Wheeler Gorge

Crowded and noisy. Nature trail not maintained.

Very helpful managers and many good spots.

Campground is in a beautiful location, but hosts are annoyingly keeping the gate closed at all ours and requiring campers to get out of their vehicles to both open and then close the gate. This is particularly annoying when camping solo, as you cannot send a passenger to do the chore.
Also, my site (65) was so close to the bathroom, the bathroom was literally in my site. Maybe with a little better information/pictures, I would have booked a different site.

My 5 year-old son and I camped at Wheeler Gorge in late March and loved everything about the campground. The managers are fantastic and very friendly, there is a creek running through the campground that kids (and grown-ups) can't resist exploring, plenty of shade, and plenty of opportunity for socializing with neighboring campsites or keeping to yourself - it's easy to do whichever one is most appealing to you.

A couple things to note - there is no cell or internet service at this campground, and there is poison ivy/oak *everywhere*. But don't let those things deter you (the lack of cell/internet would probably be a bonus to most people on vacation). The drive up to the campground from the town of Ojai is beautiful, and you know you are somewhere special when you arrive.

We can't wait to go back!

Location, location, location! Quick drive north from LA! Creek side sites snuggled within the mountains surrounded by a starry night sky. The camp hosts really go out of their way to answer questions, offer tips, and make the stay enjoyable for all!! Lovely retreat!!

We have two young kids and the creek holds endless hours of fun for them. If you're in a similar situation I recommend picking a site close to the water and enjoying the hours of exploration and fun. Also a great area to learn about poison oak because there's a lot of it! Mosquitoes are also abound so be prepared. Every camp host we've engaged with has been great... Randy, Shane, Evette... helpful and approachable. Site 71 is close to the road but still awesome and site 18 is a bit rocky but has excellent creek access. Looking forward to trying a site farther up into the loop next time we camp here.

The host was very friendly, and the campground was quiet and spacious. The bathroom was clean. We hiked along the creek and it was a very fun experience.

This campground is gorgeous and perfectly out of the way (and cell range), while not being a long drive from LA. We had a blast in the end of March 2021 as we got both cool and warm weather. When it's cool, the evening temperature gets into the 30sF and when it's warm in Wheeler, the temperature in the daytime reaches the 80sF. This meant winter coats at the fireside on the cooler nights and many, many bugs during the day on the warmer days. So just be prepared for these extremes. Bring the bug spray!
The camp host was super helpful and very accommodating! We had trailers dropped off and picked up for us, which was very convenient. We brought our dog and she was perfectly welcomed by all. We wished the spigots had been working, but alas there is no running water other than the creek. So bring lots of your own potable water. That said, you can fill portable rinse kit/pumps for dishwashing at the creek and that's quite convenient.
The creek is perfect for children of all ages and kids from other campsites played with each other easily. Let them know there are many frogs to try to catch! And the area is perfect for hammocks so make sure you bring yours (and your books of course!).

I really love this park, particularly if you can grab a site further away from the highway which can be quite noisy on the weekends since it's a popular motorcycle run. But the trees are wonderfully shady, the stream is a lot of fun to wade in and cool off when it's warmer, and the access to so many shops and restaurants in Ojai (only 15 minutes away) is fantastic when you have campers with you who aren't fully sold on being completely away from society.

Very nice quiet campsites along the river. Easy to get to and the site felt secure with the park host at the entrance.