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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. California
  3. Palomar Mountain
  4. Fry Creek Campground

Camping at Fry Creek Campground near Palomar Mountain

Public campground · Palomar Mountain · 12 campsites

A forested campground near hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

2 miles down the road or reachable by trail, and it houses the historic 200-inch Hale Telescope used for research on near-Earth asteroids and distant galaxies. Across the road from Fry Creek, Observatory Campground provides level cement platforms for telescopes and an amphitheater, and it hosts the monthly Explore the Stars astronomy gatherings April through October when amateur astronomers share views of planets and constellations.

3.0 on Recreation.gov · 58 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 7 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 12 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • No hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Vault toilets
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 12 sites
Sold out for Nov 13 – Nov 15.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Availability on Recreation.gov.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
006
standard nonelectric
✓R$15
010
standard nonelectric
RR$15
007
standard nonelectric
RR$15
001
standard nonelectric
✓R$15
002
standard nonelectric
✓R$15
009
standard nonelectric
✓R$15
015
standard nonelectric
RR$15
017
standard nonelectric
RR$15
018
standard nonelectric
RR$15
011
standard nonelectric
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

Sold out
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Pit Toilets
  • Trash Collection
  • Water
Check-in
2:00 PM
Checkout
12:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)

Hookups (individual campsites): 12 no-hookup individual sites.

Location

S6
Open in Google Maps ↗

Fry Creek Campground: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Fry Creek Campground?
Longest RV site listed: 12 ft (12 of 12 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Fry Creek Campground have RV hookups?
12 no-hookup individual sites (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Fry Creek Campground?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Fry Creek Campground?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 12 ft (12 of 12 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 12 no-hookup individual sites
Road & site access
Listing 12 paved site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 2 (15 reports), T-Mobile 1 (15 reports), AT&T 2 (14 reports)
Shade
Listing 12 of 12 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $15/night (live price once you pick dates)
Getting there
Listing S6 (map in Location below)
Pull-through / back-in · Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite · Water · Stay limits
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.

Quiet, wooded sites · 2 reviews

“Typically quiet and relaxing. A lot of the sites are pretty isolated giving you a sense of privacy.”

brian l · Oct 2025

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (58 reviews, ★ 3.0). Not written or edited by us.

“Been going to Fry Creek for about 8 years. Always enjoy it. Typically quiet and relaxing. A lot of the sites are pretty isolated giving you a sense of privacy. ”

brian l 5 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Really cute and peaceful little place, and the trail up to the observatory was the perfect hike. ”

Ginny W 4 · Sep 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Nice campground, well spaced sites. Lots and lots of birds (acorn woodpeckers, nuthatches, Steller's jays, mountain chickadees). Bring a headnet for the flies ”

John H 5 · Aug 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

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  • Fort Cross Adventures21.8 mi · Santa Ysabel
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Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Palomar Mountain
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  • RV rentals in California
  • Glamping in California

Guides for this trip

  • Camping at Joshua Tree National Park
  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
R
R
$15
019
standard nonelectric
RR$15
005
standard nonelectric
RR$15

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night

Palomar Mountain SP

1.8 mi from Fry Creek Campground (straight-line)
Sites $5/night
$10 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from California State Parks · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights3 sites open for every night

Magical Harrison Serenity Ranch

3.4 mi from Fry Creek Campground (straight-line)
Sites from $59/night
$117 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every night

Basecamp Palomar

3.6 mi from Fry Creek Campground (straight-line)
Sites from $25/night
$50 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • All Inclusive Temecula Wine Tour - Tastings, Lunch, Hotel Pickup 19 mi · 5 hr · from $109/person
    • Two-Hour Luxury Whale Watching Tour from Oceanside 30 mi · 2 hr · from $64/person
  3. Day 3 · One more stop, then head home

    • Carlsbad Food Tour 30 mi · 3 hr · from $94/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 12 sites take tents. See open sites ↑

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 12 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

2022 Taxa Woolly Bear
2022 Taxa Woolly Bear

Pop-up camper · 11 ft · sleeps 3 · 51 mi from campground

$50/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
2022 Forest River Salem
2022 Forest River Salem

Travel trailer · 11 ft · sleeps 8 · 68 mi from campground

$165/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Viking Express Popup Teardrop
Viking Express Popup Teardrop

Pop-up camper · 12 ft · sleeps 2 · 148 mi from campground

$61/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Fry Creek Campground

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

All Inclusive Temecula Wine Tour - Tastings, Lunch, Hotel Pickup
All Inclusive Temecula Wine Tour - Tastings, Lunch, Hotel Pickup

19 mi · 5 hr · from $109/person

Two-Hour Luxury Whale Watching Tour from Oceanside
Two-Hour Luxury Whale Watching Tour from Oceanside

30 mi · 2 hr · from $64/person

Carlsbad Food Tour
Carlsbad Food Tour

30 mi · 3 hr · from $94/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Admission Ticket
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Admission Ticket

39 mi · 1 hr–2 hr · from $34/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season Apr 1–Dec 1: RV & Tent $15 per night
  • Peak season Apr 1–Dec 1: RV & Tent $15 per night
Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Fry Creek Campground

For May weekends, book about 72 days ahead. Three in four May Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 36 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
April23 days ahead43 days ahead18 days ahead43 days ahead
May36 days ahead72 days ahead20 days ahead38 days ahead
June39 days ahead53 days ahead16 days ahead33 days ahead
July37 days ahead54 days ahead17 days ahead36 days ahead
August27 days ahead48 days ahead13 days ahead27 days ahead
September32 days ahead62 days ahead19 days ahead39 days ahead
October29 days ahead42 days ahead14 days ahead37 days ahead
November25 days ahead36 days ahead16 days ahead32 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (5,089 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour from Palm Desert
San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour from Palm Desert

39 mi · 3 hr · from $175/person

Bank Heist Escape Room Game for Private Group
Bank Heist Escape Room Game for Private Group

39 mi · 1 hr · from $42/person

Titanic Escape Room Game for Private Group
Titanic Escape Room Game for Private Group

39 mi · 1 hr · from $42/person

Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour
Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour

39 mi · 5 hr · from $249/person

Joshua Tree National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Joshua Tree National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

39 mi · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person

Compare site types

12 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites (tent or RV)

Tent, van or small RV, no power

12 sites · $15/night

Loops: FRY CREEK CAMPGROUND (12)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15