BARTON FLATS
San Bernardino National Forest, CABarton Flats sits at 6,360 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, serving as a staging area for both equestrian adventures and mountain recreation. The campground offers paved sites among pine and oak trees, with direct trail access that makes it more than just a place to sleep.
Campground Details
- 💵Fee per Night
- $10
- 📍GPS
- 34.17055, -116.87455
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 🗺️Address
- CA
The Camp
The campground spreads across level terrain tucked among pine and oak trees, 36 miles northeast of San Bernardino just off the Rim of the World Scenic Byway. Sites accommodate both tents and RVs on paved parking aprons, though no hookups are available. A dump station handles RV needs, and each site comes with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible flush toilets, showers, and drinking water serve the campground, with firewood sold on-site.
Trail Access
The real draw is immediate access to the Santa Ana River Trail, which currently offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding through mountain terrain that's part of a future mountains-to-sea route. The 2.5-mile Rio Monte Trail starts from camp and ends at Rio Monte Panorama, overlooking the deep Santa Ana River Valley gorge.
For lake access, the Jenks Lake Trail begins at the Barton Flats Visitor Center, following the Rio Monte Trail to Barton Road, then an old logging road to Jenks Lake. The lake provides fishing for stocked rainbow trout plus largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, and catfish. Non-motorized boating works here too—canoeing and kayaking are both options. The nearby Santa Ana River adds another fishing venue.
What to Know
At $10 per night, sites fill the spectrum from single to double occupancy, with accessible options available. Summer brings evening educational programs at the Grayback Amphitheater on State Route 38. Standard cancellation policies apply: cancel the day before or day of arrival and you'll pay a $10 service fee plus forfeit the first night's fee.