Monte Cristo Campground — Hotel in Altadena

Great quick getaway, cheap, after it rains there is water in the creek. It rained a lot lately ;-) Campsite is $12 / night, check out at 11:00. Although Armed Park Rangers don't arrive until around check out time, Plates are being recorded through out the day and night. Do the right thing and pay the $12 to keep this jewel clean and maintained. Secluded, but within 20 minutes from supply replenishment whenever needed (Sunland 24/7 7Eleven or LaCrescenta 7Eleven or Palmdale 7Eleven or any Gas statio, but all the nearby 7Eleven have firewood). The camp host "Rob the Pirate" may be able to help out with firewood shortage, but pay it forward, and give him any leftover wood or food. He is a volunteer (meaning he doesn't get paid to do his job). Weekday mornings may be a little noisy due to Lancaster / Palmdale residents going to work, and weekend mornings and days may be noisy due to the famously winding roads. Every now and than film crews might take over the camp ground, but they are usually gone by the evening. A++ for the price, and there is Camp host, Rob, that is available for...

We stumbled upon this campsite during a spontaneous trip after discovering that the road to Crystal Lake was closed due to a fire. Heading into the Los Angeles Forest, we found this site at the perfect moment. Only two spots were available, and we were lucky to snag one with plenty of trees and shade—unlike the other spot that lacked cover. We stayed at group site 6A/6B, which had ample parking for up to four vehicles and flat ground for several tents. The site also featured a convenient water spigot and a nearby outhouse.

A small creek runs through the campsite, but the water level was low during our visit. Parking costs $12, with an additional $5 fee for extra cars, and the ranger makes rounds in the morning to check for payments. The site is close to the road, so you'll hear cars and motorcycles during the day, which some may find disruptive. To drown out the noise, many campers played music at their sites. At night, traffic noise lessens but is still noticeable.

Overall, it was a great experience for a spontaneous trip, and we’ll definitely...

On the pro side: it is probably the closest campground you can get to from the city of Los Angeles (maybe 25-minute drive). I was there in October when the creek was completely dry (which was a con) but it runs right through the middle of the camp and I’m sure in Spring it has a lovely sound. It has the standard vault (no water) toilets and trash bins. There is a decent amount of shade. On the con side: most of the campsites are among the smallest I’ve seen. Some of the sites would not have enough room for more than a small tent. If the campground were entirely full, depending on the site you get, your neighbors might be 20-feet away. Given there are 19 campsites, even one obnoxious or loud group could ruin it for the entire camp. It’s that small. Also too, the entire campground is about 20 feet immediately beneath the main road and vehicle noise is very prominent. I would recommend trying to get a site that is on the east side of the camp, and more towards the south end. It can be a nice quick getaway, but it’s not tranquil, quiet,...