Mountain Oak sits at 6,200 feet in the Angeles National Forest, trading privacy for convenience with 17 developed sites clustered in a single loop. The real draw is Jackson Lake — just three acres of trout-stocked water where you can canoe, swim, or fish without powerboat noise.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Developed
- 🏕️Total Sites
- 17
- 💵Fee per Night
- $30
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 🏔️Elevation
- 6,200 ft
- 📍GPS
- 34.39472, -117.72944
- 🌤️Best Seasons
- spring, fall
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- Yes
- 📞Phone
- 760-249-3526
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
The single-loop design means you'll know your neighbors, but the towering oaks, ponderosa pines, and sugar pines provide decent overhead cover. Sites sit on a carpet of pine needles and leaves with bear-proof food containers at each spot, plus the standard picnic table and grill setup. Flush toilets and drinking water keep things civilized, and the camp host sells firewood if you didn't bring your own.
At this elevation, you're high enough to escape some of the Los Angeles metro heat but still accessible for weekend trips from the city.
The Lake
Jackson Lake won't impress anyone with its size — three acres total — but it's the only lake near Wrightwood and gets regular trout and bluegill stocking. The no-powerboat rule keeps it quiet, with grass and sand beaches where you can actually hear birds and wind through the trees. Canoes and swimming are the main draws, though the mountain runoff can keep water temperatures brisk even in warm months.
What's Nearby
The campground connects to local hiking trails, and you're positioned for bigger adventures on the Blue Ridge Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. Wrightwood sits close by with restaurants when camp cooking gets old. The Angeles Crest Highway makes for scenic driving through oak thickets and pine forests, while Mountain High operates a downhill bike park for something different.
The $30 nightly fee and reservation requirement reflect the developed amenities and proximity to Los Angeles — this isn't a backcountry hideaway, but it's a solid base camp for San Gabriel Mountains exploration.