Best Tent Camping near Cantil, CA

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Best Tent Sites Near Cantil, CA (16)

    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
    Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim

    1. Vakinheim

    1 Review
    7 Photos
    2 Saves
    Inyokern, California

    Greetings Traveler,

    My name is Joe and I own the property known as Vakinheim. It has served as a private Spiritual Retreat for many friends over the years. I've hosted and held various outdoor adventure recreation activities, and even used it as a training ground where I practiced primitive survival skills in preparation for a 21 day Naked and Afraid Survival Challenge, which I am proud to say I completed during season 12, episode 9 on the Discovery Channel.

    Now, I am happy to share this very special place with you. Let me tell you a little about more about it.

    Vakinheim is an Open Desert Primitive Camp Site located 2 miles south of Inyokern.

    No amenities currently available. However the town of Inyokern is 2 short miles away, just close enough to be walking distance, yet still far enough away to feel alone in the desert.

    Vakinheim does accommodate multiple vehicles, as well as RVs and Trailers, Fellow Boondockers are always welcome. But please watch out for glass.

    The roundabout driveway allows for trailer pull throughs, and features a large communal fire pit in the center.

    The light pollution is always low, so you can see more stars at Vakinheim than you would in Hollywood, and every new moon you can see the galaxy.

    One of the best local Places to visit is Indian Wells Brewing Company, theirs beer are good, and they have an amazing restaurant too.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents

    $10 - $20 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest

    2. Hobo Campground — Sequoia National Forest

    6 Reviews
    4 Photos
    Bodfish, California

    Overview

    Hobo Campground is tucked on the banks of the Lower Kern River, north of the popular Miracle Hot Springs. It sits at 2290 feet elevation on the Sequoia National Forest in the Lower Kern Canyon. The close proximity to the Lower Kern River and the shade provided by the riparian forest make it an ideal summer escape from the heat. It has 23 individual tent only sites and an additional 10 sites across the campground.__

    Recreation

    __White water boating is popular on the Lower Kern and requires a free Kern River Use permit from the Kernville Ranger Station. A trail also exists at the northern end of Hobo Campground that connects visitors to Sandy Flat Campground. The remains of an old resort can be found in the campground and Miracle Hot Springs area.

    Facilities

    __White water boating is popular on the Lower Kern and requires a free Kern River Use permit from the Kernville Ranger Station. A trail also exists at the northern end of Hobo Campground that connects visitors to Sandy Flat Campground. The remains of an old resort can be found in the campground and Miracle Hot Springs area.

    Natural Features

    The campsites are mostly all shaded by majestic sycamores, willows, cottonwoods, alders with views of the Lower Kern River close by.The trees show off a dramatic display of yellow, gold, and orange in the fall. The Kern River flows higher in the late spring and early summer months as water is released from Lake Isabella. The river can appear calm but can be deceiving with it's fast currents under the surface. The Forest Service does not encourage swimming in the river.

    contact_info

    This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (760) 376-3781.

    Nearby Attractions

    Remington Hot Springs is a free Hot Spring on Forest Service Land located approximately one mile West of Hobo Camppground off Old Kern Canyon Road. White water rafting is a very popular activity on the Kern River, local Rafting Outfitters provide half-day to multi day trips along the Kern River.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Reservable
    • Tents

    $26 - $30 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Walker Pass Campground

    3. Walker Pass Campground

    1 Review
    10 Photos
    73 Saves
    Onyx, California

    Walker Pass Campround is located just off of California State Highway 178 and at the junction of the Owens Peak and Cache Peak segments of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Located at 5,000 feet, there are pinyon pines and a few Joshua trees in this semi-arid setting and outstanding views of the dry, rugged foothills of the Southern Sierras. The campround includes eleven walk in sites for Pacific Crest Trail hikers and tent campers. The camprgound also has two sites for car camping. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Hitching racks and corrals are available for horses. No potable water is available at this site.

    • Tents
    • Equestrian
    • Standard (Tent/RV)
    • Toilets
    • Alcohol
    Camper-submitted photo from Breckenridge Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Breckenridge Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
    Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles

    5. Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles

    6 Reviews
    20 Photos
    292 Saves
    Lake Hughes, California

    Joshua trees 50 miles closer to LA than the Joshua Tree National Park! This is 2.5 acres of protected Joshua Tree lands in the Antelope Valley north of LA, between the snowy Tehachapi Mountains, and the rolling green foothills of the also-snowy San Gabriel Mountains. My first time out there I saw BOTH ENDS of a rainbow in front of the snowy Tehachapis!! Super dark skies, and a million stars at night. It feels like the wild west out here. Think long dirt roads, tumbleweeds, bones, and maybe some old bullet shells (there's no shooting allowed on the property anymore). The property itself is along a dirt "road" called Avenue C, but I'd be shocked if you encountered anyone driving along there. Except possibly another group of campers. This land used to be the domain of the Ketanemuk tribe, which I think means People From The East. In the summer they would go up and hunt and get pine nuts in the Tehachapi Mountains, and acorns from the oak trees in the San Gabriels. It's about a 20 minute drive from the town of Neenach (pronounced Nee-nack), where there's a general store and a cafe. They make a great breakfast burrito. A few minutes from the State Poppy Reserve, which blooms in the spring with miles of California poppies. If you have a larger group or event in mind, get in touch! We can figure out how to accommodate you.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Alcohol

    $25 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
    Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description

    6. Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description

    8 Reviews
    26 Photos
    164 Saves
    Kernville, California

    Dispersed Camping on Upper Kern River approximately 4 to 5 miles north from Kernville. Ther is no water available at this location. Portable toilets and trash recepticals are available during__summer months. See Larger Picture Here.

    • Phone Service
    • Tents
    • Group
    • Standard (Tent/RV)
    • Dispersed
    • Trash
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds
    Camper-submitted photo from Antelope Valley Fairgrounds

    7. Antelope Valley Fairgrounds

    6 Reviews
    43 Photos
    8 Saves
    Lancaster, California

    Enter through Gate 5.

    • Pets
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • ADA Access
    • Tents
    • Group
    Camper-submitted photo from Remington
    Camper-submitted photo from Long Valley Campground

    9. Long Valley Campground

    1 Review
    1 Photo
    42 Saves
    Onyx, California

    Overview

    Long Valley Campground is a remote, primitive campground located within Chimney Peak Recreation Area and is cherry stemmed out of Domelands Wilderness. The campground contains 13 sites, picnic tables, fire rings, and primitive pit toilets. There is no potable water at the campground. The Volpe Trail, a 3-mile unmaintained route that provides access to the South Fork of the Kern River within Domelands Wilderness, starts at the end of the campground road near site 13.

    • Tents
    • Standard (Tent/RV)
    • Toilets
    • No image available
    Showing results 1-10 of 16 campgrounds

    Recent Tent Reviews in Cantil

    285 Reviews of 16 Cantil Campgrounds


    • EThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from BLM Desert Site
      Oct. 17, 2024

      BLM Desert Site

      BLM desert site

      35.08627305276245,-117.54092669125416 Great space. Easy to find. Away from highway enough. Very windy. Great sunset and sunrise.

    • Karen D.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Kern's River Edge Campground
      Oct. 6, 2024

      Kern's River Edge Campground

      Nice campsite, friendly hosts, family and kid oriented

      Well run site, with easy late check in process. Friendly on site camp hosts who sell ice and firewood. Quite a lot of rules, and it had kind of a kids camp feel to it. Showers are hot, but you need quarters for them. I only gave three stars as it just not my kind of campground. If you're a family with kids I think it'd be great.

    • NThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Paradise Cove
      Sep. 26, 2024

      Paradise Cove

      Beautiful scenery

      Very beautiful sight of the lake and mountains. Easy access from the road. Had a ton of wind and thunder so hard to move further up and away from the lake so we wherent up against the wind. Close to the road so a little noise from it, but thats what made it easy accessible as well. All in all a very nice campsite.

    • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Mountain Valley RV Park
      Sep. 20, 2024

      Mountain Valley RV Park

      Decent for a quick stop

      Grounds seem well kept, the gravel was raked at our site when we pulled in. Restrooms are ok, the issue was that the 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. You have to pay for WiFi, and the laundry machines are paid for by using a credit card for pay cards and the machine was out of cards. The only way to use it was to create an account with some vendor online! In the morning there were planes taking off, towing gliders, which was interesting to watch

    • m
      Camper-submitted photo from Boulder Gulch
      Jun. 29, 2024

      Boulder Gulch

      Good camping site

      This campground has some shade and some open areas.Area was clean and the host is personable. Cost of camping fee is $34 per night. Has potable water and running water in bathroom. No showers or amenities.

    • Daniel M.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Sandy Flat
      Jun. 2, 2024

      Sandy Flat

      Great spot - close to the river

      The campground was great - the spot was not so great. I recommend staying here just don’t stay on camp spot 9. You have to “scale” down a medium incline just to get from your car to the camp flat for your tent. And your downwind from the bathrooms and can smell… everything. Again the campground was great and we were pretty close to the river which was awesome. But stay away from site 9. We’ll definitely be back but will be at one of the others. Be sure to bring river/water shoes and some decent bug repellent.

    • A
      Camper-submitted photo from Saddleback Butte State Park Campground
      May. 13, 2024

      Saddleback Butte State Park Campground

      Desolate

      The only thing more desolate than this campground is the landscape, but perhaps that's your thing. I'm the only one here on a Sunday night in May. A couple pulled in before me, but after a once-around, they left. Each campsite is well sheltered from the sun and wind -- 8' tall plywood windbreak wall plus lattice ceiling with room under it for two picnic tables and your tent. Too much noise from the nearby highway. By the way, if Google maps leads you to the closed picnic area, don't worry, there's a separate campground entrance south of it on the connecting street.

    • Michelle W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park
      May. 2, 2024

      Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

      Gorgeous desert

      Beautiful area with nice shady rock overhangs to stay cool during the day. 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. The desert was alive in April! I got #8 which had a nice view. Not too crowded at 1 pm on a Saturday where I got to choose from a dozen open sites. So much better than the Alabama Hills area which was completely packed.

    • Bryan S.
      Camper-submitted photo from Rivernook Campground
      Apr. 24, 2024

      Rivernook Campground

      Standard

      Probably could have been a 3. We checked in late 930 but called ahead to let them know. We got to our spot no power. Under 30 degrees with no heater not ideal. They did come fix it in the morning but when we mentioned it to the office they just said oh well. Definitely not exceptional service. General store was very limited. Wi-Fi didn’t work they claimed it was out of service. People drive way too fast through the camp ground. Lots of permanent residents with some pretty rough setups. Upside great location by the river. Beautiful sites and sounds.

    • I
      Camper-submitted photo from Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park
      Apr. 21, 2024

      Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

      Desert Camping

      Enough space for our 29” RV, pavement was really ok for desert, water, toilets in the morning full of insects, but that’s desert. You also have Wi-Fi at the Visitors Center which we really loved. Our spot had view to both sites of the rocks.

    • Jack J.
      Camper-submitted photo from Gold Ledge Campground
      Mar. 7, 2024

      Gold Ledge Campground

      River View Campsite

      Came as a going away trip. Great little camp ground. The park ranger was kind and knowledgeable of where to get decently priced firewood. Close to amazing hiking trails and town so if you needed anything, it was just down the road.

    • makenna W.
      Camper-submitted photo from Rivernook Campground
      Feb. 29, 2024

      Rivernook Campground

      Nothing like the website photos…

      My partner and I canceled our booking here after a short drive to our “campsite”… everyone seemed to be camping in what looked like dirt parking spots with cheap fire rings with no space or privacy. The campground was rundown and poorly maintained… looks more like a cheap trailer park than whatever they’re advertising on the website. After driving almost two hours to this location… we will admit we were incredibly disappointed with what we found. Don’t waste your money.

    • makenna W.
      Camper-submitted photo from Kern's River Edge Campground
      Feb. 29, 2024

      Kern's River Edge Campground

      A lovely, quiet campground.

      My partner and I stayed here after a campground down the road overbooked us for a weekend, and it ended up being a lovely trip. The campsites were clean and spacious, the bathrooms were sanitary and showers were hot. Only downside happen to be the on-site general store was shut down the whole weekend.

    • Ken W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Borax Bill Substation
      Feb. 29, 2024

      Borax Bill Substation

      Just soooo peaceful!!!

      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.

    • JThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park
      Dec. 17, 2023

      Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

      Beautiful "in the middle of no where," but close to town...

      We LOVE Red Rock (Ricardo)!! Other than it being an official campground its 'close' to dry camping. Definitely prefer its view and background over Jawbone (nearby...but Jawbone is still also great). If you are camping to chill, Red Rock...if you are there to shoot and ride, Jawbone. The best part is the BEAUTIFUL cliffs boarding the sites. Definitely follow the nature trail up onto the butte/mesa/cliff. (that's also the only place for cell signal :-P

    • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park
      Dec. 8, 2023

      Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

      Camping heaven!

      General: Smallish (approx. 50-site) campground that does not take reservations. No hookups, one walk-in tent site, and the others are either back-in or pull-through. Some are “double” sites that would be ideal for sharing. 

      Site Quality: Varies. All sites (except four, three of which are designated handicap sites) are a mixture of sand/gravel. Not all are completely level, and some accommodate larger vehicles than others. 

      Bathhouse: Pit toilets only. Some are open air and some are enclosed; the one closest to our site was clean. 

      Activities: hiking, photography. Good night sky area. The nature trail is accessible directly from the campground and the Hagen Canyon trail is ¾ mile from the campground. Red Cliffs is another short trail across the highway; these are the most popular (and short) hikes in the park but there are others. The views are jaw-dropping and well worth exploring. 

      Note that although there is a dump station, there is a $20 charge to use it. 

      We arrived around 1 pm on a Sunday in late March and had our pick of sites, however, the campground filled in to about ¾ full by the end of the day.

    • A
      Camper-submitted photo from Vakinheim
      Nov. 13, 2023

      Vakinheim

      Amazing Camp Grounds

      Amazing campgrounds. We had an area where we could set up bon fire. Had some wood on the area. Easy to find the location based of Joe's directions. I will definitely be coming back !! Thank you Joe !

    • JThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles
      Oct. 23, 2023

      Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles

      Great spot for more primitive camping!

      There's no facilities here. Heck, there's barely a sign. But it's a great spot to get away from the city for a day or two and hang out with family and friends.

      Pros:

      Location is great, only a 70-90 minute drive from LA

      When it's not windy, it's dead-quiet and fantastic

      Joshua trees everywhere

      Just enough cell service to feel safe, but not enough bandwidth for your kids to stream YouTube all day

      Cons:

      - It's hard to find. There is no signs until you randomly pick a dirt road and go a few hundred yards, then you see a Joshua Tree Ranch sign laying on the ground.

      - Once you find it, you don't know where you're going. There are no markings on any of the sites, and no markings of where the Ranch ends. Was I camping in the ranch? probably. Who knows? Just drive around until you see a makeshift fire pit someone else left behind.

      - Check the weather! We did not and went on a day where the Santa Ana winds were blowing. The day was OK, but the overnight was brutal in a tent. So much noise from the tent and our screen tent outside flapping in 30+mph winds (not the fault of the property, but be aware!)

    • E
      Camper-submitted photo from Hungry Gulch
      Sep. 2, 2023

      Hungry Gulch

      Most horrible experience. Rangers do absolutely nothing to guarantee quite nights and ignoring complaints

      This is the absolutely most horrible experience I have ever had. There was a group of people that were listening to loud music and singing till 6AM and we could not sleep. We tried talking to them, they said they would only listen to the ranger. Ranger stopped by but nothing changed. At 5 AM we went back to the ranger, but he sent us away. We could not sleep a single minute. Group was extremely aggressive and absolutely horribly loud. Most disappointing was that ranger did nothing and ignored us.

    • JThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description
      Aug. 29, 2023

      Chico Flat Dispersed Camping - Partially Closed, See Description

      Quiet and near the river

      Found this campground on a spontaneous camping trip to the Kern River. There were only two other groups there and they were far enough away that we couldn't hear them at all. Just the sounds of the river, the crickets and the birds. The stargazing at night was spectacular. The site we chose was a bit of a rocky walk from the car, but worth it to have a more private spot.  The vault toilets were open and very clean and not very smelly. We could not go swimming here, had to go to another day area for that. The tent was in the sun, so the morning/afternoon was hot. But there was a tree to hang out under. Our T-Mobile and AT&T phones did not work at all. Overall great experience.

    • j
      Camper-submitted photo from Keysville South Recreation Site
      Aug. 15, 2023

      Keysville South Recreation Site

      BE CAREFUL

      We were robbed from this location while out hiking and rafting for the day. Lost thousands of dollars in gear, clothes and personal items. Literally everything was gone, they plucked up the whole tent and took it all, nothing left but some tent stakes once we returned. The location is convenient to town and it is nice next to the river BUT BEWARE and don’t leave ANYTHING. We have a feeling it’s people who know the area and do quick grab and goes, not other campers.

    • CThe Dyrt PRO User
      Camper-submitted photo from Tillie Creek
      Aug. 10, 2023

      Tillie Creek

      Good location

      The creek was running which made it nice to cool down. Not the best kept grounds I'd say, overgrown weeds, and shrubs. Half the camp ground is closed. No showers are available as they used to be and toilets are now vault toilets only, but they were clean (fairly new). The camp host was a nice gentleman, he cruises the grounds often. Lake was pretty full so you're not far from water. Fish cleaning station was nearby. Dump station was not open either. The place simply needs some love. Most sites lack shade, though the few that do offer shade get you close to the road and road noise can be loud. I've camped this place through the years, it's what you would expect for the area. There is water but some faucets were non-working. Stores are nearby, a few convenience stores walking distance, a Vons in the town of Isabella not far away. Kernville is nearby and there's all sorts of good eats and cool small town. You will need a fire permit, they're free, and take the test online. Camp host will ask.



    Frequently Asked Questions

    • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cantil, CA?

      According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cantil, CA is Vakinheim with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

    • What is the best site to find tent camping near Cantil, CA?

      TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Cantil, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.