Best Equestrian Camping near Cantil, CA

Office is only open th-tue, but staff roaming the area are very helpful. Dry camp the other days anywhere you want. Need tokens for showers, which you can get when office is open.

Along Hwy 178 towards Ridgecrest you'll find this campground that is small but quiet and clean. It is not for big rigs or RVs. 

There are 2 sites with fire pits and covered picnic tables that could fit a large van at most. There is one other spot that is level but has no fire pit or covered table. Further back are several scattered picnic tables and tent spots. There are also 2 unisex ADA accessible pit toilet bathrooms which were quite filthy.

This is a stop along the Pacific Crest Trail. The scenery is an amazing mix of Joshua Trees, pines, chaparral, mountains and large rocks, some snow on the peaks facing north. It is close to the highway so there is some road noise and people stopping to use the bathroom. The road in is paved and narrow and potholed but passable.

There was no cell service with AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile.

There is a donation based drop box for camping fee so pay what you want or what you can afford.

Fires and charcoal grills are not allowed per sign at info board, camp stoves are ok.

This place is so odd. The attraction is a dry water fall (not a lake bed) that formed when the last ice age was ending and a river formed from melting ice but the river was jostled by volcanic and earthquake activity when caused the river to become a water fall. It has since dried up like most of this part of the country and most of the remaining ice age water is trapped below, coming up as ‘fossil water’ in springs. The fossil falls rocks are basalt mostly but have been pummeled by water and have smoothed and eroded. There’s also said to be obsidian flakes on the area.

Anyway, this campground is simple/primitive but has excellent cell service, low prices, and an interesting attraction.

The black dirt and yellow grass make this a magical place to wake up. Cell service was good enough that I stayed parked here for the work day. Only 4 RV accessible sites but there was no one else here the Thursday night I stayed.

Almost no people, some night we were completely alone. Due to Covid, restroom are closed. Water station is just for filling up a container, no hose connection.
Very spacious sites. Picnic table and fire pit ring

Very beautiful campground. Cannot camp there overnight currently because of covid. However, it’s still a nice place to spend the day with picnic tables, restrooms, and fire pits. Views are gorgeous.

March 5-6, 2021

This area is pretty trippy going from volcanic rock and flows to various brush to the dry, beautifully cracked dirt. We landed here and drove thru the FF campground, which we knew was closed but wanted to check it out, and pulled out onto the dry lake bed area to spend the night. 

At first, we weren't sure if we liked it but after we set up and took a long walk around the area, we were digging it. Perfect for bike or dirt scooter riding or just running around on the lake bed. Perfect for dogs and kids. Gets dusty so your rig will get a bit dirty. It can get windy but we had a great night. The road is maintained but a smidge bumpy and uneven but should be easy for most cars. Area was quiet and no very little trash. Great to watch the light change the hillsides. 

Verizon cell service was great and stars were bright. Saw a jackrabbit while there...thank goodness my dog didn't see him! HA!

Disbursed so no amenities so please pack in, pack out. Happy Camping!

Great place to be, water, reception and camping places spread out, each with a table and a fireplace.

This is a nice and flat area just off the 395 freeway plenty of room for large rigs. I set up and was at the base of the old volcano. I was only there for one night got super windy around 1 AM and never stopped the entire evening other than that there are some pretty unique views.

Overnight stay driving through. Easy access. Level parking areas. I stopped close to 395 & had no noise from road. Slept well with strong night winds.

$6 camping. The volcanic river bed and falls area were very cool to explore and learn about.

We spent four nights at the end of July in this beautiful campground in Sequoia National Forest. The entrance to the road which leads from Sherman Pass to the campground does not give a clear indication that there is, in fact, a campground at the end. It’s an old logging road which we had to take quite slowly in our Hyundai Sonata, but we were very glad that we did. There are several hikes which are accessible from the campground. The water is potable, but spring fed, so availability is dependent upon whether things have dried up for the season. The nearest supplies are an hour one-way and there is no cell or wifi anywhere nearby. The camp host, Wayne , has been hosting the campground for 20 years and does a great job. The campsites are a truly mixed bag. Some are spacious, shady, flat, and along a creek while others seem a bit more attractive to those who are part mountain goat and do not require level surfaces for any reason.😁. At 7,600 ft., the nights dropped into the forties. A welcome break from the southern CA heat. We will definitely be returning often!

After a long drive on a forest service road we reached the campground.  It's out there.  We went in late summer after a particularly bad drought year but fires were allowed.  The camp ground host was super vigilant and checked regularly to see we had a shovel and a bucket of water on standby.  He ran a tight ship.   (Kudos to him.)  Little water in the stream and hot and dusty.  Figure in a normal year this place is brilliant.

If you like to be off the grid amidst the trees this is the place for you. We like to camp next to the creek. Fishing is plentiful and the air is great as long as there’s no fires near.