Best Dispersed Camping near Crescent City, CA

Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Crescent City? We've got you covered. Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Crescent City, CA (15)

Showing results 1-10 of 15 campgrounds

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Crescent City

20 Reviews of 15 Crescent City Campgrounds


  • Isaac H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Sep. 8, 2024

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    PNW road trip 🏕️

    Great area with lots of room to separate you from others ! The road in is paved till you drop into the actual camp site which is rocky but easy for a suv to do. The views are amazing and the privacy is even better!

  • Ciara W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    Careful with maps

    Great spot by a river. Refreshing water not too cold, deep enough to float.

    Starlink internet is spotty here but you should be good if you park further away from the river.

    Be careful with maps! This listing has the wrong pin on the map. If you use coordinates and google maps it will get you to the right side. If you come across a road with a dead end sign, you’re on the wrong side of the river.

  • Connor  M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Beautiful Dispersed View off Fire Rd
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Beautiful Dispersed View off Fire Rd

    Scenic pull-off that allows camping

    This spot is a gravel pull off that is about 25ftx15ft. You can fit a small pull behind, truck, and/or van. The 6.5 mile road (FS-25) is paved so the accessibility of the site is a plus. The only downside is the logging operation that you can hear during the week further up the mountain.

  • Bobby J.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Canyon Gulch by Eight Dollar Moutain
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Canyon Gulch by Eight Dollar Moutain

    Not really dispersed camping

    There was a few pullouts on the road and I wouldn’t exactly call it dispersed camping. I parked in what I think was a road for fishing access. Only positive was the river was right there

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Beautiful Dispersed View off Fire Rd
    Jul. 1, 2024

    Beautiful Dispersed View off Fire Rd

    View off a fire road

    10 miles up a fire road with some spots along road. All are tiny pullout spots just enough for a van to park, would not recommend for an rv or trailer. Very gorgeous though! And paved road the whole way!

  • Shelby S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Canyon Gulch by Eight Dollar Moutain
    Jun. 15, 2024

    Canyon Gulch by Eight Dollar Moutain

    Target practice

    I liked the area, but it seemed to be heavily trafficked. Lots of cars and vans drove by. I was also woken up in the middle of the night to someone practicing with their shotgun in the distance for a good half hour

  • Jeremy R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Sand Camp - Dispersed
    Jun. 5, 2024

    Sand Camp - Dispersed

    Awesome stay

    Had a awesome time at sand camp very nice and quiet. Would go back again and again with friends and family. Clean and nice.

  • Mandi W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Jul. 2, 2023

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    Don’t use Apple Maps to get there

    We tried to get to these coordinates with Apple Maps on an iPhone, and it took us somewhere completely different in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal or people for miles. The road it had us go down was very steep, couldn’t get back up and had to make camp there and hike for help the next morning. I gave a second star because on our hike we had to cross this river a few times and it is absolutely beautiful. Crystal clear, cool, perfect for swimming.

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Jan. 24, 2023

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    In a burn area

    This was an ok site. We visited middle of January and we were the only campers here. It was nice being by the river but this area recently had a fire go through it and there was a lot of down trees/erosion.

    Also, the amount of trash here was rather disappointing and we were concerned our dog would step on something sharp. We tried to pick up as much as possible but there were a lot of small bits and it appeared to be from a long term camp for whoever was piling up a lot of trash over a long period of time.

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Dispersed Camp Hwy 199
    Oct. 11, 2021

    Dispersed Camp Hwy 199

    Works in a pinch

    Sand Camp had no parking lot camp, and it was getting late so we stayed in a pull out on the highway. There are a few to pick from, but make sure you're not on one with a sharp turn because that can be dangerous being in the blind spot of on coming cars. I was definitely uneasy at first and felt pretty exposed, but we didnt have any trouble. As I said, works in a pinch.

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Sand Camp - Dispersed
    Oct. 11, 2021

    Sand Camp - Dispersed

    Tent Only

    The coordinates on here were off, and the campground is actually located further down the road, and it's an official site you can find on Google. The sites are walk to (very short), and there are signs saying no camping in the parking lot, violators will be fined. We didnt want to chance sleeping in our van because it seemed like a place that would be patrolled. Would be excellent for tents.

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from Sand Camp - Dispersed
    Sep. 13, 2021

    Sand Camp - Dispersed

    No calling

    These coordinates lead us to private property, a driveway to a couple of houses. Maybe there was something a little further, but it was all blocked off. We had to turn around and camp elsewhere.

  • C
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Sep. 5, 2021

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    It is what it is….

    We live in Brookings and go up the Chetco to this river bar or to Nook or Miller Bar all summer long. No, there’s no spaces and no hookups and no cell service for miles. It’s just a gravel bar on the river where you pull your camper wherever feels good and unhitch and camp. You might have some USDA Forest Service employee drop off a pay envelope at your site but , there’s no place to leave it and they may or may not come back to get it. It sometimes gets crowded during holidays and weekends and the good places, not next to rapids and close enough to good swimming holes, become rare. So you might have to settle for something less than ideal. And, the porta potties might get full. There’s no one enforcing quiet hours or leash laws and no form of law enforcement anywhere nearby. There is a Forest Service LEO assigned to the area but in 18 years, I’ve never seen him on the bar. Despite all this, incidents involving injuries or violence or crime are exceptionally rare. It’s a great kayaking and swimming place and there’s nearby rocks for jumping off. Remember! It’s a river not a lake so kids ought to have life jackets. Please note….as the summer progresses, the water level drops, the temperature rises and the algae grows. As such, we prefer June camping.

  • Kelly-Shane F.
    Camper-submitted photo from Sand Camp - Dispersed
    Aug. 11, 2021

    Sand Camp - Dispersed

    Nice quiet area

    Sand camp is essentially a dispersed camping area. There is a large gravel parking lot and a pit toilet available. There is a path down to the Smith River where you can set up tents and tent camp if you want. 

    The toilet was a basic pit toilet, but it was fairly clean as far as those go. 

    We parked our VW Bus in the gravel lot for the night, it was very quiet. Though its next to a road, there is very little traffic at night as this area is fairly remote. The sky was dark and clear, perfect for stargazing. The few other people camping there were quiet and friendly.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 25, 2021

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    Dive right in!

    Sooooo, apparently dispersed is no longer free in some places. This campground was$10 a night. But for that$10 you get camping on the gravel bar right next to the river with semi-clean porta potties. The best reason to camp here is that you are in the“banana belt” of southern Oregon where it gets really warm. I was able to dive right into the river from my site(I was camped next to a really deep part of the river). There are lots of fire rings set up all over the gravel bar, you just have to pick who you want to camp next to. There were the usual rowdy groups as well as hige family gatherings and the line campers as well.

  • Kay C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Apr. 18, 2018

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    FREE is always good.....

    When we need a free place to stay over on the southern Oregon coast, Redwood bar works. It can sometimes be a party place, especially on weekends but go during the week and you might have the place all to yourselves. Be care diving out on the gravel bar, have seen some big rigs get stuck. The water in the river is amazing and as clean as you can get.

  • Daniel S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping
    Oct. 14, 2017

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    It wonderful and quiet and perfect here!

    We once stumbled upon this pace by accident. Had an amazing first day of adventuring so spent a second night. Its dispersed camping in the Siskiyou National Forrest. So find a place that you like and stay there. Only want to light fires in existing fire pits. Everything was so moist from recent rein we found it difficult to get a fire going. Once we did the wahoo.

    Theres mostly hiking/meanderring here. If your not satisfied with that beat it! The Redwoods here were fantastic. Not as grandiose as the California red woods but more quiet, less people. In 2 days we only saw one other group.

    Cheers!



Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Crescent City, CA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Crescent City, CA is Sand Camp - Dispersed with a 3.3-star rating from 4 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Crescent City, CA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 15 dispersed camping locations near Crescent City, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.