San Jacinto Peak via Fuller Ridge

[wilpham]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and hoping to get some veteran information. I am planning on backpacking in from Fuller Ridge and overnight with two friends and I have some questions:
1. I believe the campgrounds are closed and you're not supposed to camp off trail on state park territory, will they have someone patrolling the area or should we be fine. LRV seems like a good spot to camp at too.
2. If there aren't campgrounds open, will they still give out overnight permits from the ranger station?
3. If you can't get permits, is it safe to keep you car at the trailhead of Fuller Ridge or will they see the car and know you're overnighting?
4. Anyone have any suggestions on another route to take?

Thanks for your help. I'm new to the laws of the land.

[Hikin_Jim]

If by "campgrounds" you mean backpacking campgrounds, there's no reason for them to be closed, and I've heard nothing to that effect. You want to call the Mt. San Jacinto State Park ranger station (not the US Forest Service Ranger Station) to request a permit for which there is I believe a $5 per night charge. I'm not sure if that's per person or per group; I think it's per person, but you'll need to ask.

Inside the state park boundaries, you are required as I understand it* to camp in one of the pre-desginated camp sites at one of their four approved campgrounds: Little Round Valley, Strawberry Junction, Round Valley, or Tamarack. They're all nice, so it's not much of an imposition to camp there. Strawberry doesn't have water super close by, and Little Round Valley may be dry (it was reported dry here recently, but I haven't personally verified that).

HJ

*Some land management agencies permit "wild" camping by special permit. I have not heard of Mt. San Jacinto State Park doing that, but it couldn't hurt to ask if you had a specific spot in mind.

[wilpham]

Yeah, I meant the 4 pre-designated backpacking campgrounds. I called earlier today and they said campgrounds were closed until May, but maybe she misunderstood what I was asking. Thanks for your help Jim!

[Hikin_Jim]

What? I don't think so. You might try asking for a overnight wilderness permit. She may have heard "campground" and tuned you out after that. It's possible that the car camping camp grounds are in fact closed. That's pretty common practice to have seasonal closures.

HJ