U.S. Forest Service · Angeles National Forest · California

Messenger Flats Campground

This campground is hike-in only. General Camping Info: Find helpful guidance and tips for an enjoyable trip to the forest! Know Fire & Other Restrictions Before You Go! These conditions can affect your entire trip. For example, Extreme and Critical fire use restrictions mean no campfires and no portable cooking systems/stoves. Bring cold food and no S'mores. Be Bear Aware! Bear safety is critical, for the safety of your group and/or you, as well as our bears. Help keep bears wild by following these tips. Elevation: 5,500-foot elevation. Amenities: 10 campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets. There is no water available.

Open nowBooking not published10 sitesTents only

More like this: first-come in California · tent only in California

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesAdventure Pass or America the Beautiful Pass required.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestAngeles National Forest
FeesAdventure Pass or America the Beautiful Pass required.
RulesSee current fire restrictions.

Angeles National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Messenger Flats Campground40°50°60°70°80°January: 7.73 inches of precipitationFebruary: 8.26 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.11 inches of precipitationApril: 2.05 inches of precipitationMay: 1.05 inches of precipitationJune: 0.21 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.21 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.01 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.32 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.31 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.88 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.03 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 47.1°F averageFebruary: 45.7°F averageMarch: 49.0°F averageApril: 52.4°F averageMay: 58.9°F averageJune: 68.0°F averageJuly: 74.4°F averageAugust: 74.5°F averageSeptember: 70.0°F averageOctober: 61.5°F averageNovember: 53.1°F averageDecember: 46.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mt Wilson Cbs, 12 miles from the campground at 5,710 feet, station USC00046006 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 32 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates34.3799° N, 118.1898° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearREI ↗15.4 mi
RV sales & serviceEl Monte RV ↗20.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗34.2 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Angeles National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Guidebooks for California

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Messenger Flats Campground?

Adventure Pass or America the Beautiful Pass required.

Source: Forest Service

Is Messenger Flats Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Messenger Flats Campground have?

10 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Messenger Flats Campground?

Messenger Flats Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Messenger Flats Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Lightning Point Group Campground (0.7 mi), Monte Cristo Campground (5.3 mi, partly first-come), and Mt. Pacifico Campground (8.9 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby