Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Hinkley, CA has a lot to offer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
"Traveling while pulling my utility trailer along makes slow going. And pulling up a long, long, long desert mountain grade can be downright exhausting.
So this is a mighty grateful thumbs up review."
"Full hook-ups and wifi strong. They accept Good Sam. A real drive-in movie theater is across the street."
$35 / night
"A previous reviewer noted this is a military only facility. That is correct. I.D. is required to get on base. Once that is done the office is in building 185 and check is is super easy."
"This campground is free with 9 camp site on a 5 mile paved road, the site's have fire ring and picnic benches, no water. Bike trail is fun and a challenge. Camp site 1,3 & 6 are very quiet."
"It’s a bit of a drive but very scenic and should be doable in any car. My campsite was big and spacious and looked up at an outcropping of rocks. It had a makeshift fire pit and picnic table."
"There are 18 FHU sites here, with half being for long-termers on the west side and short-term pull-throughs on the east side. We were given an option of several sites and chose site 17."
"We had full hookups and check-in was easy. Our near-end site was great for our dogs since no one was booked at the end so we had plenty of space. The space itself was large and we enjoyed the quiet."
$50 - $100 / night
"I love the location of this rv resort and, although it’s not perfect for everyone, it was great for our family."
"No wood fires but they do offer gas fire pits in the community area. Nice bathrooms as well. Incredible views. Spots are a little tight if you have a bigger unit. "
"Had to hang the rear of the trailer over the river bank about 8’. Not a big deal but took the rear stabilizer out of play for the weekend.
Good shade and campers were friendly."
"First time at a site with hook ups with our new travel trailer. Hook ups were simple...water, 50/30/&20A electric, sewer. Sewer inlet was a bit high."
$25 / night
"So much room to run around and enjoy the outdoors, safely. The RV spaces are well distanced. The staff are incredible. Very welcoming and professional."
"Dropped to around 40 degrees at night so bring extra blankets/ jackets. Bring firewood from town."
ScoutMy wife and I have been coming up here for years. We used to use her parents fifth wheel or use a cabin but recently purchased our own travel trailer. Now we come up here with our kids and I can’t say enough about how family friendly it is.
TravelerI had to change my reservation three times, and the staff was incredibly helpful. They went above and beyond to give us the easiest possible stay. The campground itself was reasonably clean with a gorgeous view of the desert and mountains. Sites laid out well and most are pull through and accommodate big rigs. Pool, laundry, general store, showers and lavatories. They did not however have the shuttle to the silver mine as advertised (ended with Covid) and the Enterprise rental in Barstow does not “pick you up“ and were rude besides.
GuideTraveling while pulling my utility trailer along makes slow going. And pulling up a long, long, long desert mountain grade can be downright exhausting.
So this is a mighty grateful thumbs up review. Robert made my day when I phoned up in the late afternoon and offered me a limited use rate on one their full hookup sites.
And of course, I got in real late, just after late closing hours–10 pm!
I got the last pull through site at the end of the lane. It was a breeze to pull in, get my deep cycle battery charging. 30 Amp with an adapter is all I need.
Shady Lane is mostly populated by real big rigs. So a 50amp socket is also on the post.
The park is a little distance from the highway, so it's blessedly quiet overall. After a grueling pull from Las Vegas, it was a wonderful blessing to crawl into my tent with my feline road companion, Missy. She just loves tent camping the very best. It was down in the 40s last night, but our traveling bed is a cushy cloud ☁️ from Heaven 🌠🌌✨ Just me and Missy and all those stars on that dark desert night.
Just woke to a lovely quiet morning here at Shady Lane. Fully renewed, to make my long drive down towards San Diego.
Looks they offer all the basics, showers, laumdry, and the same wifi network is offered all over these desert parts.. So once signed up, its the same login wherever you go on this network.. That's handy. Great wifi signal all the way down at the end of the lane, too.
Most importantly, Shady Lane offers tent spots and doesn't get snooty about whether you're pulling a utility trailer, or a spit shined mega-rig. On the phone, when I spoke with Robert, told him what I'm pulling along, he was as nice as can be.
I'm glad I found this quiet little desert overnighter. 🏜 Just right for Missy and me.
RangerThe units were spaced tightly together with a gravel pad and concrete patio. It was $45 but with GoodSam down to $40.50. Old park. Friendly staff. Bathrooms and showers aged but clean. I was told there was cable TV but didn't try it. The pet area was a sandy strip by the fence.
GuideLittle family owned RV spot— some long termers. Everyone super nice. Big spot, shade of trees, walk down to lake. Full hookup. 7 minutes to big bear lake town. Hiking trails out front gate. Probably not big rig friendly.
LegendThis is a great BLM campground, FREE, individual sites with varying levels of privacy and levelness, no reservations. Each site has a shade structure, table, fire pit, and grill. There are pit toilets but no other amenities. No water and no trash service- please pack your trash out! We had to pick up after some other campers which is just so dumb to have to do. There was a camper there who looked like they had set up for long term residency, and the sheriff came by and kicked them out.
This is also a big rock climbing destination so you’ll have climbers coming in for the day as well. There are some “dispersed” type sites in the brush area so if you show up and all the spots are taken, you can sleep in one of those spots in a pinch until morning. We were there in late December and there were only a couple of other campers, and then again in early January and it was busy on weekends but quiets down during the week.
The road coming in is 1.6 miles of washboard and some big dips, but it’s doable. Cell service is very spotty throughout the campground. Parts of decent ATT or Verizon service, and parts have zero. Lots of hikes and trails and places to walk and scramble.
LegendWe reserved and camped at this beautiful campground back in July of 2018. It was a great experience. We pulled a 27' Travel Trailer from Livermore, CA and picked out the perfect site #94. It was the furthest RV site north of the campground and we had power, water and sewage. It was a lake front campsite so we had a nice view of the lake right in our "front yard" :-) We had a picnic table and a fire pit for our use.
The fishing was awesome, but I suggest fishing in the mornings before the afternoon winds come in as the weather cools down. We had our kayaks and it is a beautiful lake to kayak. But when it gets windy, know your limits :-)
The campground is close to the Lassen Volcanic National Park. We took a drive there for a visit and it was spectacular.
The campground also has a great store there. It has all the camping necessities. If you are into hiking and biking, this campground has the accommodations for that activity. It also has a kid's park. They also have cabins if you do not want to use a tent or RV.
GuideFull hookups, concrete pads, picnic tables. Many full time campers parked with junk around them. The grounds need a ton of cleanup. Not the safest feeling being in this park.
RangerWe needed a place to stay for our last 2 nights on the road before going home after the place we reserved was not a good fit for our 40 ft Allegro Bus. We called and they had a perfect spot for us for the 2 days. It's clean and quiet here and right off the freeway. We couldn't hear the freeway from our RV. We were so glad we found the KOA. Pull throughs that fit our 40ft plus tow. There's gravel but flat so leveling isn't difficult with the blocks. Plenty of room, some spots with trees and some bushes. Our 4 slide outs fit with no problem.
Explore the diverse options for RV camping near Hinkley, California, where you can enjoy the beauty of the desert landscape while having access to essential amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Hinkley, CA is Shady Lane RV Camp with a 3.9-star rating from 9 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 68 RV camping locations near Hinkley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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