Selby Campground, near Bakersfield, California, is a peaceful spot that offers a great escape for those looking to unwind in nature. With a few designated sites, it’s perfect for tent camping or RVs, though you won’t find any electric hookups or showers here.

Visitors rave about the clean pit toilets and the availability of drinking water, making it a comfortable place to stay. The campground is known for its quiet atmosphere, with most campers being respectful and friendly. One reviewer noted, “The three nights we stayed here were really relaxing and peaceful.” 

For outdoor enthusiasts, Selby Campground provides easy access to the Caliente Mountain Ridge Trail, where you can hike and explore the stunning scenery. Just keep in mind that there’s no cell service, so it’s a great chance to disconnect. If you’re up for a little adventure, hike up the hill behind the campground for a chance to catch some reception.

The area is also rich in history and natural beauty, with opportunities to see petroglyphs nearby. While the campground doesn’t have trash service, campers appreciate the chance to enjoy a free stay, as long as they pack out what they bring in. Whether you’re stopping for a quick getaway or planning a longer stay, Selby Campground is a solid choice for a relaxing outdoor experience.

Camping is available on a first come-first serve basis. Thirteen campsites with picnic tables, fire pits, horse corrals and a wheelchair accessible vault toilet. Electricity and drinking water is not available. There is no garbage service, please act responsibly and pack out any refuse you have. This campground is more secluded and the camper is only steps away from unlimited hiking in the Wilderness Study Area that lies outside the campground.

Selby Campground

Looking for the best campgrounds near New Cuyama, CA? New Cuyama is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Get the dirt on all the best camping near New Cuyama. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

New Cuyama

The Best Camping Near New Cuyama, California

In the summer the flowers are blooming and it looks so beautiful. This place does not have a lot of trees so expect to get the sun all day. If you want shade go to KCL campground which is close by. This is a great place to stay when your on a hunt or if you just want to have a BBQ out in nature. It has great views and good places to hike. This place also has monumental history and you will learn a lot about the past life. 

Great in the summer

Awesome free campground! Vault toilets and running water. Dog that rolls through in the mornings makes for beautiful scenery. Would come back! 

Awesome campground with amazing views 

We loved this campground.  The 3 nights we stayed here were really relaxing and peaceful. Almost all other campers were quiet and respectful and friendly.  We won't talk about the noisy family with 4 rambunctious kids that busted in one evening, screamed and yelled for about 12 hours, straight, then just as dramatically busted out at 630am (!) the next morning.  Other than them, all the campers, as well as the many people who stopped here to use the restroom or to park their car while they went hiking or bike riding were so chill and peaceful.  Our 26ft motorhome was by far the biggest beast there.  Other than a few small trailers, the other campers were all in camper vans, truck campers, or tents.

  

There is zero cell reception at the campground, but if you hike up the hill behind the campground you can get decent verizon and ATT (we didn't take our T-Mobile hotspot so we don't know for sure if there's T-Mobile reception there).

  

The Selby rocks are closed this time of year through July due to migratory bird nesting, but there's plenty of other hiking and exploring in the area, including some petroglyphs on the big rocks near the barn down the road.

  

It gets pretty windy at night.

  

There are 2 unisex vault toilets.

3 potable water spigots for water to be used while at the campground (as opposed to filling your RV tank)

A large metal structure which I assume is 3 horse corrals.

No trash service, please pack out what you bring in so this campground stays free and open.

Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and a shade structure.

There is one "bonus" dispersed-type spot with a rock fire ring behind the campground, just go up the little hill and it's on the left.

  

The road coming in was doable, just some gravelly washboarding. 

  

 Highly recommend this campground!  Apparently this time of year is the busy season due to amazing blooms, but this year was a dry winter so we didn't see many flowers.

Quiet, peaceful, and FREE

We loved Selby Campground! There are not many camping spaces and they are pretty close together but still great spots! There are picnic tables and fire pits on each one. There is one porta potty like bathroom with two toilets. We didn’t use the running water but saw other people doing it! There is no service at all so be aware of that. There is little exploring to do around the campsite but you can drive to see other spots. Overall we had a great time and it was a nice short camping place to stop at. 

Cute and Quaint

Selby Campground is a secluded campground away from view from the road. Also, it provides nice access to Caliente Mountain Ridge Trail. There was no running water during my visit. Clean pit toilets. Will definitely return here. 

Photos of Selby Campground

Real photos from real campers