Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Apple Valley, CA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Apple Valley is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$3 - $40 / night
"The lakes are nice, there are mountain views, and some cool hikes to explore in the riverbed area."
$10 - $119 / night
"Easy access to the hot springs and no services to speak of. Basically a patch of dirt you can occupy for $10 a night. Loved it."
"Super fun place to visit with the hot springs trail. Went in January with snowfall, hardly any campers and nature all around! Two nights are perfect."
$35 - $40 / night
"Nice views of the lake but it's fenced off and access to the lake and park close in the evening. There is a small older bathroom there a flush toilet and a shower"
"Tents RVs fishing showers water electric hookups and reasonable ducks beautiful lake! Buttt..you can only stay 5 days. 😔"
$15 - $119 / night
"You will have to drive 6 miles of mountainous dirt roads to reach the property, but it takes you away from all signs of the city and surrounds you in nature when you get there, making a very nice camping"
$25 / night
"Dropped to around 40 degrees at night so bring extra blankets/ jackets. Bring firewood from town."
"We spent 4 days at the Ranch on a Peninsula Site near the Barn. Sunrise and sunset views are absolutely gorgeous."
$29 - $58 / night
"There are a lot of equestrian campgrounds in the area so be prepared to see horses on the near by trails."
"The first thing to mention is the location. The back of the campground faces west where the rolling mountains seem to part in a way that showcases the beautiful California sunset."
$25 - $300 / night
"It is right next to the lake which has a swimming area, bike path, climbing area, Hiking trails, along with a camp store which has boat rentals and much more! "
"Paved full hookup sites right next to each other but quiet neighbors. Campground is just 5minutes from busy town."
"There's other rough roads further in and access to hikes nearby. I loved how quiet it was, except for neighbors since sound carries so easily even though spots are quiet apart from each other."
"Trees provide lots of shade and some privacy despite campsites being fairly close to one another.
Easy road in most anything can drive it."
$127 - $137 / night
RangerWe normally camp in the other side of Big Bear, but decided to try a new campground this year. Overall we really liked this campground. Although some of the sites are close together most of them have good separation. There are a lot of equestrian campgrounds in the area so be prepared to see horses on the near by trails. It’s close enough for a quick trip to the lake yet you are far enough away that you still get the true camping experience.
RangerThis is a really fun place to stay and has a bunch of awesome amenities. Right behind the campground is the Pioneertown Main Street, featuring replica buildings from the old west. They have stores, gun fights, and a restaurant nearby. The campground itself has a communal fire pit and bbq area that all campers can use. Each site has a table and fire pit. The layout of the sites is a little cramped and there is no privacy. It is designed mostly for equestrian camping and has horse stalls you can rent along with your site. The restaurant (Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace) is somewhat of a local icon, and has amazing food and is known for their live music.
ScoutI only saw the first 9 or so sites and stayed I think at site #9. For the most part, spacious spots, fire ring, picnic table, a lot of trees, and varied slopes. Road in is placed initially then dirt but is fine. There's other rough roads further in and access to hikes nearby. I loved how quiet it was, except for neighbors since sound carries so easily even though spots are quiet apart from each other. You'll pass an equestrian campground on the way in that you might be able to get water from.
GuideBeen here many times since it is local to me.
This place has changed a lot over the years, and not necessarily for the good, in my opinion.
What there is:
What there is no longer:
Beware of skunks and loud trains!
It is still a somewhat nice place to visit for a couple hours with the kids.
We have camped in a tent. The tents sites are adjacent to the lake.
Trailer camping isn't too bad, other than being adjacent to the busy railroad. Most sites have grass.
ScoutHeart Bar Campground is one of my favorites. The first thing to mention is the location. The back of the campground faces west where the rolling mountains seem to part in a way that showcases the beautiful California sunset. The campground is away from the town enough to feel secluded and quiet. If you plan to camp in the Big Bear area, I strongly suggest giving Heart Bar a try. The beauty of the surrounding environment is worth it alone.
LegendGeneral: A mix of FHU RV sites tent sites, group sites around Horseshoe Lake and some additional dry camping and equestrian sites around Pelican Lake. There are also four RVs you can “rent” in the Horseshoe Lake area. The sites around Horseshoe Lake are close to an active rail line. And by active, I mean really active – I stopped counting after I counted 24 trains lumbering by during our short overnight stay.
Site Quality: IMO the waterfront tent sites are the nicest. They are farthest away from the trains (but not far enough!) The other dry sites have paved camper pads; some are “doubles” which would kind of suck if both sites were occupied by people who did not know each other! (Ours was one but fortunately, this was not the case for us on a Sunday in November).
Bath/Shower House: There were two restrooms about equidistant from our campsite, but both were very basic– no soap, hooks or shelves and no mirrors (it looked like they had been ripped off the wall). The floors were concrete, and the entire appearance was very drab. I did not use the shower.
This was an overnight stop for us, so we did not take advantage of any of the activities (horseback riding, hiking, disc golf, fishing). There was a very nice playground in the day-use area, a reasonable walking distance from the Horseshoe Lake sites. I had called about a week ahead of time to make a reservation (the online reservation system has been down for quite some time) and was assured would not need a reservation. However, there is a gate that is locked at 4 pm and we knew we would not arrive in time, so we called and were able to make a phone reservation when our site was assigned. We were a little concerned when we saw a security guard making rounds around 10 pm (and this combined with the locked gate), we wondered if we were in a safe environment, although we did not encounter any problems. Make sure you know that the park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (which seems a bit bizarre) so you will need to know the gate code after 4 pm and on those days (the code seems to change daily). Also, I read that seniors (62 and older), active duty military, and veterans receive a $5 discount Sundays through Thursdays but you have to go to the office and show proof and then you will receive a “rebate” a few days later (which we did). This was just an overnight for us as we worked our way back home but we would likely not stay here again.
Scout
TravelerTips: When you’re on the road heading into Holcomb go slow (Rocky). Prep for dusty ground sediment. Bring extra water and chargers. Dropped to around 40 degrees at night so bring extra blankets/ jackets. Bring firewood from town. Otherwise, As expected when arrived with fireplace, secluded space (enough from other tents), space to spread out, and scenic meadow views. We saw mule deer and of course the horses! Check out grand view mountain trail, it was a gorgeous view- across the lake. Oh and it’s rifle hunting season in Oct, FYI.
RangerThis campground is great! It is right next to the lake which has a swimming area, bike path, climbing area, Hiking trails, along with a camp store which has boat rentals and much more! There is also a museum off the entrance road to the lake. The Perris Auto Speedway is also very close to the campground. They have full hookup, partial hookup, and tent camping sites. Many of the sites have shade trees but some are exposed and can get hot during the summer.
Horse camping in California offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and enjoy nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Apple Valley, CA is Mojave Narrows Regional Park with a 3.4-star rating from 9 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 22 equestrian camping locations near Apple Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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