2021 at Campsite #29

Campground is awesome. However, beware that the dirt road to get to up the mountain is very long (5 miles), rugged, windy, and steep. 4x4 is not needed, but recommended.

@BarbaraA304 · Camped on Jun 27, 2021 at Campsite #15

Quiet and beautiful site. Truck trail to site needs grading.

@IanG767 · Camped on Jun 27, 2021 at Campsite #32

So quiet, so beautiful.

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