Coldbrook Campground

A busy camp site during the summer months, went middle of July arrived around 11am and 2 spots were available ( site 15, and 16 ). 2/3 of the sites have a lot of shade, and the rest not so much. Had a tarp so that helped. The creek is very nice and cold so that helps to cool you off. They have non-flush toilets, fire rings at every site. I do not recommend site 15 in the summer, site 16 had some shade in the afternoon. Bear did visit the camp grounds, and went through trash that someone left next to the trash can ( don't be that guy, and put your trash in the trash can) 🙄. Camp site also gets busy with groups using it just for the day. A lot of trash is also left behind, I spent most of the morning picking up trash and putting it IN the trash can. Pack it in and pack it out.

Dang I love this place. What makes this place so special is that there a all year round flowing creek shaded with Elms and so much foliage and special plants. The campgrounds however are very close to each other, so yes, no privacy or immune to not so quiet campers. It’s a small number of campgrounds with 3 loops. And the other down side is that during the nights, you will hear cars racing up and down. But, if you go the very back loop, it certainly helps with the noise. It is first come first serve, so definitely plan when no holidays or during the summer for sure. Here is my dilemma though. Sadly most people who come here much like other areas that have water, there is so much trash everywhere including in the creeks. Which means, it’s a constant place for Bear encounters which I personally experienced having one bear actually walking up in my sleep and pull at my hair. I’m not one to panico but clearly the bears here are so used to humans leaving foods out and NOT secure. I DO NOT leave any of my foods out and are secured in my vehicle. Which means this bear was Way to darn curious as to why I sleep on the ground in the open. Oh, a tent won’t stop a bear if you leave foods out exposed near you or in your tents.

This campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis and has a camp host on site. I've noticed sheriffs positioned at the entrance to Azusa Canyon Road on Sundays. Camping costs $12 per day, with a $6 fee for daytime parking and $5 for additional vehicles. Veterans and military personnel with interagency pass receive a discounted rate of $6 per day. Most of the campsites are well-maintained, with public restrooms and large trash cans available to prevent bears from getting into the area. A stream runs through the center of the campsite, providing access to water and a place to play. The deepest point of the stream I observed was around four feet. Certain campsites, like site 10, have the stream running right behind them. This can be nice but may become bothersome as it can lead to others walking through your campsite to access the water. Many other campsites also offer access to the stream. I recommend bringing your own firewood; however, there are falling branches around the campsite you can gather and use. During my stay, I brought an ax and spent half a day chopping up a fallen tree for my campfire. There are also plenty of trees and shade for your tent and vehicle. Be aware that this area is noisier than other campgrounds due to motorcycles and race cars racing down the canyon from the top of the Crystal Lake area until around 2-4 a.m. At this time of year (April), the sun sets around 7:40 p.m., and the bright moon allows you to navigate without a flashlight until about 4 a.m. I heard some gunshots Friday night in the canyon, but I generally felt safe during my two-night, two-day stay. The campsite filled up by Friday evening, but some people stayed just for the night and left early in the morning, possibly to hike. If you arrive between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., you should find plenty of vacancies. As always, be kind to one another. Be mindfully of the wicked but Focus on the good. Always clean up after yourself and help pick up the trash.

It’s a beautiful campground. Very small, and first come, first serve, so get there early. The brook is freezing, but clean and fresh. Also, BEARS. We went on Labor Day weekend and saw bears both nights. We left our ice chest for about 15 mins to go for a walk at dusk, and came back to a very large bear going through it. He wasn’t aggressive, but also wasn’t scared of us at all. Our site butted against the mountain and he slowly made his way up and hung out for a bit. Our neighbors had a gun to try and scare him away, but he didn’t flinch. Eventually he got sick of us bothering him and he went on his way. Even tho we packed our stuff away very tight, he still came back through our site in the middle of the night and caused some damage. On night 2 We heard sites around us trying to scare another one off. Lots of yelling, flashing lights, or honking horns. Again, these bears did not seem aggressive—they really only wanted food. BUT they were not scared of people at all, so just be prepared to see them. Bring bear spray. And be smart with putting all food away at night. Like locked in an ice chest, in a car away. They still may come to your site, especially if you cooked, but if they can’t find anything, they’ll be on their way. Oh and we briefly saw the host, but they never warned anyone about bear sightings or checked in after it was clear multiple sites were trying to scare them off. Not sure if that’s their job, but it would have been a nice gesture. I’m sure these bears frequent this area. Oh and bugs. Be very prepared with bug spray, and a place to escape at night. There were lots of them. We brought an easy up/bug net but the bear broke it the first night trying to get to our kitchen. Also be prepared for cold/wet. The elevation is somewhat high and you’re in a mountain so often times it’ll just starts drizzling or everything gets wet because you’re in a cloud.

Coldbrook Campground in San Gabriel Canyon deserves every bit of its five stars! Ron, the camp host, is incredibly cool and has been maintaining the place for over ten years. The campground is spotless, thanks to Ron's dedication. He's not only inviting but also genuinely welcoming. The overall atmosphere is really nice—I thoroughly enjoy my time there.