Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Camping

Mesa Campground At Silverwood Lake

Mesa Campground is in the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, northeast of Los Angeles. The campground offers campsites along the south shore of the lake. All sites are for tents, RVs or trailers. Sites #104-136 have full hook-ups. Sites #1-65 are closed from October through April.

Besides the main campground, Silverwood Lake has Group Campgrounds at Miller Canyon, Barranca, Rio, and Valley. A Horse Camp is part of the Rio Group Campground.

The Pacific Crest Trail passes along the north shore of Silverwood Lake. Long distance hikers on the trail often stop at the one of the 7 Hike & Bike sites near Mesa Campground. The sites are less than a mile from the trail.

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Attractions And Activities

Campers at Mesa Campground at Silverwood Lake enjoy both activities on the lake and in the surrounding countryside.

• Set out on hiking trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail.
• Cool off at one of the swimming beaches.
• Enjoy great boating, waterskiing, and fishing.
• Take advantage of the Silverwood Lake Marina with boat rentals and launch ramp.
• Find a variety of picnic areas, including some boat-in picnic areas.

Silverwood Lake Group Campgrounds

Barranca and Valley Group Camps

9-100 people at each site, a maximum of 30 vehicles in each group tent-only site west of the lake.Fees: $325 per night

Rio Group Tent and Horse Camp

9-100 people, a maximum of 30 vehicles in a group tent site west of the lake. May also be reserved by campers with horses – 12 corrals and a maximum of 24 horses allowed. Horse manure must be removed from the campsite. A $25.00 cleaning deposit is required at check-in. There is an additional fee of $1.00 per horse.Fees: $325 per night

Miller Canyon Group Camp

Miller Canyon is located along the east end of the lake. Three group tent sites, each accommodates from 9 to 40 people and 32 vehicles.Fees: $150 per night

Reservations: Group Site Reservations

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Best Trails In Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

High in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest, 20 miles north of San Bernadino, Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area captures the eye and the imagination with vistas of snow-capped mountain peaks reflected on the lake. Silverwood Lake was formed by the 249-foot Cedar Springs Dam, which holds back the waters of the west fork of the Mojave River as it passes through the San Bernardino Mountains. At 3,350 feet, it is the highest reservoir in the State Water Project. The park features hiking trails, swimming beaches and designated areas for boating, water-skiing and fishing. The lake has trout, large mouth bass, catfish and bluegill. There is a marina with a launching ramp, boat and equipment rentals, and a store. The park has picnic areas, including three that can only be reached by boat. The lake attracts waterfowl, raptors and songbirds. Canada Geese and an occasional bald eagle can be seen in the area.Warm, dry breezes prevail during summer – with high temperatures averaging between 90 and 100 degrees from June to September. From December through March, rainy winter temperatures vary from the low 30s to the low 60s.The park is open Friday through Tuesday, from 7am – 5pm and is closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Silverwood Lake Day Trip Activities Things To Do

06/29/2020 by DayTrippen

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, set high in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest, capturing the imagination with vistas of snow-capped mountain peaks reflected on a stately lake that was formed by the 249-foot Cedar Springs Dam.

The lake is an anglers paradise and provides plenty of trout, largemouth bass, catfish, and bluegill to catch. This lake attracts waterfowl, raptors, migratory Canada Geese, and an occasional bald eagle, making it a magnificent birding experience.

Silverwood Lake features two swimming beaches plus 13 miles of paved hiking and bicycling trails that include a point of entry to the crown jewel of Americas scenic trails the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail.

At the lake, there is also the marina with a launching ramp for all boats and PWCs, boat and equipment rentals, and a general store that sells bait, fishing equipment, and other supplies.

With so much to do at Silverwood SRA, visitors will find that an overnight stay is a must, and camping is available right on the site. This location is home to The Mesa Campground, with its 136 family campsites.

These come with everything you might need to have a great night of outdoor camping adventure, including a picnic table, barbecue grill, and fire ring at each site as well as restrooms and showers nearby.

Finally, seven walk-in sites can be used by bicyclists and hikers. Other nearby recreation areas include Lake Gregory in Crestline and Lake Arrowhead.

Recommended Reading: San Luis Obispo County Parks Camping

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

Area Status:

Call the park office at for current information or visit their website. In the oak woodlands surrounding the lake look for acorn woodpeckers, western bluebirds, and ground squirrels. In the ponderosa pines high above Lake Silverwood look for juncos, mountain chickadees, and Steller’s jays.

Disclaimer for External LinksThe appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Agriculture of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. Unless otherwise specified, the Department does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the Department and the Forest Service web site. Please let us know about existing external links you believe are inappropriate and about specific additional external links you believe ought to be included.

Silverwood Lake Sra Camping

ParksCaliforniaSilverwood Lake State Rec. Area Points of InterestCampground

What if you don’t care about camping up in the pines…you just want to focus on having some watersport fun? Or, what if you’d like to do some winter camping, and find that other campgrounds near Lake Arrowhead are closed? Answer: Try camping at Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area!At an elevation of around 3,300 feet, Silverwood Lake sits below the pines…although you can see them looming on the mountains above from the lake.

Water activities are the major focus here…as you can tell by the Silverwood Lake pictures to your left and right. You can swim, water ski, jet ski, wind surf, zoom around the lake in a power boat, enjoy the sandy beaches, and fish. If you tire of enjoying water-based fun, you can participate in Silverwood State SRA’s land-based activities, which include hiking and biking along trails, wildlife and bird watching, picnicking, and enjoying the visitor’s center. Of course, you can always take a lovely mountain drive, visit the scenic nearby town of Crestline, or journey over to Lake Arrowhead Village to enjoy the shopping and restaurants there.

The 136 campsites at the Silverwood Lake campground welcome tents, RV’s, camping trailers, pop-up campers, vans, pickup trucks with camper shells, etc. RVer’s should note, though, that there are no hookups available at Silverwood Lake camping sites. Each campsite contains a picnic table and fire pit.

Directions

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Destination Ride: Lake Silverwood Ca

If you are looking for a great place to off road and get away from the desert heat of California, then heading up to Lake Silverwood might be the perfect trip for you. As part of the San Bernardino National Forest, the lake is located between Hesperia and Crestline. This collection of trails varies in elevation from about 3000 to 6000 feet, making for cooler temperatures than most of SoCals popular riding locations. With trail options ranging from tame fire roads to some challenging climbs, this destination ride will be fun for the whole family. The majestic views of green forested mountains and the lake itself make for a great family outing.

One of the many places to park is the Cedar Springs Dam Staging Area. It is located off highway 173 near the Northeast end of the lake by the dam itself.

From this staging area, there is access to Miller Canyon, Pinnacles, Devils Hole, Crab Flats, Big Pine Flats and more. In the area, there are close to 20 trails in total, and that is without including the trails within the Big Bear area. We recently rode the Miller Canyon trail above Lake Silverwood and were greeted by awesome views and a strong cool breeze. Designated signs along all trails help to easily navigate these OHV areas, but if you need some extra help you can pick up a Motor Vehicle Use Map from any ranger station or order it to come by mail.

Reservations can be made on these sites:

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Overview

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Campground has 136 campsites for tents, trailers and RVs on a hill above the lake. The campsites are organized in 2 loops Old Mesa and New Mesa . Campsites 96 to 136 are full hookups , with parking pads that are 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. There are also 5 hike/bike campsites and 3 group campsites. Accessible campsites include 26, 49, 66, 77, 80, 98, 99, 117 and 127. Campsites have paved parking spurs and each also has a table, fire ring and grill.

Miller Canyon Group Site can accommodate up to 40 people and 20 vehicles. The other 3 group sites can accommodate up to 100 people and 30 vehicles. The group sites have tables, BBQ, large fire ring and shade ramada, but no electric hookups.

Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, showers and a dump station. Wi-Fi service is also available 150 feet from the entrance kiosk. Theres also a marina that rents boats and has a store with supplies. A boat ramp is near the marina. Firewood can also be delivered to your campsite.

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Area Recreation

The area offers a variety of outdoor recreation activities including camping, hiking, swimming, boating, jet skiing, water skiing, fishing, biking/mountain biking, and wildlife viewing. The lake also has some great beaches and picnic areas a few miles from the campground.

Dogwood campground is another nice option located in the mountains close to Lake Arrowhead.

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Mesa And New Mesa Campgrounds

Campground Facilities: 142 Campsites, including 7 walk-in sites, Flush Toilets, Piped Water, Showers, RV Sanitation StationCampsite Amenities: Picnic Tables, Grills and Fire Rings, Some with RV Hook-upsOnline Reservations at ReserveCalifornia:or call 444-PARK between 8 AM and 6 PMNote: Open year-roundFees: $45 per night for a standard site, $50 for a site with Hook-ups Nearby Facilities: Amphitheater, Trails, Silverwood Lake, Cleghorn Day Use Area

Water Quality And Blue Green Algae Blooms

Silverwood Lake is currently safe for swimming.

Silverwood Lake S.R.A

As with any lake, ocean, or river in the nation, Silverwood Lake’s aquatic ecosystem cannot be compared to a swimming a pool that is treated with chemicals to ensure water quality. If you choose to use the lake for swimming, keep in mind that natural lake processes occur and there may be times that the water quality for recreation may pose a health risk. Recently, the Department of Water Resources began to test State facilities for the presence of harmful algae. Prior to 2013, there was no way to test for the presence of this naturally occurring event though its presumed all bodies of water have had past blooms Now that weekly testing is occurring, we will likely see tests results of future blooms of blue /green algae that may be harmful. Some general guidelines regardless of any elevated test include:

Do not drink the water and try not to get water in your mouth

Do not eat algae or aquatic plants

Do not let pets enter the water

Do not go swimming if you have open wounds or cuts

Shower after using the lake

Humans who drink or swim in water that contains high concentrations of cyanobacteria or cyanobacterial toxins may experience gastroenteritis, skin irritation, and allergic responses. In conjunction with the State Water Board and the Department of Water Resources, three levels of advisories have been established so visitors can be informed about the current water condition in a particular area.

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What To Do

Fishing Blue gill, Largemouth Bass, and Catfish are popular catches at Silverwood Lake

Swimming There is a large sandy beach area that is designated for swimmers at the Sawpit Recreation Area on the lakes southeast end.

Hiking There are several hiking trails accessible from the campground that lead around the lake.

When To Go

Summer Fall Summertime is the busiest time of the year at Silverwood Lake SRA, but also offers the best weather for boating and water activities. Fall is a close second for weather. Expect summer to offer warm temperatures averaging in the 80s and 90s, fall is going to offer cooler 70s and 80s.

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