Payment -- Bring a pen. On the Kiosk at the front of the Little Pines loop you will find an envelope with the window tag and post marker tag. Take that with you to your site, put some of your stuff there so no one else will take it. Go back to the kiosk and write down your pad number and put your $12 (per night) fee in the envelope and stick it in the lock box. Exact change. No one there to give you change. We checked in at 5 pm on 10/10 and we paid for 2 days, and check out was 11 am Monday morning. They usually have a clip on the site post marker, but bring one just in case and hang the tag on your review mirror.
Water ---There are faucets throughout the loops. But on 10/10 - 10/12 the water was off due to a leak.
Bathrooms --- A few port-a-potties. Nasty! Spiders, Flies, gnats, mosquitos. Keep the toilet seat down so they aren't in the port a potties and keep the door closed so that they die in there instead of keeping the door open and allowing new and olds one to go in and out.
Toilet paper --- provided and well stocked.
Bugs --- Bring an arsenal of bug killer. Ants, flies, gnats, yellowjackets mosquitos, beetles, and a few I've never seen before and have no Idea what they were. You are at war with this buggers and they see you as a walking buffet.
Neighbors --- Most neighbors play their music until about sundown, then they turn it off.
Rangers --- They come around often, day and night. They do enforce the rules. Which is great to know, especially if you have bothersome neighbors.
Animals --- There are bears and wildcats. We just didn't see any. There are no bear lock boxes, but is suggested that you lock your food in your car or up in a tree. Keep any food that have strong smells out of your tent.
Fire Rings -- These are provided, one per site.
Tables --- One Wooden table per site pad.
Local Store -- NONE! There is Newcombs Restaurant and Bar (motorcycle hangout) just a little down the road, but it is strictly those two things. They do not sell anything you'd need for camping. Please bring whatever water, Ice, Dry Ice, Bug Spray, etc with you, or get it in La Canada on your way in. It is roughly 23 1/2 miles from the edge of La Canada/Flintridge to Chilao Campgrounds. That's one way.
Garbage Receptacles --- There are a few garbage bins that are kept shut, please brings bags that tie shut so garbage isn't strewn everywhere.
The DRIVE -- Luckily they graded this road rather well, so the inclines are not steep. Even a 2002 Ford Taurus with 100k miles on it had no problem handlings the roads. Just make sure your radiator is in good working conditions because it can get very hot up there, for you and your car/truck.
Gas Stations --- NONE. Gas up at La Canada/Flintridge. There are NO gas stations anywhere on this mountain.
Motorcyclists -- This road is a cyclists dream. You have to be a special breed of super human to ride a motorcycle down and up that road as fast as some do. To you, my hats are off and I bow to you!! But, some may not be veterans at riding and tend to take some of those curves wide. Please remember to stay more to the right of the road just in case one of those newbies shoots around that corner.
Police Officers --- YES they do patrol those roads. YES, they will pull you over. YES, they loveeee motorcyclists! So don't speed, for everyone's safety. Please.
TURN OUTS --- You will see MANY of these up the mountain. They aren't just for site seeing. Although they are great for this. They are also for you to pull over so that faster traffic behind you can pass you. You do NOT want to be the source of a massive back up on that mountain because you are too afraid to drive the speed limit. This irritates everyone, so pull over and allow others to pass.
ROADWORK --- As of 10/12/2015 they are paving the roads a little below Chilao up towards Buckhorn. So there is loose gravel on that part of the road. You will need to follow a LEAD TRUCK in order to go up and down that section.
HUNTERS --- Deer season opened Saturday, October 10, 2015. At first I saw a few guys in camo gear off to the side of the road with rifles. Deliverance started to play in the back of my head. Only after we settled into our site and the guys next to us had a table covered in weapons were we told it was the first day of hunting seaon. Thank GOD, I thought a revolution was being staged at first. So be mindful that there are hunters out there when you take your hikes.
Overall, we loved it.
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