Barton Flats Campground sits about 36 miles northeast of San Bernardino in the San Bernardino National Forest near Angelus Oaks, right along Highway 38’s Rim of the World Scenic Byway. If you’re looking to escape the heat and camp with your dog in a genuine forest setting, this place delivers—tall pines create solid shade across the campground, which makes a real difference when you’re spending the day there with a dog who can’t handle full sun exposure.

The campground has dozens of single and double sites set up for both tent and RV camping. Each spot comes with a picnic table, fire ring with grill, and a bear box for storing food—something you’ll definitely appreciate if you’ve ever dealt with persistent wildlife around camp. Flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and a dump station are all available on-site, which means you can actually get clean and deal with wastewater properly rather than roughing it completely.

Dogs need to stay on a six-foot leash at all times, per national forest rules, and you can’t leave them unattended at your campsite. This isn’t unusual for public lands, but it’s worth knowing before you book if you were hoping for a dog-friendly free-roam situation. The leash requirement does mean you’ll need to keep your dog close during setup and when you’re moving around camp.

Barton Flats operates reservation-only through Recreation.gov, so there’s no showing up hoping for a walk-in site. Nightly fees range around $33 to $66 depending on the site, with an extra $8 per night for additional vehicles. Weekend stays require a two-night minimum, and holiday weekends jump to three nights. Since this place fills up regularly, especially in summer months, you’ll want to book as far out as possible—up to six months in advance through the Recreation.gov website.