Crystal Lake Recreation Area
The Crystal Lake Recreation Area is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, administered by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (formally the San Gabriel River Ranger District) of the United States Forest Service. It stands 12 mi west of Wrightwood. Weather is mildest over June to October, with 62–77°F highs.
A park & preserve, 12 mi west of Wrightwood
Wrightwood is the nearest base
Wrightwood is 12 miles east, with 9 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 62–77°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Choosing a month
Plan a visit to Crystal Lake Recreation Area around the weather below.
Crystal Lake Recreation Area
The Crystal Lake Recreation Area is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California, administered by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (formally the San Gabriel River Ranger District) of the United States Forest Service. The Recreation Area consists of a small lake, an open-air amphitheater, a large public campground containing approximately 120 camp sites grouped into "loops," and a group campground called Deer Flats which consists of approximately 25 camp sites. The Recreation Area contains a United States Forest Service visitor center and a cafe which is open to the public from dawn to dusk except for Tuesdays when the cafe is closed. Within the Recreation Area are 16 hiking and nature trails which are well-maintained by volunteers who work under the direction of the Forest Service. The Recreation Area is located approximately 26 miles (42 km) north on Hwy.
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.9K a year
Bases for Crystal Lake Recreation Area
The closest lodging is in Ontario (68) and Pasadena (39), and Los Angeles has the most rooms in the area (841).
Ontario
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
187,013 people
24 mi southeast of Crystal Lake Recreation Area
Los Angeles
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
3,869,089 people
39 mi southwest of Crystal Lake Recreation Area
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Crystal Lake Recreation Area | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 24 mi southeast | 35 min | 68 56 hotels · 12 motels | 187,013 | $608K | C |
| Pasadena | 21 mi southwest | 30 min | 39 28 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 135,804 | $1,093K | D |
| Pomona | 19 mi south | 30 min | 26 12 hotels · 11 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 147,807 | $594K | D |
| Azusa | 14 mi south | 20 min | 12 2 hotels · 6 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 47,447 | $641K | C+ |
| Rancho Cucamonga | 21 mi southeast | 30 min | 28 26 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 177,856 | $740K | — |
| Wrightwood | 12 mi east | 20 min | 9 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 5,067 | $471K | — |
| San Dimas | 15 mi south | 25 min | 12 7 hotels · 1 motel · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 32,978 | $802K | C |
| Glendora | 13 mi south | 20 min | 8 3 hotels · 2 motels · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 49,671 | $863K | C |
| Los Angeles | 39 mi southwest | 1 hr | 841 554 hotels · 169 motels · 39 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 36 hostels · 17 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 3,869,089 | $921K | D |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More near Crystal Lake Recreation Area
A wider trip can take in these, within 39 miles.
Big draw33 mi LandmarkHollywood Walk of Fame10.0M visitors a year
Big draw36 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.4M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaSoFi Stadium
Big draw34 mi MuseumLucas Museum of Narrative Art
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Big draw31 mi LandmarkHollywood Sign
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaCrypto.com Arena
Big draw129 mi Stadium & arenaDodger StadiumPhoto credits
Hollywood Walk of Fame: BenSherman, Public domain · Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · SoFi Stadium: Thank You (21 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0 · Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: Kriddl, CC0 · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: CanonStarGal, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hollywood Sign: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crypto.com Arena: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dodger Stadium: Frederick Dennstedt from los angeles, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Crystal Lake Recreation Area: common questions
What town is Crystal Lake Recreation Area near?
Wrightwood, CA, about 12 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Crystal Lake Recreation Area?
June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 62–77°.
How far is Crystal Lake Recreation Area from Anaheim?
About 33 miles south of Anaheim, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Crystal Lake Recreation Area?
Ontario (ONT), about 23 miles away.
Where should I stay near Crystal Lake Recreation Area?
Los Angeles (39 mi, 841 places to stay), Ontario (24 mi, 68 places to stay) and Pasadena (21 mi, 39 places to stay).
From people who live in Wrightwood
No one has shared advice yet; Wrightwood’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.