Saddleback Butte State Park

I went on…
May /​/​/​2014
November /​/​/​2014
August /​/​/​2015
There is a guaranteed star-​filled night.
The Habitat:
* First come first serve, however we never had a problem with finding a campsite.
* $ 20 (cash) for a campsite with a max 8 people. The most tents we’ve had is 4 and we still had a little bit of wiggle room.
* As mentioned before, the night sky is gorgeous. There are plenty of shooting stars to go around.
* Ground is rough. Make sure to have sturdy tent stakes and a good hammer.
* This place is freezing at night and scorching by the late morning. (It is the desert)
* There are a few up-​to-​date clean restroom stalls (sinks & toilets). No showers.
* Each campsite comes with both a standard size shade ramada and picnic table.
* Great for groups or couples
* Joshua Trees galore!
Overall, this low-​key campsite is a great way to get away from the city without completely leaving civilization.

Water and dump station in service again. Makes for a quick, easy, and convenient place to stop with the trailer.

Visited 1÷10÷15. No Access to Saddleback Butte trail from the campground as campground is still closed for improvements. Plan B was a hike on Little Butte trail from the day-​use area, entrance on East Ave J just east of E.170^th. The Saddleback (2 miles one way to summit) and Little Butte Trails (2.5 miles one way to summit) are loose sand up until the rocks toward the top of the Butte. The Dowen Nature trail is a. 6 mile loop with paved sidewalks. If you get an early start, the $ 6 use fee gets you access to the nearby Indian museum and other CA state parks on the same day. Camp hosts were very friendly and helpful at the Visitor Center in the day-​use area. Maps and other brochures are available as well.

Well, I used to enjoy hiking here… but the other day discovered the state or county is using inmates in orange jumpsuits to clean the bathrooms. I really don’t think that’s a good idea for a state park where people hike and camp.

Felt like I was in an episode of the Walking Dead… haha Pristine ramadas with grilles picnic tables at every location. However, didn’t see a single soul on a Sunday afternoon. Restrooms were spotless and no one appeared to be at the visitor center. Your $ 3 admission at the AV Indian Museum pays for your entrance here. Very peaceful just quite eerie with all campgrounds barely used and empty. Perhaps that’s a good thing ;)

Do you find beauty in the desert? Do you like hiking? Well this is the spot for you! I get lost for hours and love it. It’s so relaxing and not too many people go here, so no need to worry about crowds. Most of my trips here have been during the day, the one time I went at night was also delightful. I came across some campers and danced in the moonlight and counted the stars.

This is a great, clean state park. Right now it’s blanketed in wildflowers, so check it out! There is a very nice paved path, but if you’re up for it, there’s a great 5 mile hike to the peak of the butte. It has great views of the Mojave and the San Gabriel’s. Check out the write up on modern hiker:

Went to Saddleback Butte SP on Fri 3÷28÷14. They have a really good wildflower season right now!
Parking is $ 6 per vehicle or $ 5 with a senior citizen. Self-​Registration so you need Exact Change, no credit cards, Cash or maybe Check Only.
Visitor Center wasn’t open when we went. Call for hours.
We did the Nature Trail which is pretty boring, I guess only good for people in wheelchairs since it’s mostly paved and flat. Skip it.
Little Butte is nice and pretty easy to do. You’ll see the wildflowers along the trail down low.
If you continue to Saddleback Butte it gets really steep and seems to go on Forever, but eventually you’ll climb some rocks and get to the Top! There’s a small container with notebooks where you can write your name down to saw you were there and made it. There are 2 Survey Markers near the top too.
Worth it for views and exercise. Total hike is only 3 miles total round trip. Bring food & water because there is none there & No shade on the trail.

Saddleback Butte State Park is a small tract of land on the corners of two major routes in this area. It’s great for short stays, day hiking… but I think someone would go mad if they had to stay here more than a few days since recreation here is limited.
There are a few trails, one goes up the side of the butte for a great view of the valley. One is a loop to one camping area to the next, and down the access road back.
In the springs the blooming wildflowers were amazing in this park, and abundant.
We stayed two nights– two WINDY as hell nights. Most of the campsites have ramada structures, but they did very little to fend off the intense winds swooping the valley.
Most of the campsites come with a pit and a bbq grill and two picnic tables. However, on the lower part of the campgrounds where we stayed half of the grounds were closed off. Some of the camps open did not come with a pit, and this time of the year when we woke up to 34f cold– they are necessary.
There’s plenty of room for tents and camping on the lot, too. However there is a 8 person capacity and only one car capacity ($ 6 for each extra). The campsites are a tad pricey, too at $ 20 a night. However it is a State Park and I understand the costs to run these places and inadequate funds to provide that maintenance.
There’s two parts to this campground, too. You can enter from one end and drive the ¾ mile to the other end. Campgrounds are first come, first serve.
For those looking for things to do, definitely check out the near-​by Antelope Valley Indian Museum (free for Saddleback Butte campers). The building is amazing, as are the artifacts and even a really short and fun hike up the hills behind it.
There’s a near-​by wildflower reserve, a poppy reserve not too far away, and for people into movies the church from Kill Bill is about 3 miles away. Not far from the campsites are also movie sets used in House of 1,000 Corpses, Devils’ Rejects, and many more movies.
I enjoyed our stay and may be back.

Took a day trip out here to «the other Joshua Tree» a couple weeks back when we got wind that the desert wildflowers are in bloom. So beautiful and peaceful with hardly anyone about. We only encountered one other couple on the wheelchair accessible ½ mile paved loop, but we were the only two soldiering on to Little Butte which is a fairly easy trek at 2 or so miles to its peak. There’s a day-​use area with sheltered picnic tables and barbecues, and there’s camping just down the street and around the corner. The spring wildflowers paint a magnificently vibrant setting in what I guess would be an otherwise drab landscape most other times of the year. Highly recommend making the trip to see the desert dressed in its finest!

Wildflowers and Joshua Trees!
Very clean state park with hardly any visitors to compete for parking or picnic spots. you can’t walk you dogs on the trails. the trail itself is easy with hardly any incline or decline. they have a paved trail for people in wheelchairs which is nice or if you don’t want to get your shoes sandy. It is very beautiful to come out here and enjoy some fresh air, the wildflowers, and joshua trees. Parking is $ 6

If you are a fan of hiking, camping or just getting away from it all for a little while, Saddleback Butte State Park is a wonderful place to visit. And if you love Spring and wildflowers as much as I do, now is the perfect time to go!
My husband and I went there today. First we checked out the quaint visitor center. Then we did the short and easy nature trail loop. Then we tackled the hike that takes you up to Saddleback Butte peak. I felt like a kid on a field trip (and who doesn’t love that feeling). The wildflowers were blooming like crazy, the Joshua Trees were cool like they always are, and the views and rock formations were pretty special as well. The hike is not the farthest, but the last section is an incline that will have you asking yourself, «Do I really need to see what’s at the top?»
This is really a very special place. I’m glad that we made the trip out there, and you will be too.

Way, way out at the far reaches of Los Angeles County are some eerily fascinating wildlife reserves and parks. Visible from many miles away, Saddleback Butte rises out of the desert floor like a specter; many don’t realize this formation is also a state park where one can go hiking, camping or just stroll around in the profound silence of the high desert.
Before you go, be sure to check out the official website for important information regarding facilities, conditions and possible closures. This is not a place to go unprepared.
If the wind isn’t tearing your hair off, you’re roasting alive in the heat or merely turning a festive red color in the low humidity. That is to say: The camping is semi-​primitive, the landscape bleak and the hiking can end up an exercise in misery and heat syncope. Bring water, people. Hike early.
There’s a cute little nature trail that circles around the ranger station, which apparently contains some exhibits. I wouldn’t know, since it has never been open one single time I’ve gone. Nearby are some wooden ramadas with picnic tables, which provide a bit of shade and some protection from the wind. You can drive to the actual campground from here, or enter via 170^th street (around the corner.)
I always tell people to make this one stop on a tour of the Antelope Valley, because there are some other interesting places nearby — the Indian Museum, some empty gas stations and motels that are used exclusively for film sets, as well as some of the aforementioned county wildlife reserves. Just up the hill is a Joshua tree forest so thick and green it rivals anything I ever saw at the national park of the same name. Or, if you’re the gritty outdoors type, go ahead and camp there. You just have to love stark vistas and a pronounced feeling of ennui.
Here is some of the information from the site. You really *have* to be prepared before you go:
«Saddleback Butte, elevation 3,651 feet, is a granite mountaintop that towers some thousand feet above the broad alluvial bottom land of the Antelope Valley about fifteen miles east of Lancaster, on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The state park surrounding Saddleback Butte was created in 1960 to protect the butte (one of many similar land features in the Antelope Valley) and examples of native Joshua Tree woodlands and other plants and animals that were once common throughout this high desert area.
The best time to visit is in the springtime (February through May) when wildflowers are apt to put on a beautiful display of color. Autumn (October and November) is pleasant as well, although temperatures may vary widely and change rather suddenly. Summer temperatures average 95° F and occasionally range as high as 115° F, but evenings are peaceful with warm breezes and clear skies. Average minimum temperature during the winter is 33 ° F (frost and sub-​freezing temperatures are common, with occasional snow).
Hiking
The Little Butte Trail is about 2.5 miles to the peak and can be picked up from below the day-​use area, or take the 2-​mile Saddleback Butte Peak Trail from the trailhead parking area in the campground. The trails begin on a mild slope through moderately loose sand among creosote bushes and Joshua trees to the base of the butte where they merge. It then becomes a challenging climb up sand and rock, but the finale is worth every step. At the top, enjoy a breathtaking 360° view over the Antelope Valley and east across the Mojave desert. For a nice moderate 3-​mile loop, go up one trail to where they merge, come back down on the other, then return on the park’s gravel road to the trailhead where you started. See the „Equestrian“ section for additional trail information. Day-​use fee applies.
The short self-​guided Dic Dowen Nature Trail is located at the Visitor Center in the day-​use area, with information on the natural history of the park and area.
Day-​Use Facilities
Day-​use facilities within the park include 27 picnic sites with tables and barbecue grills, each with ramadas for protection from the sun and wind. Water and pit toilets are located near the picnic area.
Visit the park office and visitor center, located at the entrance to the day-​use area, featuring displays and hands-​on exhibits about the natural and cultural history and geology of the area.
Campground Facilities
The family campground is first-​come, first-​served and offers 50 units with tables, stoves, fire rings, and shade ramadas. Potable water spigots and full restrooms with a flush toilet and sink are located throughout the campground (no showers). Eight people maximum per campsite. There is a 30-​foot max for campers/​RVs. Use of the RV dump station is free for paid campers, or a $ 6 fee for non-​campers. The dump station is currently closed for repairs.»