Searching for a dispersed campsite near Dunlap? The Dyrt can help you find the best dispersed campsites for your next trip. From secluded to easily reachable, we offer dispersed campsites near Dunlap just for you.
Tips and rules on dispersed camping: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sequoia/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd883625
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds. More on campfire rules here.
The maximum length of time you may camp in dispersed areas is 14 DAYS at a time and 30 DAYS in a year.
Each year the number of people taking advantage of dispersed recreation opportunities has increased, making it more essential that these areas be left clean and undamaged.
The following acts are PROHIBITED on the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument and are subject to a fine:
Driving off designated roads inside the Monument.
Leaving campfire unattended.
Leaving trash buried, stashed or left in campfire ring. Abandoning or leaving personal property. PACK IT IN-PACK IT OUT.
Cutting or otherwise damaging trees for use as a lean-to or a horse corral. Do not leave anything tied to trees.
Destruction of government property such as signs, posters, gates, etc.
Removing forest products without a permit.
Discharging any firearm within 150 yards of any building, occupied area, across forest development roads, or body of water
Here are some tips to appropriate dispersed camping: More information on dispersed camping here.
Protect standing trees from nails and scars from axes, knives and hatchets. Use only dead and down trees for firewood.
Bury human waste at least six inches deep and 200 feet from any waterway or trail. DO NOT bury toilet paper–PACK IT OUT
Wash at least 200 feet away from any water source using biodegradable soap.
Set up camp more than 200 feet from any waterway or trail.
Take a litterbag to carry out all refuse. Do not leave trash in fire rings. Do not bury trash.
A campfire permits is required to have a campfire, charcoal barbeque, or camp stove. Use existig fire grates or fire rings. Gather only dead and down firewood. Firewood may not be transported off of the Forest without a permit.
Avoid leveling or digging trenches around tents. Place tent on bare ground and not on vegetation.
Protect your food from the bears and other animals. Keep your food and anything with a scent stored in an airtight container in your car truck. If your vehicle has no truck, put everything on the floor, cover it well and close the windows. Always, Keep a clean campsite.
LEAVE YOUR CAMPSITE BETTER THAN WHEN YOU ARRIVED!
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds. More on campfire rules here.
The maximum length of time you may camp in dispersed areas is 14 DAYS at a time and 30 DAYS in a year.
Each year the number of people taking advantage of dispersed recreation opportunities has increased, making it more essential that these areas be left clean and undamaged.
The following acts are PROHIBITED on the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument and are subject to a fine:
Driving off designated roads inside the Monument.
Leaving campfire unattended.
Leaving trash buried, stashed or left in campfire ring. Abandoning or leaving personal property. PACK IT IN-PACK IT OUT.
Cutting or otherwise damaging trees for use as a lean-to or a horse corral. Do not leave anything tied to trees.
Destruction of government property such as signs, posters, gates, etc.
Removing forest products without a permit.
Discharging any firearm within 150 yards of any building, occupied area, across forest development roads, or body of water
Tips and rules on dispersed camping: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sequoia/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd883625
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds. More on campfire rules here.
The maximum length of time you may camp in dispersed areas is 14 DAYS at a time and 30 DAYS in a year.
Each year the number of people taking advantage of dispersed recreation opportunities has increased, making it more essential that these areas be left clean and undamaged.
The following acts are PROHIBITED on the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument and are subject to a fine:
Driving off designated roads inside the Monument.
Leaving campfire unattended.
Leaving trash buried, stashed or left in campfire ring. Abandoning or leaving personal property. PACK IT IN-PACK IT OUT.
Cutting or otherwise damaging trees for use as a lean-to or a horse corral. Do not leave anything tied to trees.
Destruction of government property such as signs, posters, gates, etc.
Removing forest products without a permit.
Discharging any firearm within 150 yards of any building, occupied area, across forest development roads, or body of water
Here are some tips to appropriate dispersed camping: More information on dispersed camping here.
Protect standing trees from nails and scars from axes, knives and hatchets. Use only dead and down trees for firewood.
Bury human waste at least six inches deep and 200 feet from any waterway or trail. DO NOT bury toilet paper–PACK IT OUT
Wash at least 200 feet away from any water source using biodegradable soap.
Set up camp more than 200 feet from any waterway or trail.
Take a litterbag to carry out all refuse. Do not leave trash in fire rings. Do not bury trash.
A campfire permits is required to have a campfire, charcoal barbeque, or camp stove. Use existig fire grates or fire rings. Gather only dead and down firewood. Firewood may not be transported off of the Forest without a permit.
Avoid leveling or digging trenches around tents. Place tent on bare ground and not on vegetation.
Protect your food from the bears and other animals. Keep your food and anything with a scent stored in an airtight container in your car truck. If your vehicle has no truck, put everything on the floor, cover it well and close the windows. Always, Keep a clean campsite.
LEAVE YOUR CAMPSITE BETTER THAN WHEN YOU ARRIVED!
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds. More on campfire rules here.
The maximum length of time you may camp in dispersed areas is 14 DAYS at a time and 30 DAYS in a year.
Each year the number of people taking advantage of dispersed recreation opportunities has increased, making it more essential that these areas be left clean and undamaged.
The following acts are PROHIBITED on the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument and are subject to a fine:
Driving off designated roads inside the Monument.
Leaving campfire unattended.
Leaving trash buried, stashed or left in campfire ring. Abandoning or leaving personal property. PACK IT IN-PACK IT OUT.
Cutting or otherwise damaging trees for use as a lean-to or a horse corral. Do not leave anything tied to trees.
Destruction of government property such as signs, posters, gates, etc.
Removing forest products without a permit.
Discharging any firearm within 150 yards of any building, occupied area, across forest development roads, or body of water
Scout
Easy to find if you turn on that road leading to Chicago stump. Keep driving down and you’ll see dispersed camping spots. Beautiful views, quiet, peaceful & there are some fire rings already built.
Legend
Independence is on Hwy 395 about an hour south of Bishop and about half an hour north of Alabama Hills. Which is to say it's a great location with a lot of places to explore and hike.
This land is a good spot to stay for a few nights while exploring the area, or if you just need a free place to sleep. The spot we marked here is about 2 miles west of Independence, but there are a few other cleared out areas that you can camp on, just check Google satellite maps. We didn't see anyone else camping on the BLM land while we stayed here, but we saw a lot of people driving up and down Onion Valley Rd.
The area is clean and very quiet, zero shade and zero amenities. Please help keep it clean by packing out your trash.
Some of the dirt roads might need a high clearance vehicle but on the spot I've marked we made it fine in our 26ft motorhome.
Traveler
Nice big camp spot in the Sequoia National Forest, the road was really calm mid-April, we had no car during the night. The spot has firepits, a camping table and loads of bushes. The view is nice on the forest or a mountain top. We were alone but the spot is big enough for 3 or 4 véhicules, the access is just before the U turn.
RangerNice open spaces with tree cover near Hume Lake off the 180. This is a dispersed camping and OHV staging area that is first come first served for camping. Great for those who are backpacking and need a free place to camp before heading off into the Sierras! Most Parks have “backpacker camps” which allow you to camp 1 night before or after a backpacking trip, but Sequoia does not. This dispersed camping area is perfect for staging your next big hike, or simply camping for free in one of the most popular National Parks.
GuideSuper convenient free camping between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. A park ranger directed me here when all the campgrounds in the park were full. There are sites all along the road, but the first at the junction is great and big enough for a small RV. Also a quick walk to the Chicago Stump which is a must see.
Guide
This is a really nice area for camping on the side of the road here, but we only could've squeezed our 39ft Class A into maybe 2 of these spots. Usually when a dispersed site is marked Big Rig Friendly, we'll find that there is a large paved or gravel area for us to pull into and setup before you get to dirt road or off-road sites. There is a large paved area at this location, but we received a warning citation the next day, stating that we weren't allowed to camp there. It's confusing because this is the exact same setup as any other "snow play" or "sno-park" areas that have allowed camping in the gravel or paved areas area.
The paved area does have a couple of small stakes that say "no camping", but in our past dispersed camping experiences, those were used to mark areas where tents and vehicles couldn't pull off-road to camp. Apparently those stakes refer to the paved area in this case? There wasn't any reasoning provided on our citation, other than "find another area to camp."
TravelerIt’s a great spot considering it’s inside the parks. Had a little trouble pinpointing exactly where it was even with the coordinates but once I found it and set up it was a nice quiet camp spot.
Guide
I’ve camped here for 14 days on two different occasions. It’s very private other than the manager for the Armenian Camp who comes up and down the road everyday, a few more campers on the weekend.
Heads up to warm afternoons as they get a lot of flies.
Follow signs to the Armenian Campground, the road is fully paved and the campground keeps snow off the entrance forest road in the winter. Big rigs can make it okay. I’ve actually seen a semi drive down this spot.
We had 2 bars of Verizon and intermittent T-Mobile signal. The nearest dump station is at Sequoia RV Park in Dunlap, you just drop $20 in their box and use any available site they have.
ScoutSecluded with very little traffic. Especially good if you're traveling with dogs to let them roam around. There's a stream and waterfall downhill that makes for great hikes.
Legend
Campground Review: Marie Lake, John Muir Trail
Marie Lake is nestled 99 miles into the 220 mile John Muir Trail, JMT, if you're heading Southbound. It sits at a thin 10,600 feet and what it lacks in Oxygen it makes up for in pure beauty. A unique setting surrounded by mountains it has plenty of little islands and peninsulas to spend a few days exploring. What makes it even more ideal is it's just a couple hundred feet below Selden Pass so you start your day with a quick climb and then a steady descent for 8 miles to below 8000 feet. The lake is littered with possible campsites. There are plenty of flat gravely areas to pitch a tent or tarp. No trees at this elevation so no hammock camping. Also no fires above 10,000 feet so be prepared with your backpacking stoves if you need to boil fire. We stayed at Marie Lake in early August and experienced clear skies and temp from the 70's to the low 40's. A cool morning instantly warmed when the sun peaked over the mountains. The trail passes directly beside Marie Lake so if you desire privacy you'll need to explore around the lake on the north side. The water temperatures were quite tolerable once you took the plunge and a quick float on your inflatable sleeping mat brought you to one of many islands for a siesta. The are is fairly open so privacy for the "loo" was found up the hillside behind large boulders. Not for they shy. I would not be out of line to say Marie Lake is one of, if not the, most beautiful camp spot on the John Muir Trail. I'd even recommend planning your entire trip around staying at this spot during your hike. Titanium by AfterShokz
Product Review: TREKZ Titanium by AfterShokz
The TREKZ Titanium wireless Bluetooth headphones are the future of headphones. Using some crazy thing called Bone Conduction the headphones sit outside your ears so you are able to hear your music (but others don't) and hear your surroundings. Great when you're backpacking in the backcountry and don't want any surprises from the "locals" aka black bears, cougars, even those tenacious Marmots. I enjoyed the quiet of nature most of the time but some of the passes we climbed on the John Muir Trail lasted hours. Hours of climbing without relief and I needed a major distraction. Having my super lightweight wireless TREKZ made it easy for me to bring along and throw on whenever my brain was going into "what the fork are you doing???" mode. They easily connected to my Bluetooth in my phone and lasted for about 6 hours before needing a recharge. I enjoyed not having anything in my ears i.e. nothing falling out of my sweaty ears, and being able to hear my fellow hikers when they spoke to me. I also used my TREKZ on the airplane and shuttle bus and used the provided ear plugs to zone out all other sound. They felt effortless to wear but were very secure and didn't fall off or bounce around. I do wish they would have had a bit of adjustment available as they stuck out a little in back but really not to a disadvantage just slightly noticeable in some motions, like looking at 200 foot tall trees. Overall I highly recommend! https://aftershokz.com/products/trekz-titanium
Guide
Nice 6.5ish hike out to a beautiful subalpine lake. Campsite are scattered around the edge of pear lake with granite mountains surrounding the area. Trout in the lake also
Legend
After Marie Lakes we had a very short 300 foot climb up and over Selden Pass and then a long decent past Heart Lake, Sallie Keyes Lakes (where the traditional Indian wood flute was being played) and a major 2000 foot switchback decent to Blayney Meadows and Muir Trail Ranch. MTR closes at 5pm so we were eager to get there and get our resupply. Ironically enough most of my resupply I dumped and grabbed a few things from the free hikers buckets. I wasn't eating nearly as much as I had planned and didn't crave anything I had in my resupply. I really just wanted apple sauce and mashed potatoes. After a nice couple hour break at MTR we headed back towards the JMT on the Florence Lake Trail. It runs along the San Joaquin River and had the most incredible trees surrounding us. The trail runs about 1.5 miles to jump back on the JMT and the camp site is close to the end of that. Maybe less than 1/2 a mile till the merge. It is open along the river and several others chose to camp in this area. The river is fast moving so not one to frolic in but easy enough to wash up and get water. Their is little privacy so a steep ascent up the hill on the other side of the trail is where you'll need to take care of "personal Matters" there's a bit of a trail that'll take you up there if you can find it. We hoped for clear skies and low winds that night as the trees we camped under were so large a pinecone would have caused so serious damage had it fallen on us. It was nice having others around as this area felt a bit like bear country and we weren't keen on uninvited guests. The next morning we would travel a short way to hop back on the JMT and meet up with the Piute Pass Trail.
Legend
If you are looking for a challenging hike, beautiful views, and complete seclusion...this is it.
The landscape is rocky so you will need to be careful when setting up your tents and also be aware of any fire dangers or restrictions in the area. But there is a nearby stream for water replenishment and and easy hike down to Jennie Lake or Rowell Meadow.
Lots of open space for star gazing at night. You will need a permit for an overnight here but camping itself is free.
Legend
After starting the morning at Silver Pass Lake we descended SOBO into the land of giants for about 2000 feet. Finding Bear Creek and following it and it's gurgling cascades to about 8600 feet. It was another long day at around 11 miles and we weren't to picky on a campsite. The area is fairly clear along the stream so there are several places to camp. We found a spot for our group of 2 tents and 3 tarp tents and set up for the night. Pine needle floor was nice after you moved all the cones away from your site. Creek was great for cleaning off and refilling water. A nice sound to head to bed to. No views being so low, and frankly it was chillier then being higher up in the mountains because the sun took longer to appear. It's a nice rest from the higher altitude but it also means you'll be heading back up on your way to Selden Pass.
Legend
There are a few ways to exit (or enter) the John Muir Trail and for our trip we chose to exit on the Piute Pass Trail (also known as Piute Canyon closer to the JMT). For us we had camped the night before near Muir Trail Ranch and had just a couple miles till we reached the very nice bridge crossing over Piute Creek. We enjoyed views of the creek and bridge but never crossed the bridge because the Piute Pass Trail began directly before it. This trail is amazing. It is not an easy trail but it has so much diverse beauty from the beginning as you rise above the Piute Canyon, to the middle where you have views of the Glacial Divide and then move into the awe inspiring Humphrey's Basin, to the end where the rock over the pass (11,423) turns an orangish red, unlike anything we'd seen the entire trip. Our campsite was after crossing several small streams that seemed to be zigzagging every which direction. We were in a forested area next to Piute Creek and enjoyed a refreshing dip in the ice cold waters. A nice pine floor was easily cleared of pine cones and plenty of rocks were around to hold down tents. The next day we would climb out of the forest and enter into the incredible Humphrey's Basin where plenty of trails spread out into areas such as the Desolation Wilderness and plenty more options for camping.
GuideCurvy, narrow road. No great pull outs for larger vehicles.
Guide
This spot is flat, large (fits 2 big rigs at least) and has T-mobile and Verizon reception. In a 2 week period I did have some hunters come by and start shooting very close to the RV but other than that everyone just passes by on the road towards Millwood OHV.
To get here make a right when you get to an intersection pointing towards sequoia lake. This spot is the last turnout wide enough for big rigs afterwards the road gets too narrow.
ScoutStayed here in my 22ft RV after leaving kings canyon and sequoia checking out general Sherman and some other trees. Had my dual sport with me so after parking for first night I unloaded and the next day I road all over the trails. The coolest thing was the fire tower calledDelilah lookout. Highly recommend! Great place for a 2 night stay especially if you have a dirtbike/enduro
TravelerWhile the road to get up there is a bit nerve wracking (hoping no one comes around those corners the other direction!) It's worth taking it slow and steady. We were the only ones there and enjoyed a very peaceful night bathed in moonlight and the sounds of nature. Great place!
GuideWe arrived in the dark and met one vehicle who was coming down. We were lucky there was enough room to pass plus in the dark you can see what’s coming as other reviews mention, the road in is narrow in parts and around 1 mile before you get to the camp ground. We had the place to ourselves in our campervan, there was room for a few more vehicles. Great views coming down in the morning
LegendI found this last minute after digging through many campspots on the north side of Sequoia National Park, but most were closed for the season. Everything else was a little bit of a drive away
You have to get up a steep incline, right road off of the main road and the road is narrow. It was not our favorite part.
RangerThis is a good spot if you go deer hunting or like roughing it.
ScoutWe had a problem to find this place. You have to turn onto the road 13s03 direction Chicago stump
GuideWe stayed here in October 2023 for our first night in the forest, we stayed at a place near the main road since we arrived late in the night. More place are further the road. It was a safe fine spot with a nice morning view over the canyon.
TravelerI visited both parks and needed a place to sleep in my car, I had seen this spot on this site before so I looked and found it, it’s a dirt road but my matrix did fine driving through. Very close to the Chicago stump! Lots of wood laying around also.
GuideI was directed to these sites by a park ranger when all the campgrounds in the national parks were full. Great sites, with the first being big enough for a small RV. Also a quick walk to the Chicago Stump which is a must see.
Guidethe coordinates didn't lead me there
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Dunlap, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Dunlap, CA is Cherry Gap OHV Staging Area with a 3.8-star rating from 10 reviews.
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