Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Calico, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. It's easy to find cabins in Calico with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect cabin rental for your Calico camping adventure.
Calico is an old West mining town that has been around since 1881 and was abandoned in the mid-1890s after silver lost its value. The town that once gave miners a good living lost its hustle and became a “ghost town.”
Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950’s architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880’s. Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Today, Calico is part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system, which is visited by people from across the country and from all over the world. Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops, restaurants and offers camping, hiking and off-roading.
A warm welcome is waiting for you at Lone Wolf Colony. We are a multi-use facility located at a 3,000 foot elevation in Apple Valley, California. Lone Wolf Colony has been designated a Historical Landmark in the Town of Apple Valley California.
Mission Statement Lone Wolf Colony supports many deserving charities, while interacting with the community in which we live. We are continuing to see through Sam Caldwell vison in our ever changing times.
The Shady Oasis Kampground is open all year, and provides camp sites for tents and RV's (up to 70 ft. in length), and we also have one-room cabins for rent. The campground office is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, except Sunday when we close at 6pm (closed an hour for lunch Mon-Sat).
This recreation area is part of Mojave River Dam
$3 - $40 / night
Located on 160 acres in close proximity to the Deep Creek Hot Springs. Rural property with natural landscapes in the mountains of the high desert. Showers, bathrooms and running water on site, no RV power hookups. Private hot spring rental and glamping tents available. Large group sites available, secluded sites, event venue available. Ziplines on site.
$15 - $119 / night
Durrwood is a 29-acre pristine wilderness nestled in the San Bernardino National Forest, offering an unforgettable outdoor experience. Your group will have exclusive access to all of our amenities, including a comfortable RV for lounging, picnic tables, hammocks, horseshoes, corn hole, and numerous hiking trails starting from the campground. Our property includes an outhouse in form of a porta potty. No Showers.
We are conveniently located just 2 miles from the Santa Ana River, 5 miles from Jenks Lake, and only a 25-minute drive to Big Bear, making Durrwood the perfect private retreat for your group.
Durrwood is the ideal destination for families, company retreats, club meetups, church groups, girls and boy scouts, and any other groups looking to reconnect with nature. Our beautiful surroundings and wide range of activities make us the perfect choice for your next group gathering.
$300 / night
$20 - $50 / night
$80 - $200 / night
10 Acre Desert Afforestation Project
Only 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, our camping site is a poetic tree planting project in the unincorporated desert of Los Angeles County.
We rent out our unique tiny home, the Starry Night Skoolie, in order to raise funds for our tree planting efforts.
100% of your booking goes directly to hauling water, planting trees, protecting the garden, and maintaining it’s growth.
__
The Starry Night Skoolie
Our cute tiny home has a very warm, loving, and inviting feel. We curated our air conditioned skoolie to attract nature lovers and adventurous explorers looking for a homey retreat in the desert.
You will experience true hospitality during your stay—it feels a lot like staying at a friend’s secret clubhouse in the middle of nowhere. Because of this, our unique tiny house is one of the best kept secrets in the desert.
—
Activities
Plant a desert pine or a desert fruit tree.
Come to one of our black new moon stargazing workshops.
Invite your friends for a bonfire and hammock party.
Bring your special someone for a romantic candlelight dinner underneath the stars.
Enjoy quality time with your family and play games inside the bus.
You can even come by yourself to relax with a quiet, private, luxurious self-care stay.
The Starry Night Skoolie is perfect for a special one-night evening…but guests who stay longer often tune into the slow, healing rhythm of the desert by the second day.
—
Starry Night Sky
One of our "extras" is a 20-minute guided workshop and meditation on how to relax and enjoy the view of the starry night sky.
Out here, away from the smog and light pollution of Los Angeles, you can see:
✨ The Big Dipper
✨ The Little Dipper
✨ Polaris (The North Star)
✨ The Milky Way
✨ And much, much more!
Lay down in the hammock and fall asleep while you watch the magnificent starry sky reveal itself to you, sparkling before your eyes.
—
Skoolie Accomodations
✅ 100% Solar Powered
✅ 1 Full Bed
✅ Air Conditioner (window unit)
✅ Fast WiFi
✅ Shower + Sink (well water)
❌ Hot Water (under construction)
✅ Toilet (compost)
✅ Kitchen (camper stove, convection oven, hot plates, pots, pans, tea kettle, dishware, utensils, refrigerator)
🪲 There are flying insects and moths in the desert that are attracted to lights at night
✅ 600W of Solar Panels power 2 LiFePo4 12v batteries; plus, there are 2 extra power stations for your glamping needs
__
Sustainability + Stewardship
100% of your booking goes towards cultivating, maintaining, and watering our desert trees. You can help us reach 40,000 trees in 10 years by booking a stay! 🌲
—
Vacation Views
Our property is located just over the mountain butte range. It is normally extremely silent, but on occasion you will hear a distant generator or an airplane. Some nights, you can hear music playing or fireworks going off in the very, very far distance. You will be able to see clear skies, 360 degree mountains in the distance, and pure desert without any main roads.
Our land is a Stargazer’s Paradise. Visitors have seen the biggest comets of their lives out here. Every night, the sky lights up with an incredible view of constellations, shooting stars, and even the Milky Way galaxy.
__
Privacy
The property is enclosed within a wire fence, and there is a locked farm gate at the entrance. It feels very quiet because we are hidden by a slight hill that conceals us from the main road; this means people driving by will not be able to see you.
We have security cameras located on the fencing of the property, as well as one near the door of the bus. We will cut the feed to make sure that you maintain 100% of your privacy.
__
Wildlife
Lizards, beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, bees, birds (especially crows), chipmunks, ants, and mice have visited our garden.
At night, desert insects--no mosquitoes or roaches!--will be attracted to the lights. If you do not like bugs, make sure to turn off all the lights. This includes candles, headlamps, and the solar lights. You can also set aside a large light away from the skoolie, so that the insects will be attracted to it instead of to the bus.
There is an owl that has taken residency in a nearby joshua tree. We’ve seen its long white wingspan at night.
We feed stray dogs who are dumped in the area. They have not bothered anyone during their stay, as they are extremely cautious of strangers. One dog, Rainey, is particularly attached to our garden. He came after a huge rainstorm in June. My daughter and I were on the skoolie, listening to the thunder and watching the rain and thunder. This new dog showed up while we were pointing at a rainbow. I call him Rainey, Rainbow, and Rain Dog. He is the garden’s protector.
Early in the morning, you can hear the roadrunner calling from a nearby joshua tree.
We have also seen/heard a rattlesnake, a scorpion, and a baby coyote.
__
Nearby Attractions
- Sattleback Butte State Park: Water, Hiking, climbing, picnic, camping, restrooms.
- Butte Valley Wildflower Sanctuary: Water, Wildlife, hiking, socializing, theater, swimming, classes, fitness, restrooms.
__
Social Media
$10 - $80 / night
Guide
This campground in Barstow has many things to do. Campground has full hookups first off. Next, they have a separate campground area for OHV campers and vehicles. Plenty of trails and some famous rock climbing just behind the hill. The ghost town is awesome to check out, kids love it. Pan for silver, train rides and explore the mines. Even grab a bite to eat with a beer at the saloon. Gets hot in the summer but fall and winter good times to go. This place even has cabin rentals too.
TravelerWe stayed here with family who had an RV. At the time, we didn’t so we rented one of the cabins. They have bunks, a bed AC and heat and that’s it. Lol. You have to use the public restrooms and showers. It was raining and super cold when we stayed here but one of the days it cleared up and we walked to Calico ghost town. We had the best time exploring, shopping, eating at the restaurant, panning for gold, touring the mine. Super fun. We also enjoyed some off roading. Bathrooms were clean. Showers are run by quarters and were hot although the windows high above don’t close so the cold air was constantly blowing in. It made for an adventure that my daughter and I will remember for many years. Lol. I’d stay here again. It was fun.
TravelerWe arrived well after dark and the security folks helped us get into our cabin. Very nice staff. We stayed in one of the bunkhouse cabins. It had 2 sets of bunk beds (twin size) and a sofa (futon style) that was about the size of a queen. We had 2 cars and 2 trailers. Plenty of parking and I felt comfortable with our gear being safe outside. Small kitchen was perfect for our needs. We would recommend the cabin and we will definitely visit again to visit the ghost town.
TravelerThis Covid summer my family and I took two trips out to the Calico Ghost Town campground. The first was over Fathers day weekend and the second at the end of September. We had a great time despite the over 100 degree weather. Because there are so few people the wildlife is abundant. It was nice to take walks and hike the hills. The night sky is amazing (download the app that tells you what everything is, "star walk 2") your kids may have never seen the stars like this. Lots of places to ride OHV and great shooting in Mule Canyon. Caves to explore in camp and free admission to the ghost town.
Campground could use more trees but the showers and toilets are nice.
A great desert get away! ENJOY and please keep it clean!
GuideHad a great time exploring the ghost town with my kids. I recommend doing the tour of the mine for a small fee. A lot was still shut down due to the pandemic. Super windy but we opted to stay in one of the small cabins. It was nice and clean. Bathrooms were also clean and well-maintained. It was an overall good, one-night stay vacation!
Guide
It's an excellent location for access to Barstow and Calico. We appreciated the pool, hammocks next to the pool, and the treats at the store. Sites are primarily pull-throughs, and many are occupied by people passing through them for one night. There are easy hookups, 50 amp service, and easy on/off from the highway. We visited both Barstow and Calico and had a good time at both.
RangerCool little campground. Spaces are typical desert with dirt, rock, and a few miscellaneous trees. Campground is in a narrow canyon. Clean bathrooms. The Calico ghost town is worth seeing.
LegendTalk about good times!! Get dirty as you can and have a blast doing it!! Razrrrr city!! Super cool ghost town, and really family friendly! Clean bathrooms and well maintained. You can fill up your propane here and dump your rig if needed. This place has cool little mining caves and a cool train for kids to ride on. Somethings are locked down due to covid but this place isn’t shy of family fun! Really neat place! Bring your fire wood for a cool fire at night, if you don’t want to camp they do have cabins that are without bathrooms but shelter if you prefer. Also plenty of parking for your vehicles.
GuideAbsolutely love Calico and Ghost Town! There’s something for everyone. Explore the caves and tunnels, ride off road, visit the ghost town and shops or just hang around the campfire. I always look forward to our annual trips!
GuideFree admission to Ghost Town with camping reservation. Good fall to spring. Way to hot in summer. No shade. Dusty but that’s expected in an OHV Campground. We just held an outing there with 24 people. Great time!! https://hitched4fun.com/2018/09/15/2018-calico-ghost-town-ca-outing/
ScoutDirt interior roads, including a dead end that was really a challenge to back and fill the trailer out of. Quiet at night once the off-roaders go to bed. Good hookups. Pretty easy walk to Calico Ghost Town, well worth the effort. We will probably be back.
TravelerThe campsite at Calico Ghost Town is nice with hook ups for RV and spaces for tent camping. Our boys scout troop spent a weekend October. The boys and their families enjoy touring the ghost town. We hiked around the area and on hills during the day. The facility has running water, restrooms and showers.
GuideI was here one October where the weather was above 100F during the day. The sites have absolutely no shade or cover, and are just lined up in a row next to each other with no privacy. We ended up choosing to spend more of our time at Owl Canyon (BLM campground nearby) because it was much more secluded, had better views, and offered shade. The advantages to Calico are: bathrooms with showers, water, and dump stations. However we were ok with a primitive site and did not want to feel crowded in.
TravelerIf you have to camp near Barstow, this is a good place for a week-day stay. Calico ghost town was a fun spot for our kids, not too busy on a week day in the spring though I’m sure it can be crazy (and hot) at other times. The campsites were hit or miss. We staid in a tent site which was tiny, right next to all the others, with no trees or vegetation for privacy, and no permanent fire ring or picnic bench. We walked around and some of the other RV sites are bigger and nicer. Classic desert views. I give it 4 stars for access to the ghost town and price.
RangerWe arrived on a Friday night, without reservations. Our first night of van living. Found the security guard who connected us with the ranger. There were plenty of sites to chose from. The ranger then found us a better site for $5 less, The place was quiet, Beautiful sunset. We aren't off-roaders but noticed a lot of ATVs around. Seems like the place to be. There are also mountain bike trails around. In the morning we discovered the Calico Ghost Town attraction right next to the park. In fact entrance to the ghost town is included in the camping fees. The town is an abandoned silver mining town. There's a few historical buildings and mines you can hike around. You can pay for a tour of the mine. Lots of old west quaint shops, and restaurants. We watched a skit of a shoot out preformed in the main square. Spent more time there than planned, it was that fun.
LegendBarstow is a good mileage stop between Las Vegas and SoCal. The campgrounds are pretty quiet with only a little road noise (surprisingly, due to its proximity to the highway) and very easy to access. The Sites aren’t very private, being so close together but there are small bushes that offer some semblance of separation. The gravel pads are a bit different than most KOAs and don’t create that fine white dust, which is a plus. The full hookups worked well but there is no Wi-Fi and all amenities were closed aside from laundry and bathrooms (neither that we used). Pool was closed due to construction on it. The town doesn’t offer much in the way of amenities. You can grab some food at the diner across the street or head to the Calico Ghost Town 3 miles up The road. The biggest draw here is the electricity to keep your A/C running in the high temps.
TravelerA great spot that we can’t wait to go back and spend a couple of days at. The amenities at this KOA are great. Pool...playground...horseshoes...archery range...etc.
Just up the road too is the Calico western ghost town.
They have some decent shaded areas that made it look like just about every spot would be a good one.
We had a spot in the front with a patio and everything. It was very nice except for the sewer drain being at the front end of the site (I had to put an extension on my poop pipe)...the other down side of being in the front is the traffic noise from the highway...I could hear it all night.
Last bit — the staff is very responsive and helpful. The sewage pipe had a back up in it (thankfully learned this with grey water!). The staff got out there and foxed it right away. The only other weird thing was my 30AMP power surge protector said polarity was reversed on the L1 or L2...but everything worked fine.
TravelerI had to change my reservation three times, and the staff was incredibly helpful. They went above and beyond to give us the easiest possible stay. The campground itself was reasonably clean with a gorgeous view of the desert and mountains. Sites laid out well and most are pull through and accommodate big rigs. Pool, laundry, general store, showers and lavatories. They did not however have the shuttle to the silver mine as advertised (ended with Covid) and the Enterprise rental in Barstow does not “pick you up“ and were rude besides.
GuideWe loved visiting calico ghost town! It was fabulous, but the two nights at the campground were rough. We stayed in the “O” section which I didn’t want based on the map but after we arrived, I’m glad we were in That section. The other side of the campground looked awful. Our sites were small but the main campsite area had lots that were Even smaller! I mean we had 10’ from the edge of our camper to the next camper. How do I know? Our 10’ awning was only an inch or two from my parents camper next door. The picnic tables were nice in our area but warped and awful in the main campsite area. The bathrooms were dirty. They didn’t stink but they don’t appear to clean anything. I brought Clorox wipes with me every time to wipe the toilets. There was no toilet paper in the bathrooms ever and the light are off at night but on during the day. Super helpful. I passed on the showers - didn’t even look at them based off the toilet area. The first night there was so many parties and loud drunks. It went on past midnight. The people next to us were loud and had apparently rented a trailer and had it swapped out for a new one at midnight and no one seemed to care about even attempting to be semi quiet for the neighbors. The second night was a Sunday. Everyone moved out and it was much quieter but early Monday in the am the trash picks up. I probably wouldn’t stay there again.
Ranger
This was our first time going to this campground and we loved it! It was entirely sold out for both weekend nights, so plan ahead.
We found the campground to be very clean and well-maintained. The toilet facilities were also very clean and did not smell.
The campsites in the area where we were, were spacious and spread out. We liked very much not being on top of one another and appreciated how vast this campground is.
It was incredibly windy when we went in April 2021. In addition to the wind, it was very chilly in the evenings and through the night. Plan accordingly.
T-Mobile signal was poor and Verizon and AT&T cell signals were slightly better.
There are easy to make hikes - meaning not necessarily any specific trails at the campground, but there are plenty of places to explore and wander from the campground. I understand you can also drive a short distance to Trail head hikes which we did not do.
Another review here on The Dyrt states something about a burning man group. When I called the number for the campsite to inquire about this, I was told that there is a large group of people that come here regularly and do their ‘burning man thing’. We really didn’t notice much of a difference between this or any other campsites as far as people/activity other than they have a live DJ who played one night until 2 AM.!
Being that there is no camp host here, you may want to keep that in mind. Although we were in the other loop, we could hear the thumping of the base from their music throughout both evenings.
For a desert getaway, I would highly recommend trying this place out.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! I am happy to welcome Camp Durrwood to our site, the location is among the vast forest in California and with almost 30 acres, the perfect spot for a large group looking to enjoy the forest together. Check them out and make sure to leave a review and some photos on the Dyrt!
LegendI had always wanted to visit a ghost town so when this came up in our travel path, we had to stop for a night. Located in Yermo, CA, this campground offers over 250 sites although we were about one of 5 campers there on our visit which made it even more ghostly. It is a desert like area with few trees. There was a bathroom with showers nearby, fire ring and hook-ups. Also lots of steep canyon walls and abandoned mine shafts. Since there were hardly any others there, we picked our spot and set up for the evening. I kept wondering when a coyote or some other wild animal was going to show up. The next morning, we wandered into the Ghost Town for some entertainment. We took pictures of the bottle house, mercantile, and many other buildings. There was a shooting show going on that was really cool and the boys enjoyed ice cream on a hot day. I loved the ghost town themed park and would like to visit again one day and explore when we have more time.
GuideThere were no trees at all. We were told to wait for a white truck when we got there. No one came. We called the security number and they told us they would be by. We waited about 20 minutes and ended up leaving. The tent sites were gravel. Overall not impressed.
ScoutMost of the wet camping spots are very rocky and not level. Bring extra blocks to level your RV. Restrooms were not very clean.
TravelerBut very rock to tent camp on. A ton of RV’s, so the noise was a premium. Great hiking into the mountain and mines.
RangerThere are 253 different sites. There are primitive sites, only electric sites as well as full hook up sites. Section A came with the full hookup, I saw mainly large class A RVs parking there, probably came for a longer time. I took a space in camp B with only electricity, which is enough for me and my Class B. Basically when you drive to the gate, they tell you to go inside and pick a place for yourself, the ranger will come and collect the fee later. I liked that.
The bathrooms and the park is clean, it has paid showers. Park admissions are also included for both days in your nightly camping fee. The town itself has many little tours that they charge extra for. I only tried the train ride. The ranger was around all day and at night, security took over. I visited in February and it was perfect weather to stay outdoors all day, however, in the summer camping, there might be too hot. I did not see many shaded areas.
If you don’t go when there is a big event there it will be peaceful and quiet. It can get crowded and dirty when there are special events going on there, Halloween or New Years Eve.
GuideYou can’t beat having a campsite AND you can enter the ghost town either by foot or drive to the ghost town’s parking lot. Your camping fees include all that. Very cute little town and lots to see.
Cabin camping near Calico, California offers a unique blend of adventure and comfort, perfect for those looking to explore the desert landscape while enjoying the amenities of a cabin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Calico, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Calico, CA is Calico Ghost Town with a 4-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Calico, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 cabin camping locations near Calico, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
