Seven sites arranged in a circle at 6,650 feet, with views stretching to the Channel Islands on clear days. Pine Mountain delivers high-elevation camping without the crowds, plus direct access to Sespe Wilderness trails. Bring water — this is a dry camp.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Developed
- 🏕️Total Sites
- 7
- 💵Fee per Night
- $30
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 🏔️Elevation
- 6,650 ft
- 📍GPS
- 34.63905, -119.32711
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- Yes
- 📞Phone
- 805-434-1996
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
The campground sits in a simple circle with a large open area in the center. Six of the seven sites ring this central space, each with a picnic table and fire ring. Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, and white fir provide shade, while manzanita and California sage fill the edges. One vault toilet serves the entire camp, and you'll need to haul in all your water.
The elevation means cooler temperatures when the valleys below are sweltering. Spring and early summer bring lupine, scarlet bugler, and other wildflowers. Red-tailed hawks work the thermals overhead, and if you're fortunate, you might spot a California condor. Deer, bear, and coyote all move through the area.
What to Know
Reservations are required for the $30-per-night sites. The campground sits above the Sespe Wilderness with views down into the valley and out toward the Channel Islands when visibility cooperates. Access is via paved road, though you'll drive past a gate to reach nearby Reyes Peak Trailhead.
Nearby
Boulder Canyon Trail (23W03) starts from camp. Drive up the road a mile to Reyes Peak Campground for the Chorro Grande and Raspberry Spring trails, or continue past the gate to Reyes Peak Trailhead.
For a bigger adventure, drop south on Highway 33 to Rose Valley Road. The Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca Trail leads three easy miles to massive white rock formations in the Sespe Wilderness. Rose Valley Falls — the range's tallest waterfall at 100 feet — requires just 0.8 miles round trip from Rose Valley Campground, though reaching the upper tier demands scrambling skills. The Sespe River Trail heads downstream into wilderness with swimming holes, while the Middle Sespe Trail runs eight miles west to Middle Sespe Trailhead (bikes allowed on this one, unlike the wilderness routes).