California State Parks · California
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
California State Parks · California, United States
- Season
- September to June
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 4,259 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · AT&T weak · Verizon weak (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Essex
- Address
- 38200 Essex Rd
- Phone
- (760) 928-2586
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
Site map · loading…
About
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is a California State Park with real, current overnight camping in San Bernardino County, but no numeric site count is published by either California State Parks or ReserveCalifornia.
Fees
California State Parks (ReserveCalifornia.com) does not publish one statewide nightly rate schedule; its own Booking and Fees page states rates 'vary based on the accommodation type and the amenities available at that park' and are posted per-park at booking time. A non-refundable $8.25 reservation fee (also $8.25 to modify or cancel) applies per ReserveCalifornia transaction, on top of the site's nightly rate. Fees include entry for one vehicle and one legally towed vehicle/trailer; additional vehicles are charged per-night at the park. Yes: Dogs allowed only in the historic grounds, parking lot, and picnic area of the park. Dogs not allowed inside Mitchell Caverns, the visitor center, or on trails. Dogs can not be left unattended in vehicles or other areas of the park.
California State Parks states no statewide camping season; each park's page states its own. Providence Mountains State Recreation Area has reopened its campground. It has five developed campsites that will be available Friday and Saturday nights. Camping will be by reservation only. Visit www.reservecalifornia.com to make campsite reservations now. In order to facilitate road repair this park will also be closed for the first three Fridays in December: December 5th, 12th, and 19th. Five campsites, Friday and Saturday nights only, by reservation; the park is closed in July and August.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 37° | 25° | 68° | 5 of 11 |
| February | 57° | 38° | 23° | 73° | 7 of 11 |
| March | 61° | 42° | 27° | 88° | 4 of 11 |
| April | 71° | 47° | 33° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| May | 80° | 57° | 40° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 92° | 67° | 48° | 103° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 96° | 73° | 63° | 106° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 92° | 73° | 62° | 103° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 86° | 65° | 50° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 75° | 54° | 38° | 87° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 65° | 47° | 30° | 75° | 3 of 10 |
| December | 56° | 38° | 25° | 70° | 4 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Hole-in-the-Wall Campground · National Park Service · 10 mi · 38 sites
- Black Canyon Group and Equestrian Campground · National Park Service · 10 mi · 2 sites
- Mid Hills Campground · National Park Service · 13 mi · 26 sites
- Afton Canyon Natural Area CG · Bureau of Land Management · 50 mi · 22 sites
- Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area · Nevada State Parks · 50 mi · 32 sites
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.