Boulder Basin

I have been coming to this campground and this particular site for years. The last 3 times I have made a reservation for a Saturday night, and showed up at check in time to settle into my site, someone has been in it claiming it’s theirs. This last time, the person was hostile, aggressive, and after 45 minutes of arguing and my reservation being clearly posted on the kiosk, he finally moved, but not without screaming profanity and driving erratically out of the site. He then returned in the evening and walked into our campsite screaming at us and got into my face. He clearly had drugs crusted around the ring of his nose as my headlamp shined in his face that was 4 inches from mine as he yelled. I am a female, and this was not only scary and threatening but outright unsafe. We ended up leaving early. This was SO disappointing and scary. After a decade of so many fond memories; I hate saying I probably won’t be back. The crowd has gotten… questionable. Not the same easy going, friendly climber culture it has been for as long as I have been going. It’s a shame there are no longer rangers up there. It’s showing.

great spot! loved making the trek over the dirt roads. can’t wait to go back!

Camp ground was in great shape. As it’s about end of season the pit restrooms were quite ripe. Over all I have missed this area.

I only give this a 3 probably for the campsite I chose and for the all the bugs. Campsite wise, #32 was completely on a slope. We were sleeplessly sliding in the tent throughout the night. I would recommend any of the campsites on the north eastern side. They all seemed very flat and with a good view off the side of the mountain. Weatherwise, it was it was hot but in the best way. BUGS. EVERYWHERE. Going at the end of summer, we beat the highest heat but the mosquitos were still biting. Our table had no shade either. Otherwise, it was a solid weekend getaway. Quiet off season camp, beautiful trees and stunning natural rock sculptures. The hike to the firetower was straight forward and a perfect spot to see the sunrise. The truck trail up was not as bad as I was expecting but wholly recommend high clearance and 4wd.

Great spot.

Very remote but we’ll maintained campground.

This is a great camp ground. We go there as much as possible.

Deserted during on weekdays. Beautiful forest. The road is rough in places but there were sedans in the campground. Lifted 4x4 is better. The vaults are clean enough, the fire pits were too full to use.

Great spot, fun 4x4 trail to get there, quiet campsite with plenty of space between the sites.

The Boulder Basin campground is my favorite in southern California. It is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from north San Diego county. The last half hour drive up the dirt and rock road to reach the campground was a bit of a challenge for me. I was thankful I had an SUV with all wheel drive and reasonable ground clearance. Still all the bouncing around at slow speed took away my appetite. The Boulder Basin campground looked nicely maintained with lots of new guideposts to separate campsites from the roadway. There was a peaceful sense that everything amongst the large granite boulders and tall pines was as it was meant to be. Occasionally the sound of the wind blowing gently through the pines adds its relaxing music. The restroom near my campsite was clean and deodorized. The metal trash cans around me all had new liners and lids that could be securely closed. The sign at the campground entrance declared a bear warning and said proper food storage required. Just what that means was left unmentioned. No bears were seen or heard. When I reserved my campsite, the page said that water could be collected from a spring a half mile back down the road from Boulder Basin and that fires were not permitted. The entrance sign was silent on fires, so I stayed dark. Early the next morning, I walked the road up to the fire lookout tower on top of Black Mountain which was closed. It was a beautiful morning, filled with new sunshine and awesome views. You can see for dozens of miles, from I-10 way down below and across to Mt. San Gorgonio with snow still hanging on around its peak. Think about packing a camera and binoculars along with your water and snacks. After enjoying the magnificent view and sunshine, I went back down the road, still trying to find my appetite.