Cottonwood Campground
3Heads up3 fires, nearest 4 mi
This is how it should work.
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there
In the agency’s own words
Among the live oaks in southeastern San Diego County is Cottonwood Campground. The campground offers a tranquil and refreshing experience. Cottonwood Campground is an excellent starting point for day hikes, overnight backpacking trips, and equestrian use. The campground is located in the McCain Valley Resource Conservation Area. A trail out of the campground leads to the Sombrero Peak Area, Upper Bow Willow Canyon, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Pepperwood Trail and Sombrero Peak Trail are both rated moderate to strenuous. Keep reading
The trails are sandy in composition and meander through public, state, and private lands. Elevations range from 3,000 to 4,500 feet. This makes the area an excellent escape from the hot summer temperatures of lower elevations. Most precipitation is received from December through April. Thundershowers are common during July and August. Winter temperatures range from the 50s (F) to below freezing, with occasional snowfalls. Summer temperatures range from 60 to 95 degrees (F).Cottonwood Campground is a year-round facility with 25 developed campsites. Fire rings, tables, and vault toilets are found in the campground. Horses are allowed only in the east loop of Cottonwood Campground. No group camping sites are available. No off highway vehicle (OHV) use is permitted in Cottonwood Campground or on McCain Valley Road. A $6.00 per campsite fee is required for camping at all BLM campsites. All sites are available on a first come first served basis. Except for backpacking, all camping in McCain Valley must be in a designated campsite. A campfire permit may be required. Contact the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for regulations.
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- “…campsites. Fire rings, tables, and vault toilets are found in the campground. Horses are allowed…”
Around the campground
- Auto Touring
- Biking
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Hunting
- Wildlife viewing
Nothing to book, just show up
One of 1,623 federal campgrounds where the site still goes to whoever pulls in first. Get there before noon on a summer weekend.
recreation.gov publishes no availability for a campground you can’t reserve, so there’s no thirty-night reading to draw here. The season bar above is what the agency does publish.
Every line of the receipt · 3
What you actually pay
How we know this receipt · 4
rules read Sep 7, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the phone number
Where it is
Burnt RancheriaCleveland National Forest · 6.2 miCibbets Flat CampgroundCleveland National Forest · 6.5 mi
Wooded Hill GroupCleveland National Forest · 6.5 mi
Horse Heaven GroupCleveland National Forest · 8.5 mi
LagunaCleveland National Forest · 8.7 mi
El Prado GroupCleveland National Forest · 9.1 miThe weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Mount Laguna, CA
Typical weather
Typical October night 42°F, day 69°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 32°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land

Cottonwood Campground is in California’s 48th congressional district. Its representative, Darrell Issa (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →