Little Basin Cabins & Campground

I had reserved a camping spot but ran into an issue with my reservation. I was seriously worried I had driven 6 hours only to have no where to stay. Staff member Bee was amazing! Her immediate response was compassionate, understanding, and patient, which really helped to defuse a stressful moment for me. She was able to find an amazing solution for my reservation issues, and my stay as a result was awesome! Little basin campground itself is a nice hidden gem. It is a moderate sized campground with fairly extensive facilities for camping, group camping, large group events, and athletic games. Only downside was that campers were expected to all use the same communal bathroom (yes, one). The upside was that shower facilities were FREE! Lastly, I was happy to see that nearly everyone in the campground was wearing masks outside of their own sites. A HUGE improvement compared to Palomar Mountain SP, where I was pretty much the only one. Edit: I heard about the fire out there. My sincerest best wishes to out to all of the employees at Little and Big Basin, and those in the neighboring community. Best of luck to you all!

This was an interesting spot. We only stayed here because Big Basin was all filled up. And I'm not sure we'd stay here again, but overall this was a fine place to go. The problem is that you have to drive over to Big Basin and pay the day use fee. The campground itself is laid out kind of wonky. More signage would be very helpful. Unfortunately, our campsite was a mud pit. It would have been nice if the camp maintenance folks could have brought in sand or pine boughs or something to make it less muddy. Also, though they said no alcohol was allowed in the campground, the young adults in the group camp area were partying it up - beer bottles plainly evident. Also, the one-way, semi-private road leading to the campground was reminiscent of the movie Deliverance. o_O Despite all that, we did manager to enjoin ourselves. There's actually a lot to do for kids. Since this area was formerly owned by HP and used as a company retreat, there's a Frisbee golf course, tennis courts, basketball courts, kids play area, and more. We did a nice 2 mile hiking loop through the second-growth redwood trees and we got to see tons of banana slugs and salamanders. And the trail connected to all the Big Basin trails so you could go much farther. Your experience may vary, but in a pinch, this was a good camp site. However, book early and stay at Big Basin if you can.

Location has cabins and campsite (tent and trailer) and is a very secluded, quiet, and relaxing location geared for family adventures. No pets, smoking, or drinking is allowed and there is a strict crumb-policy. Be aware that reaching the campground requires driving 4 miles along a 10'-wide 1-lane (dual direction) road with potholes, soft/fallen shoulders, and encroaching trees and stumps. The booking indicates the ability to accommodate trailers and RVs but if encountering another vehicle ... one must back-up to where there is a bit of a turn-out wide-enough to allow passing. We will not return based on the drive into the campground.

Family friendly cabins and trails. Drive isn't rough. Cabins were more comfortable than we expected. Had 8 bunk beds and a non functional portable heater. Cabins have plenty of space between them. Restrooms and showers are well maintenaned. Overall a nice place for a weekend outing.

Bear Creek Road leading up to little basin campgrounds was very long and very windy. My kids got carsick very easily. Once we got there the campgrounds were in good condition and the check-in was easy. However, the bathrooms were not well maintained and there was a lot of mosquitoes. My daughter alone got over 30 mosquito bites while camping.

Absolutely great tent camping at this location! Was not expecting such a large campground from what I could find online. Sites are all generally the same size, might find more room in a site that's in the middle of the campground because the ones around the edges are backed up to large trees or hills. Campsites and bathrooms were clean. Would highly recommend staying here if Big Basin campsites are sold out. Heard it was a 2.5 mile hike from little basin campgrounds to big basin campgrounds. One word of caution is that the trail map the check in booth will give you is very, very bad and inaccurate. Trails themselves are not marked whatsoever either.

Beautifully located amidst the redwoods, Little Basin is a wonderfully developed campground with a pleasant balance of grassy open medow and forest. Most campsites are in the shade of the redwoods, but a few enjoy the sunny medow. There's also a scattering of cabins throughout the grounds. The restrooms have running water and flush toilets, and the group camp area also has showers. There's a fantastic covered dining pavilion with kitchen for use by groups. The general store really doesn't offer much more than a nice check in experience, but there are a few refreshments and firewood available. The campground is prefect for relaxing by the creekside and hiking trails through the big trees. There's also a nice ball field near the group area, and a modernly equipped playground for the youngsters.