U.S. Forest Service · Los Padres National Forest · California

Goldhill Camping Area

Goldhill Camping Area is an open camping location adjacent to Piru Creek at the base of Alamo Mountain. Recreational Vehicles up to 26 feet. Picnic tables, fire rings, toilets. No potable water available. Located near several Forest Service Off-Highway Vehicle (motorcycle and four-wheel drive) roads and trails and is approximately eight miles southwest of Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. In 1889, John L. Henderson made a claim just west of his property here.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-servedFrom $5 per nightTents only

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

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesAdventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year) or Annual Interagency Pass, Senior Interagency Pass or Interagency Access Pass.

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

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestLos Padres National Forest
FeesAdventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year) or Annual Interagency Pass, Senior Interagency Pass or Interagency Access Pass.
RulesSpark arresters, Off-Highway Vehicle registration required (green sticker or red sticker) and State required safety equipment or gear (helmets, etc). No gas or propane stoves allowed. Current Fire Restrictions: www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf

Los Padres National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Goldhill Camping Area40°50°60°70°80°January: 2.50 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.72 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.96 inches of precipitationApril: 0.76 inches of precipitationMay: 0.41 inches of precipitationJune: 0.08 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.09 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.13 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.60 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.78 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.05 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.4°F averageFebruary: 45.7°F averageMarch: 48.9°F averageApril: 52.3°F averageMay: 59.7°F averageJune: 68.7°F averageJuly: 76.3°F averageAugust: 76.8°F averageSeptember: 72.0°F averageOctober: 61.9°F averageNovember: 51.9°F averageDecember: 44.6°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sandberg, 12 miles from the campground at 4,510 feet, station USW00023187 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates34.7037° N, 118.9371° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗9.3 mi
Outdoor gearOjai Valley Surplus ↗24.5 mi
RV sales & serviceCamping World ↗41.9 mi

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

Explore

Video

Medford Goldhill Koa Journey - Oregon Diaries Ep 7

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.4 mi
    Piru Creek OHV #128 ↗
    8.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1 mi
    Snowy OHV #130 ↗
    14.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 1.6 mi
    Goldhill OHV #124
    4.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle
  • 3 mi
    Long Dave Valley OHV #123 ↗
    5.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle
  • 3 mi
    Tejon OHV #122 ↗
    9.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3 mi
    Miller Jeep OHV #129
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, 4WD

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 Sespe Wilderness.

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

Do I need a reservation at Goldhill Camping Area?

No. Goldhill Camping Area is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Goldhill Camping Area?

Adventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year) or Annual Interagency Pass, Senior Interagency Pass or Interagency Access Pass.

Source: Forest Service

Is Goldhill Camping Area open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Goldhill Camping Area?

Goldhill Camping Area is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Goldhill Camping Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Kings Campground (1 mi, first-come), Chuchupate Campground (6.8 mi), and Los Alamos Campground (7.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby