This single group site serves up to 50 people looking to escape LA without the drive to distant mountains. At 5,200 feet in the Angeles National Forest, you're close enough to the San Gabriel Wilderness for serious hiking yet accessible enough for RVs up to 40 feet.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Group
- 🏕️Total Sites
- 1
- 💵Fee per Night
- $10
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 🏔️Elevation
- 5,200 ft
- 📍GPS
- 34.32278, -118.01778
- 🌤️Best Seasons
- spring, fall
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- Yes
- 📞Phone
- 661-269-2808
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
Coulter Group Campground operates as a single large site with four group picnic tables arranged around a central campfire ring with benches. The setup works for organized groups — scout troops, family reunions, corporate retreats — who want defined gathering spaces. Vault toilets and stoves handle the basics, though the real draw is having the entire campground to yourselves.
The site sits less than a mile from the San Gabriel Wilderness boundary, where 36,000 acres of protected terrain stretches from 1,600 to 8,200 feet. Dense chaparral at lower elevations gives way to pine and fir forests higher up, with the usual Southern California mix of rugged peaks and seasonal wildflowers.
What to Know
Reserve up to 12 months ahead through Recreation.gov — this is the only way to book. Expect a $10 service fee for changes or cancellations, and if you bail within 14 days of arrival, you forfeit the first night's fee on top of the service charge. No-shows get hit with a $20 fee and lose all use fees.
Spring and fall offer the best weather windows. Summer heat can be punishing despite the elevation, and winter brings unpredictable road conditions on Angeles Crest Highway.
Nearby
The Silver Moccasin Trail starts nearby, offering 58 miles of hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking that connects to the Pacific Crest Trail. The Chilao Visitor Center sits 1.5 miles east with exhibits on local ecology and prime bird watching — they highlight 10 woodpecker species in the area.
Angeles Crest Highway provides the scenic drive element, winding through oak thickets, chaparral, high desert, and pine forests. The road itself becomes part of the experience, though it also means you're never far from weekend traffic heading to and from the mountains.