Pinos Info

Hi
Los angeles guy here with a 3.5" refractor and a 10" dob who has never been to pinos before. Can someone give me some basic info, mainly my question is...can I camp there? I have a pop up trailer that my wife and my 2 small daughters and I love. I would love to combine a little camping trip with some great viewing! I was working out that way 2 days ago and I notice that the mountains are pretty snow covered right now. is the place even open? Let me know..thanks
Andy

You can't camp on the parking lot atop Mt Pinos. If you have a scope and a wilderness parking pass(available from a sporting goods store or the forest service)the rangers will probably leave you alone. There is camping with tents permitted around the adjacent meadow with fire pits and picknic benches but you can't park in that area: you have to carry your stuff in and out.
The roads are probably open to the parking lot atop Mt Pinos but call the forest service before you go to be sure roads are open and ask if chains are required. Saturdays are probably packed with people playing in the snow and you may not be able to get to the parking lot so plan ahead.
Finally, the northbound lanes at Templin highway were again reduced to two lanes today from storm damage and traffic may be very heavy at this point.

That campground is McGill - quite nice, and the family wouldn't have to worry about red light only.

That being said, Andy, I routinely set up my 22 ft travel trailer in the parking lot with my scopes outside and have never had any trouble from the rangers. I think they apply the yardstick of astronomy being a night-long activity, so we are technically not campers. As long as you have an adventure pass, I've never seen anybody hassled for a self-contained RV in the lot. I run my awning out, drop the jacks, and usually unhitch to allow access to my scopes in the back of my Pickup.

Pitching tents on the adjacent dirt area WILL get you a talking to, though....

Clear Skies!

Jim