A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Boulder Basin

Forest Service campground in San Bernardino National Forest, Riverside County, California. About 7,300 feet. 11.7 miles from Banning.

Managed by
Forest Service San Bernardino National Forest
Elevation
About 7,300 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
16 9 tent only non-electric, 7 standard non-electric
Longest rig
20 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Black Mountain Road is is poor condition at this time. A four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle is recommended with a minimum ground clearance of 6 inches. Drive at your own risk.

The San Bernardino National Forest is submitting a proposal to increase fees at various sites across the Forest and is seeking public input. Please visit the https://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf for more information and to submit comments regarding this proposal.

Boulder Basin Campground offers solitude and primitive camping in a scenic mountain landscape. The area provides ample recreational opportunities, including hiking, mountain biking, boulder climbing and more. Black Mountain Road, which accesses Boulder Basin Campground, is a narrow rough dirt road which may not be suitable for all vehicles.

Recreation

The campground provides access to a number of trailheads, including the Black Mountain Trail, a 3.6-mile, moderately strenuous hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trail that travels through the forested slopes of Black Mountain.

The trail provides excellent views of the Banning Pass and Mt. San Gorgonio. The trail provides access to the famed Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which begins at the Mexico border in Southern California and leads to Washington border of Canada.

Facilities

The campground offers multiple single-family campsites, available for tent and small RV / van camping. Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Vault toilets are also provided.

Natural Features

The campground is located in a mixed conifer forest, which provides ample shade throughout the day. It is situated at an elevation of about 7,300 feet. Roads to the campground are not paved but the campground does have paved roads.

Nearby Attractions

This group site is located approximately 50 miles southeast of San Bernardino, California, and 14 miles north of Idyllwild, where fuel and a variety of small town shops and restaurants are available.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • backpacking
  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • mountain biking
  • picnicking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Boulder Basin

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 19, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.