Camping opportunities around California City lie within eastern Kern County's high desert, situated between 2,000-4,000 feet elevation in the western Mojave Desert. This region experiences extreme temperature fluctuations with summer highs regularly exceeding 100°F and winter lows sometimes dropping below freezing. The landscape features scrubby vegetation, Joshua trees, and panoramic views of surrounding mountain ranges against desert terrain.
What to do
Glider watching at Mountain Valley RV Park: Located beside the Tehachapi Municipal Gliderport, this RV park provides unique opportunities to watch glider flights. "There is something embracing about the valley location at about 4000 ft elevation- with views of the surrounding hills, minimal road noise, mature trees, space between sites and lovely song birds the 3rd week of April when we were there. Not to mention, the gliders in the sky will mesmerize you since it's located adjacent to a glider strip," says one visitor to Mountain Valley RV Park.
Explore nearby Red Rock Canyon State Park: Less than an hour from California City, this state park features colorful cliffs and desert landscapes. "Beautiful area with nice shady rock overhangs to stay cool during the day... The desert was alive in April! I got #8 which had a nice view," shares one camper at Ricardo Campground.
Visit the Mojave Air & Space Port: Adjacent to RV camping options in Mojave, this active aerospace facility welcomes visitors. "The coolest thing about this park (besides its nice price) is the Mojave Air & Space Port located immediately next door. Stop by its little park and cute, friendly restaurant where you can watch airplanes take off while having delicious fries or a milkshake," notes a camper.
What campers like
Desert stargazing opportunities: The clear desert skies provide excellent stargazing conditions away from city lights. "The Milky Way was out at night. The trails are stunning," reports a visitor at Red Rock Canyon State Park.
Affordable overnight options: Budget-conscious RVers appreciate the economical rates at several rv campgrounds near California City. "It is no longer $20, rather $25 now per night. But still worth it," explains a camper at Spaceport RV Park. Another notes, "Cheap, no-frills full hook-up RV park near the mojave airfield and space port. You are literally parking in a parking lot with hook-ups. It's bare bones."
Convenient pull-through sites: Many campers value the accessibility of pull-through sites for larger rigs. "Sites are right off runway for glider flying. We ended up extending stay from one night to four to watch air force cadet competition. All sites are pull thru, bathroom and laundry well maintained," notes a Mountain Valley RV Park visitor.
What you should know
Limited shade coverage: The high desert climate means minimal natural shade at most rv campgrounds in California City and surrounding areas. "Small spots, but level, clean, cement, and full hook up. Bathrooms have great showers, extremely clean, pool and hot tub," notes a camper at Californian RV Resort, one of the few mentioning shade amenities.
Bathroom and facility access restrictions: Many campgrounds have limited hours for facilities. "Restrooms are ok, the issue was that they lock them up at 10:00pm and don't open until 7:30am. It would be so simple to put a code lock on the doors," reports a Mountain Valley RV Park camper.
Wind and dust considerations: High desert winds can impact camping comfort, particularly in open areas. "Level sites, electric (30 used) water and sewer. Little shade - over 106 when there late Aug," mentions a visitor to Arabian RV Oasis.
Limited connectivity: Cell service varies significantly throughout the region. "No AT&T signal. No tesla signal. There was poor WiFi at the visitor center but at least you could send an email or message," reports a Red Rock Canyon camper.
Tips for camping with families
Look for campgrounds with laundry facilities: When traveling with children, access to laundry can be essential. "We did 9 loads of laundry, can only load them half way and the washing drum is a little small. 3 washers, 3 dryers. All of the units used the Payrange app except 1 dryer is quarters only," explains a visitor at Desert Empire Fair RV Park.
Consider fairground camping for events: Families can time their visits with fairground events for additional entertainment. "If you need to go to the Antelope Valley Fairground for any reason what-so-ever. Let's say you're coming for a concert or to see a car show or something, sure, come spend the night at the RV loop. It has nice clean bathrooms and showers, very nice hook-ups, and good prices," suggests a visitor.
Dog-friendly areas have limitations: If traveling with pets, note that designated areas may be restricted. "The dog area is a very small lawn with no fencing so no off leash running - especially bcuz there's a small plane airport next to the RV park with no fencing," cautions a Mountain Valley RV Park camper.
Tips from RVers
Dump station availability: RVers needing to empty tanks between longer stays appreciate affordable dump stations. "Handy stop for water & dump! $2 bucks for water & $5 bucks for the dump," notes a visitor to Spaceport RV Park.
Reset days between boondocking: Strategic planning can maximize desert camping experiences. "We are full time RVers and stayed here 1 night after boondocking a week and heading to our next boondocking destination. This is a perfect stop to dump, fill water, do laundry and just do an overall reset of our RV," explains a camper at Bertrand's High Desert Mobile Home & RV Park.
Level sites can be challenging: Some campgrounds require equipment for leveling. "Most sights have a little slope... used a few leveling blocks," mentions a Ricardo Campground visitor.
