Buckhorn Campground

Bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions oh my! I was off trail down by the creek, close to camp and I heard a baby cub nursing/​content call and the mother clacking her teeth. Though I couldn’t see them she probably smelled me or had her eye right on me. I immediately got out of there. Other hikers have seen black bears just off the trail.

I love this campground, now it is a little primitive without showers but there is running water near many of the campsites and the bathrooms are clean and well maintained. It is beautiful and a welcomed retreat from the hot desert. It can get a little loud on holidays but quaint and quite the rest of the year. Keep in mind it is first come first served and can sell out quickly.

This campground is beautiful. Beware on the weekends though, it gets PACKED… Got up there around 11 AM on Saturday ¹⁰⁄₂₄ and got the last available site. There were disappointed people driving through all afternoon/​evening. Couldn’t believe how packed this place was this late into the season.
Also, this place can get LOUD on weekends. There was a party going on 2 sites over well past «quiet hours». There was no way anybody in the entire campground was sleeping peacefully. They were playing music quite loud until about 1 AM.
Went up there on a weeknight, and it was quiet and beautiful. Gets cold at night. Be prepared for high 30s or low 40s.

There are nice spots but it’s too over crowded and very loud. Creepy people hang out there. One time I went up with a dozen people and a crazy hippy joined our group and after he drank through a case of wine in one day he pulled his gun and slowly pointed it at everyone in the group. After he scared the shot out of everyone he put the gun away then went off to bed. He said he goes every month if not every other week end. Be careful of hippies named bob

My review is for our hike to Will Thrall Peak via Buckhorn Campground into the wasabi View Ridge Wilderness.
We are hiking Mt Whitney and have been doing some training hikes leading to our trip next week and we chose this hike due to our personal schedules and the elements of the hike and the similarities we’ll face on our hike to Trail Camp (distance, elevation gain) except for the 20−30° temps!
This is a very solid 11-​mile hike (18 if you come from Devils Punch bowl) and is like a skateboard ramp with elevation gain to the peak and when you return back to your auto.
This is one of the more remote peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains and thusly rarely visited. Once you reach the 5-​mile marker you’ll turn left up the lightly used day trail. Most descriptions say «it’s just a half mile up the trail from here», but what they don’t tell you is that it’s 800 foot incline straight up and there are approximately four false summits to try and break your spirit. Take your time and you’ll get there.
As stated, remember… Your trip back is Also uphill for the last 1.5 — 2 miles and while it’s not steep, the incline is very real and tiring after your 11-​mile RT venture

Watch for the turn… it is AFTER the day use park area by 500 feet coming from LA on the left. It is a one-​way road… if you get there after dark easy to freak out cause no way two cars traveling this road… take is SLOW in case someone gets confused and tries to exit going wrong way!!! Very narrow road. If you can’t figure out the layout, drive to main area, park, and look at the site map or just drive around looking… very small site. If you miss the turn and drive out, make a rt turn and go back to main entrance. DO NOT try to drive back on this road… take the time to drive around back to the main entrance.
Good place to take the family. Quiet and peaceful. Site 35 is the best by far… the site map online is horrible… hard to see the numbers. I stayed at #7 which is quiet and has a large back drop to the creek… lots of space and privacy. Bathrooms are horrid… be warned… typical crap smell. If you stay a few days, try a solar shower. They work well. Heat it dark side up. Less than $ 20 bucks. Get the smaller one if you can’t lift…5lbs of water is heavy. Big 5 has some really good deals for a one butane cook burner for $ 20 plus $ 2.50 for the butane. Also cheap sleeping and tents. If you don’t camp often, but the cheap $ 24 tent and simply seal it with a waterproof solution like this;
This is supposed to be excellent;

Had a girls night camping trip for the 1^st time on 7÷31÷15. Great shaded campsites, firepits with grill racks, picnic tables, and bear boxes at each campsite. Lots of space between campsites for privacy and beautiful trees for shade. Bring your own TP for the pit toilets. A very enjoyable experience — went on a hike to Cooper Canyon Falls — not. much falls but a good place to cool your feet off. We will be back!

I love coming here for camping. it is an awesome place ! there is I believe about 30 camping areas and you can have fires you can bring your dogs, there is nice little lakes and creeks around and some tiny little waterfalls most of the people are pretty cool and keep to themselves the weather is awesome it doesn’t even seem like you’re in California I love it

Wanted to give hikers some info before trying to hike to the waterfall. The path down to the stream is about 1.5 miles. The path is scary in spots because it is only 2 feet wide and on the side of a mountain. When you get down to the water you pass over a small stream. There will be a sign for PCT and someone wrote on another sign with a sharpy «waterfall». It is only 500 feet pass that sign per the ranger. We didn’t see the rope for the waterfall and continued the hike. There is a sign that says Buckhorn further down the path so we thought we were on the right trail. We were actually on our way to Devil’s Punchbowl unaware. The path gets really treacherous at points. 6 inch path with gravel covering it on the side of a mountain. That is when we turned around because it just wasn’t safe. We talked to the ranger about how dangerous it was and he said he is going to send some landscapers up to work on it and check out the signage. I asked him how would someone get help if someone in their party fell off the path. He said you would have to hike out and drive 9 miles down the road to the restaurant that has a payphone and call 911. We actually tried that payphone and it wouldn’t work because it was full of money. The coins kept coming out and no dial tone. Once you start driving up the mountain there is no cell reception. Just beware!!!

Beautiful location! Spent just one night (Monday 6÷1÷15) at this camp with my 3yo son and 9yo nephew. It was quiet, clean, and just so perfect. We stayed at site 7 closest to the first set of restrooms by the entrance which I assume would be the heaviest used. I was quite surprised they were not as dirty as many of the reviews lead me to believe.
HIKERS WITH CHILDREN ATTEMPTING THE WATERFALL BEWARE
We tried to make it to the waterfall but only got to the first mile marker and turned back. It was not terribly difficult but with two kids, it took us over an hour and a half hiking the mile plus another half mile to get to the trailhead from our campsite. Glad we didnt continue. We were told by some other hikers on our way back that the decend to the waterfall was via a rope down a pretty steep slope. Fine for adults but the kids would not have made it. We ended going back to camp and playing around the very small creek.
The kids had a fantastic time.

Put people in the outdoors and proper bathroom etiquette goes right out the window!
Seriously, why do people feel the need to spray their feces all over the toilet seat and walls? Same rules apply out here, people. Sit down and do your business! Please!
Other than that, this campground is amazing.

This is more a review of the Burkhart Hiking Trail than the campground. My girlfriend and I did this on a saturday afternoon. It was busy but not too bad. There’s a decent size lot in the back of the campground (it’s a little tough to find the entrance off the main road). We set out about noon and finished around 3. It’s a pretty mild hike, some rocky ground but no really steep inclines, mostly in the shade. Overall, recommended for a nice day hike!

I came to buckhorn a week ago with friends to get away from the city and enjoy the woods. We arrived on a Thursday evening and were lucky enough to find the perfect camping spot which was VERY spacious. It is about an hour away from the city and the scenic drive up there is beautiful. The campsite is lovely with nice big trees all around you! The fee is $ 12 per day and each campsite has it’s own picnic table and firepit. We loved this place for how close by and beautiful it was. Will definitely be coming back!

Love it here. Spaced out camp sites and the crowd isn’t all ghetto fab! Nice hikes, deep woods, flowing streams (when there’s rain), and super quiet overall. Bring plenty of firewood and beer because there’s nowhere local to buy anything! Bathrooms can use a little work but hey it’s the woods so it’s all good!

Found the best site in here. Got the last spot. Best part? Unreachable phone reception. Gonna spend some quality time with my hubby and my baby, Danchoo. And some friends of course.
The folks camping around us are cool. Danchoo was barking senselessly earlier due to two American Akitas wanting to sniff him. He acted like one was chopping down on him. So funny. He cried. Poor baby.
Hopefully all our firewood and camp gear are still there since we left for a couple of hours. Let’s get this vacation on a roll. Waiting for our friends so we can caravan up. Can’t wait to grub on some meat. Whoooo Hooooo!
Oh and the permit is by Cash only or by check. If you bring cash, bring exact change.
The bathrooms are disgusting but it’s camping.

My wife and I wanted to go camping in the mountains. After days of research I stumbled upon Buckhorn, thanks to google.
It seemed like we were driving up on the mountain for a long time. As you go higher up the mountain the trees get taller and grass more lush.
We first turned into the Buckhorn day camping area and thought it was the overnight campsite and seeing it closed we we were devastated. Before we decided to head back we drove further up about ¼ of a mile and to our pleasant surprise we found the actual campsite.
I have been to Montana, Ohio, Wyoming, Nor. Cal and I can say this with confidence that as soon as you start driving into this campsite it gives you the vibe of those places and it’s nothing like So. Cal which is mostly dry and brown.
There’s only 1 trail that you can hike but besides that I’m not sure if there is any other recreational activities offered at the campsite but that’s not why we go camping. We camp to stay away from all that and just be close with nature and enjoy the silence. We definitely recommend hiking the trail. It’s gorgeous and there are some great giant rocks to sit on and have a few drinks and there are plenty of breathtaking photo op spots.
Each campsite is fairly private and especially ours was at a perfect spot. Each site comes with a fire pit, a picnic table, and a parking spot. We didn’t encounter any bugs, bears, rattle snakes, or mountain lions.
My only problem with this place were the bathrooms. They are disgusting and it’s not a big deal if you’re a guy but I felt bad for my wife.
We will go there again and again and again. Buckhorn Campground gets our highest recommendations!!!
PROS:
Beautiful scenery
Hiking trail
Privacy
No bugs
Fire pit
Picnic table
Convenient parking
CONS:
Disgusting bathrooms

Went here this past weekend with wife kids and other family members. There are many good and a couple bad things about this place though.
First things first the good:
— Amazing views
— Very quiet
— Bathrooms
— Running water on each campsite
— Fire pits for each site
— Extra parking towards the end
— Big campsites fit 2 – 3 big tents.
The bad:
— Only saw one sign on the way there. We got lost because of this.
— Bathrooms weren’t clean. It seems like they don’t clean them on the weekends.
— Didn’t find the waterfall. Ran into other hikers and they said it was about one hour away from the starting point of the trail.
It was a great experience and would do it again and also come back to this campsite. The kids had fun and they loved it. If only they would put at least one more sign at the beginning if the road it would make this place easier to find mostly if it’s your first time here like us. Also last but not least if the bathrooms were kept a little more clean it would make it all better too.

This is a beautiful campground! Spacious lots, bear boxes, fire pits, gorgeous scenery and lots of shade (if you are not on the main drag to the trail head). The forest ranger we spoke to was very nice.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars (and it is a pretty big reason) — the toilets are AWFUL. If they are ever cleaned, it is NOT frequently enough. We arrived on a Friday to epic nastiness. all over… and it was the same way when we left on Sunday. One big plus is that there are many toilets so you may find one that isn’t quite as putrid as the last if you are willing to walk a bit. Otherwise, take your lantern and your fly zapper with you when you ‘go’ because there is no light and an abundance of flies that will take advantage of you and not even offer to buy you dinner.
In spite of the toilets — this place is awesome and popular. Lots of people show up on Saturday at checkout time (11am) and spots fill up fast.

Great place for camping. I almost did not write a review because I want this place to be my best kept secret: P I remember it being a little hard to find only because there is absolutely no reception about halfway up the mountain. When we found the camp it was seriously like another world. Soooo pretty and somewhat whimsical. Anyways, this trip was very last minute. So sudden that we had to go to the 24 hour Walmart to load up on camp gear. We were worried the entire drive that we would not be able to find a spot since it is first come first serve. Luckily, we found one and the best one! Make sure to carpool because there’s only room for two cars for each spot.
Once we unloaded we decided to go for a hike because supposedly there’s a waterfall. Worst idea ever… I should have known when I saw the sign for the hiking trail called The Devil’s Punchbowl. On the way we ran into friendly Korean seniors that were in a hiking club. You could tell they meant business with their hiking gear. They took one look at our shorts and chucks and wished us good luck and said that the waterfall isn’t that far. If a bunch of 60 year olds could do it we could right!!!
WRONG. It was probably one of the worst experiences of my life :(I’m not exaggerating. The trail started off okay but it just got worse and worse and worse. I was scared for my life at times because there’s loose dirt and rocks and you are basically walking/​climbing around the mountain. One wrong move and you could easily slide off the trail. We kept going because each person we passed said that we weren’t that far. Also we kept hearing loud running water but who knows maybe we were dehydrated and delusional. We were so exhausted but then we got to a small creek and it gave us some hope. I think we were hiking for a good 2 – 3 hours (one way). Did I mention that we only had two bottles of water between 5 people!!! One guy in our group freaking dropped his down the hill…
Soooo we run into this group of boy scouts or something and they tell us that we are still a good hour or two away. Are you freaking kidding me!!! We decided to turn around. The way back was even worse. You have no idea how happy I was to see the entrance. I almost kissed the asphalt. Oh on the way we ran into this couple and they could tell I was dying lol and they were nice enough to give me their water. I hope you see this. Thank you!!! We make it back to the camp and all I wanted to do was shower. Too bad. There are no showers. Also the bathroom is freaking disgusting. Looked like a crime scene. I don’t understand how someone could get shit all over the seat and walls. Gave me no choice but to pop a squat lol…
The boys began trying to start the fire. No luck. We forgot firewood –_​– There was a guy camping with his daughters and luckily he had extra! We thanked him and the girls with some smores :) All in all it was a memorable trip and I am definitely looking forward to going again. Remember to bring plenty of drinking water, good flashlights, and lanterns. Oh and almost forgot… firewood too :)

There was snow on the ground and the campground was closed for the season in mid-​April. I took a walk through the campground and was impressed with all they’ve done lately.
New bearproof food boxes in each campsite. Roads paved. The notoriously stinky outhouses have solar fan and probably light systems, not that there’s much direct sunlight with all the tall trees. Hopefully this will end the tradition of someone blasting diarrhea all over the seat in the night, every night. You people are $%^$#& sick, sit the $%^& down!!!
The station fire didn’t reach this area, and the tall tall trees are awesome! Skies are always so implausibly blue that city dwellers wonder if reality has been photoshopped. Winds and turbulence over the ridge often make for interesting, rapidly changing, magically appearing, or disappearing clouds.
A great bicycle challenge: Ride from camp at 6300′ to Cloudburst summit at 7,018 feet. You’ll likely huff and puff and struggle, no matter how good a biker near sea level. Going up via the exit road is much longer but at least you can pedal most of the way. The low granny gear that you wondered why they bothered with in the city? You’ll find yourself wishing for a LOWER gear! At the summit, there is a view of Los Angeles to take in while regaining breath, though the forest below was burned. Riding back is 100% downhill, and you get back to camp so fast it’s like you faxed yourself. I’ve done this ride at midnight, once with my HID headlight, once under the full moon. Beware of rice rockets and other speed demons along Highway 2.
I believe the RV limit is 22′; I have shoehorned my 27′ into a spot but it won’t fit many of the spaces and, like George of the Jungle, WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE! The entrance road is not for the timid, and turning around RV or trailer down some of the roads is for the skilled so park by the pay spot and WALK before boldly heading down some of the roads in a large vehicle.
The shadiest spots are along the South and West ends of camp. The sopts along the road to Burkhart Trail are sunny and there is constant traffic, so use these when everywhere else is full. The trail is nice, and there is a waterfall-​swimming hole with a fun but seen-​better-​days rope off a tree. I’ve heard there’s a BIG waterfall further along the trail, but haven’t gone that far. It links to the Pacific Crest.
THERE ARE BEARS HERE! AND I DON’T MEAN YOGI! Bears have gone through my camp at night, feet from my tent! Use your bearproof box, and don’t leave food-​smelling trash in your camp at night! There are probably also big cats, so mind your dogs and small children. This is camping in a true wilderness area!
Buckhorn: Awesome, tall tree campground!