About Fern Basin
Number of accommodations: 15
Nearby Activities & Attractions
Hiking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
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Rates, Sites & Availability
15 Sites Available
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Site Details
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15 Sites Available
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Reviews (162)
What Guests Are Saying
Fern Basin is a charming and peaceful campground ideal for tent campers, offering friendly park rangers and clean vault toilets. Visitors appreciate the shaded sites, beautiful surroundings, and opportunities for nature exploration, with many highlighting the tranquility and lack of noise. Some challenges include tight roads, limited privacy, and occasional mosquito issues, but overall, it is well-regarded for a restful camping experience.
What Guests Are Saying
Fern Basin is a charming and peaceful campground ideal for tent campers, offering friendly park rangers and clean vault toilets. Visitors appreciate the shaded sites, beautiful surroundings, and opportunities for nature exploration, with many highlighting the tranquility and lack of noise. Some challenges include tight roads, limited privacy, and occasional mosquito issues, but overall, it is well-regarded for a restful camping experience.
Review Summary
George M
VerifiedNovember 2, 2020 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: FERN
Very beautiful sites. No campfires during fire season and bring your own water. Nice hiking trail nearby.
George M
VerifiedNovember 2, 2020 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: FERN
Very beautiful sites. No campfires during fire season and bring your own water. Nice hiking trail nearby.
Hong K
VerifiedNovember 1, 2020 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: FERN
The campground is easy to locate and near many hikes. The bathrooms weren’t horrible but weren’t very pleasant either. I could definitely smell the restrooms during the day from my campsite. Temporarily no running water when we went to visit. The parking spots are very small and very tight for two cars without blocking the road. Overall a decent campground.
Hong K
VerifiedNovember 1, 2020 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: FERN
The campground is easy to locate and near many hikes. The bathrooms weren’t horrible but weren’t very pleasant either. I could definitely smell the restrooms during the day from my campsite. Temporarily no running water when we went to visit. The parking spots are very small and very tight for two cars without blocking the road. Overall a decent campground.
Hsin Yue C
VerifiedOctober 18, 2020 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: FERN
Very windy and cold at night
Hsin Yue C
VerifiedOctober 18, 2020 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: FERN
Very windy and cold at night
Kati B
VerifiedOctober 14, 2020 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: FERN
Campground over all is nice. My particular camp spot was SO INFESTED WITH FLIES that I had to get a can of fly killer in town. It didn't really help. They infested the rocks right next to where the tents go.
Kati B
VerifiedOctober 14, 2020 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: FERN
Campground over all is nice. My particular camp spot was SO INFESTED WITH FLIES that I had to get a can of fly killer in town. It didn't really help. They infested the rocks right next to where the tents go.
monica a
VerifiedSeptember 12, 2020 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: FERN
This place is perfect for a little camping get away from the city. It’s far enough to see the stars and not cars. The campground is fair clean. It depends on the campers before how it is left for the next group. But when we got there our camp site was clean. There is no showers and no lakes around (there might be but we couldn’t find one—> at least during summer, dry season). The one thing I really hated was the bathrooms and the amount of flies/mosquitos at this place.
Advice: keep your food covered and your tent close when not using because if not, mosquitos/flies can get inside. But hey, that’s camping. Camping is not a 5 star hotel with ac... camping is nature and bugs and being cold and hot and maybe a little uncomfortable because you’re not use to it. So, this is a great place to spend your weekend away from the city.
monica a
VerifiedSeptember 12, 2020 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: FERN
This place is perfect for a little camping get away from the city. It’s far enough to see the stars and not cars. The campground is fair clean. It depends on the campers before how it is left for the next group. But when we got there our camp site was clean. There is no showers and no lakes around (there might be but we couldn’t find one—> at least during summer, dry season). The one thing I really hated was the bathrooms and the amount of flies/mosquitos at this place.
Advice: keep your food covered and your tent close when not using because if not, mosquitos/flies can get inside. But hey, that’s camping. Camping is not a 5 star hotel with ac... camping is nature and bugs and being cold and hot and maybe a little uncomfortable because you’re not use to it. So, this is a great place to spend your weekend away from the city.
Location Fern Basin
Address:
P.O. Box 518
Idyllwild, CA, 92549
United States
From Idyllwild, travel north on State Route 243 about 4 miles. Turn right at the campground sign and continue to Forest Service Road 4S02. Turn left and proceed less than a mile to an intersection. Continue straight on the Forest Service Road and turn left into the campground.
Latitude & Longitude: 33.7886 / -116.738
Elevation: 1906 feet
Policies & Rules
Cancellation policy
- Reservation fees are non-refundable. For campsites, cabins, lookouts, yurts, group sites, and similar stays, we charge a reservation service fee of $8.
- Standard cancellations usually have a $10 cancellation fee. Customers can generally cancel before the check-in date online.
- Late cancellation rules differ by stay type.
- Individual campsites: cancelling after 12:00am local time the day before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- Cabins, lookouts, and yurts: cancelling less than 14 days before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- One-night reservations: a late cancellation usually forfeits the full amount paid, up to the total original reservation cost.
- Modifications are allowed before the cut-off window, but fees depend on the change. Changing to dates completely outside the original reservation dates may trigger a $10 change fee. Extending or shortening a stay that still includes original dates usually has no change fee, though refunds may depend on timing and facility rules. Switching to the same type of campsite for the same dates usually has no change fee, but price differences are charged or refunded.
- Early departures may or may not be refunded. At certain facilities, partial refunds may be possible if staff can mark the site available for other visitors. No refund is given for a night if the early departure is requested after that day's check-out time.
- Security deposits are separate. Security deposits may be refunded to the original payment method if the facility is left in acceptable condition, as determined by the property.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: June 5, 2026
