Top Free Dispersed Camping near Campo, CA

Recent Dispersed Reviews In Campo

49 Reviews of 19 Campo Campgrounds

• 

  Gabriel S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Nice quick and easy getaway

  Quite easy to get to. I drive an Acura RDX and had no problems (I actually had a lot of fun driving the road). 

  There were way more flies than we were expecting. Prepare to get swarmed. Luckily just gnats and no mosquitoes from what we experienced.

  We applied for a permit on Friday and did not get it by Saturday when we departed. Luckily, no rangers patrolled during our stay.

  Some spots with good shade.

• d

  david

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Peaceful and secluded

  A great spot if you want to get away and enjoy some alone time. It’s a little warm in the day in august this time of year so you can’t hike around or explore too much. My girlfriend and I stopped in Julian on our way out to get a late lunch and then head to the campsite. The road is paved until you turn off Lone Creek Road and then it is a dirt road. I have a stock Rav4 and it was able to drive on it although there are a few spots you need to be careful at so you don’t scrape the bottom of your car. We only spent one night but we never saw another person during our stay

• 

  Rose D.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2024

  Blair Valley

  Quiet

  Peaceful dispersed campground. Wide open great views. Didn’t even know I had neighbors until I walked around in the morning and saw neighboring campers over the hill. Clear skies when I went back in November, could get pretty windy. Saw some coyotes pass by my camp.

• 

  anna I.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 10, 2024

  Kitchen Creek Road

  Decent spot to stop

  Pretty small spot off the road, does get kind of loud from cars but overall a decent and clean spots

• 

  Carter M.

  Scout

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Blair Valley

  Beautiful area but lots of bugs

  Here in late May and the bees and other bugs have been nonstop on me the whole time I've been here. It's a really beautiful area and the spots are spacious

• N

  Nani D.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Dispersed Camping

  This was a last minute Memorial Day weekend trip with my boyfriend and 2 dogs. Friday sent an email to SM.FS.DescansoRD@usda.gov requesting the free permit (after doing research and finding out you need one), filled out the form, and got it back in the same day. Easy to get there, easy directions once there just make you pass the sign that says leaving the recreation area after that you can find any spot and camp. It was a little bumpy but nothing too bad. Drove with my jeep renegade that isn’t a 4wheel drive. A little busy due to the holiday but not too bad. Cyclist riding by, vehicles, and hikers. Which was nice saying hi. Hardly any service for my carrier which is T-Mobile. Definitely will camp out here again.

• 

  Anne M.

  Scout

  

  May. 7, 2024

  Blair Valley

  Great weeknight spot

  Visited early May. Arrived right before sunset, there were people close to the bathrooms, but lots of space to spread out if you drive a little.

• 

  Heather K.

  Ranger

  

  May. 5, 2024

  Blair Valley

  Great spot for a night or two

  Tons of dispersed spots down the road.

• 

  Dickie Simmons S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 29, 2024

  Blair Valley

  Great off grid camping w/ easy access

  Easy access to most designated campsites. Enjoy the changing colors at dusk. My area had 2 bars of verizion service.

• M

  Marco M.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 29, 2024

  Kitchen Creek Road

  Pretty but busy

  People riding motorcycles, trucks,screams, not a good place for solo camping for sure

• A

  Abe C.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 14, 2024

  Yaqui Wash

  If you just want to get outdoors...

  There are a bunch of campsites along a service road that is parallel to a main road, several hundred feet away. This whole area is essentially within one valley, so you have mountains on both sides. It is well vegetated and allows for fairly easy hikes up the soft slopes.

  The parking spots are right alongside the road, so for van camping is not so great, but tents can be put away from the road and therefore it's much more suitable for tenting.

  The stretch of dirt road closest to the main road is Sandy, but manageable bull in a two wheel drive. This is where most of the campsites are. Further along the road, there are fewer camp sites, so they are more dispersed, however the road becomes more rocky and jutted, but for those wanting a bit more privacy, this is the spot to be.

  I would like to come back in camp in this location. So i'm going to mark it to return another time.

• A

  Abe C.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 14, 2024

  Yaqui Pass Camp

  Easy stop if you need, otherwise keep driving

  Drove in..., drove out. As another review noted, it's a big parking lot. Fine if you just need a place to pull over, nothing of value there..., maybe proximity to a hiking trail.

• 

  Nick M.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 4, 2024

  Kitchen Creek Road

  Cool

  Rainy

• A

  Amanda M.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 4, 2024

  Kitchen Creek Road

  Decent. Tough time of the year

  Could be maintained. Went during a very rainy season. So it could definitely be attributed to the time of year. Will be another opportunity in the future.

• 

  Mary B.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 28, 2023

  Blair Valley

  Serenity

  We arrived passed 10pm on the dirt road with no other campers. Beautiful site in a quiet location with endless views and there’s no fee. Who could ask for more?

• 

  s E.

  Traveler

  

  May. 11, 2023

  Blair Valley

  Great campground

  AT&T: 1-2 bar signal. First time to go out camping in the desert. I’m so glad it was at this location! So spacious, beautiful views. It’s quiet, clean, just very peaceful.

• 

  Karin P.

  Guide

  

  May. 7, 2023

  Blair Valley

  Beautiful and spacious

  Favorite free campsite so far. Free for 30 days, pack in pack out, there are pit toilets near the entrance, no liter removal or water. Horses and dogs allowed. Beautiful views and trails. There are quite a few bees though, other than that, loved it.

• 

  Karin P.

  Guide

  

  May. 7, 2023

  Smuggler's Gulch Dispersed

  Decent

  Good if you need to get off the highway to catch some sleep. People shoot here so there’s shells, rusty metal, and broken glass everywhere.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 22, 2023

  Peg Leg Dispersed

  Boondocking at Anza Borrego State Park

  Anza Borrego Desert SP allows dispersed camping in certain areas of the park, and this is one of them.  I tried to find it on the website, but found no mention of allowed camping in the park.  However, it's listed in the visitor guide you can get from the visitor center.

  The reviews on The Dyrt for the camping area directly across the street to the north of this section mentioned that there will be a campground built and fees charged in the near future, but I don’t think that’s the case for this side of the street. There was no signage or any signs of development here on this corner. Just lots of boondockers tucked in among all the shrubs, plenty of room for everyone. 

  I could see this area getting annoying with ATVers on the weekends, but there were none when we were there mid week in April. A couple of obvious sketchy long termers there, with heaps of junk and posted signage to stay away, which wasn’t a problem as there was plenty of space to stay far away from them. 

  Good cell service and beautiful sunrise. 

  Watch for nails and broken glass.:(

• 

  Justin M.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 26, 2023

  Blair Valley

  Beautiful Views and 5G Internet

  Came here to have a place for my popup camper while we checked out the flowers blooming 40 minutes away in Borrego Springs and it was perfect. There's no amenities except for a pit toilet, but the cell service here was better than anywhere in the area. I had better signal at this campsite than I did in Park Circle at the heart of Borrego Springs. Lots of people set up near the entrance, but if you drive a little back you can get some privacy. Also be slow and cautious when driving on these dirt roads after a rainstorm; we saw two different trucks get stuck in the mud. Luckily some people with a winch were able to get them both out. Also we were here in March so the nights were cold and windy so make sure you're prepared.

• 

  cal K.

  Ranger

  

  Jan. 20, 2023

  Blair Valley

  Loved this spot

  Free. 30 day limit. Pit toilet. Pack it out - no trash service. No water. If you go left as you come in you can camp along a rock wall filled with agave, cholla and other plants. A large area for big rvs right at the front left. To the right there were lots of pull offs and I found it easier to navigate in my station wagon road-wise. Lots of space. Some areas say not to walk there/ keep dogs out to protect plants and wildlife. I felt safe solo camping - there were a few other van and rv campers. Recommend visiting the sweet desert botanical garden in nearby Borrego Springs.

• 

  a A.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 7, 2023

  Smuggler's Gulch Dispersed

  Not bad

  Decent spot to pull over and stretch the legs , stayed here for a full moon in the winter, some freeway noise but good enough

• 

  Rachel S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 12, 2022

  Smuggler's Gulch Dispersed

  Easy off the highway, scenic, but with a catch

  People come out here to shoot so be warned! Theres also a lot of broken glass/rusty cans! Really pretty area though and tons of flat areas to choose from. You can spread out and go explore further up the road like we did. Need a car with clearance for just one part (no sedans). Easy on and off to the highway.

• T

  Tram T.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 3, 2022

  Blair Valley

  Spacious and beautiful

  This is one of my favorite free campsites! I’ve camped here twice, once on a full moon and again on a new moon. The full moon night was so bright you could see everything with no lights! It was the first time I truly experienced the brightness of moonlight and it was magical. The second time was on a moonless night and the STARS were just ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! This site is located in anza borrego, the only dark sky community in California, so you will see more stars here than anywhere else in California (unless there’s a full moon then there won’t be stars). The site is big enough that you would have plenty of privacy from other campers. Both times I went, there was hardly anyone around. There are vault toilets. No showers/tables/grills. Just a wide open space. Definitely not for glampers (unless you have an RV), but it is one of the best for stargazers!

• 

  Cam C.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 3, 2022

  Blair Valley

  My new favorite place of the desert

  I love the desert and this little corner of the desert won't disappoint. PLEASE keep it clean!

• 

  Tony O.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 22, 2022

  Blair Valley

  Nice but need hard cover.

  This place is nice and quiet. A great getaway if you need time to think. The drawback is that as a desert campsite you need to be prepared for winds. They kick up pretty good. Tents hold but will sway something fierce. Best to be in an RV.

• 

  Anna Z.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 29, 2022

  Blair Valley

  Good dispersed camping

  Pretty trails. On weekdays it feels very secluded. Airplane noise does get a little out of hand. Trails, pit toilets, some rock fire pits, bring your metal one.