Hurkey Creek Campground

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We wanted to try camping somewhere new over Memorial Day weekend. We looked at lots of fun options, but we knew we’d want some water near by to let the kids splash around in–especially knowing it could be hot. I came across the Hurkey Creek campground online, and it sounded like it was just what we were looking for.

The Hurkey Creek campground is located in Mountain Center, CA–just across from the Lake Hemet campground and about 15 minutes away from Idyllwild. This is one of the best Riverside County Park campgrounds, in my opinion.

Amenities at Hurkey Creek Campground

There are no hook-up sites at Hurkey Creek, but there are a lot of amenities on site. You’ll find bathrooms with coin-operated hot showers (and they were clean!), water spigots, a play structure and a beautiful grassy field. As the name suggests, there is a creek that goes through the campground and is easily accessible behind some of the campsites.

The Hurkey Creek trail is a 3.5-mile out-and-back hiking trail that starts in the campground. You can follow it along the creek and explore more areas to swim or sunbathe. There are also several turnoffs to explore more. This is a popular trail for mountain biking as well.

Things To Do Nearby

The city of Idyllwild is about a 15-minute drive from this campground. We drove over there once to access the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail, which was an easy-to-moderate 5-mile roundtrip hike. There are other popular hikes in Idyllwild as well, such as Devil’s Slide and Tahquitz Peak.

Idyllwild also has many cute stores and restaurants. One of the families we camped with drove into town to get coffee and donuts one morning.

The Lake Hemet campground across the street offers a lake with boating, fishing and swimming during the summertime. It also has a market and deli, making it easy to grab supplies or a quick bite to eat.

How to Reserve a Campsite

There are 130 sites available at Hurkey Creek campground–ranging in price from $30 to $35 a night. You can reserve campsites up to six months in advance. Reservations can be made online through the RivCo Parks website.

Things to Note About Hurkey Creek Campground

• Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a leash
• Some campsites are tent-only, whereas others can accommodate rigs up to 50 feet
• There are a lot of foxtails everywhere–dogs may be bothered by this
• Some campsites are very unlevel for RVs
• 6 people per campsite
• Campsites have a firepit and picnic table

Hurkey Creek Campground is one of the best family campgrounds in SoCal. And it’s a great option for beginner campers. It’s close enough to stores in case you forget any essential camping gear or groceries, and if you are tired of roughing it, you can enjoy a sit-down dinner or head to a brewery in Idyllwild. Plus it’s not too challenging to reserve campsites, making it easier to get sites near each other for multiple families. Then you can plan some easy camping meals to coordinate together.

We are training for some hikes this summer in Glacier National Park, so this was a great place for us to try out our kids hiking gear on some nearby hiking trails.