Big Rock Campground

Big Rock Campground is a sprawling, private campground located deep in Fenner Canyon near Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp #41 on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains. Situated in a peaceful grove of oaks along Big Rock Creek Road, its campsites are large, well-shaded, and private. The campground offers eight drive-in campsites, distinguishing it from nearby South Fork Campground, which features only walk-in campsites. As such, Big Rock Campground is ideal for four-wheelers and other off-road vehicles, and the area boasts convenient access to a network of four-wheel drive trails accessible via Forest Service Road 2N11. While the campground is close to vehicles during the winter, campsites are still available to walk-in campers when the winter snows allow access. There is no potable water, and over the years neglect has taken its toll on campground amenities. Campers are encouraged to notify the Forest Service of their visitation beforehand in order to ensure the campsite is properly maintained. Still, deep in a canyon and sequestered from areas with higher traffic, the Big Rock Campground and its nearby trails (including the High Desert Trail) beckon the rugged traveler to its campsites—which may require extra labor to clear of rock fragments that would otherwise complicate sleeping arrangements.

But rocks may be the least of a camper’s worries at Big Rock Campground. Big Rock Canyon is reputed to be the home base of Southern California Sasquatches. Rumors of their existence date back centuries, when Native Americans warned colonial missionaries of their presence here. Sure enough, Sasquatches were seen all over Southern California, from San Diego County to Fontana, California, during the 1960s. In 1973, Sasquatch expert Ken Coon traversed the area by plane and speculated that Big Rock Canyon was the creature’s—or creatures’—hidden forest lair. Then, as if somehow aware they were being tracked, the Sasquatches began to appear. In April of 1973, a Sasquatch chased three boys from Sycamore Flats Campground. The trio narrowly escaped in their truck. Then tracks were spotted in South Fork Canyon, and the 21-inch footprints belonged to a creature with a 12-foot stride. Before vanishing for 40 years, dark figures were last seen silhouetted in the moonlight above Big Rock Campground. There have been sightings of strange creatures since, but no one is entirely sure what happened to the Sasquatches at Big Rock Campground.

​​Note: Big Rock Campground is closed during the winter months, and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For specific campground open dates and details call the Angeles National Forest at 626.574.1613.