Planning a dispersed camping trip near Inyokern? The Dyrt can help you find the best dispersed campsites for your next trip. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the trees or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
Dispersed camping is allowed on for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation. There is no potable water or developed facilities other than a single vault toilet on site. Pack out all trash. There are no trash services. In the desert environment, even natural items like orange peels take years to decompose. Travel on existing roads and trails. Vegetation in this climate can take decades to recover when crushed by off road driving or parking. Camp in campgrounds if available. Using campgrounds reduces the number of vehicles, so that the great views are not blocked. Have a great time. The Trona Pinnacles are a great place to explore natural wonders and experience your public lands.
POTENTIAL FIRE BANS - CHECK BEFORE CAMPING Last report - bans in effect til 11/2020 (reported 10/2020) Located on the east side of Lake Isabella off Sierra Way. Open camping; Free use area; Chemical toilets. No limit on trailer length. Open year round. Supplies at Kernville
Dispersed Camping on the shore of Lake Isabella. Vault toilet available. No trash recepticals available (Pack In-Pack Out). ALL Upper Kern Dispersed Camping sites, under restrictions - No Camping or Campfires are allowed within 25 feet of the water___s edge.
Keysville (formerly Keyesville) is a historic mining area that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Set in rolling terrain amidst a blue oak and foothill pine woodland, Keysville is dissected by the lower Kern River. A little exploration can turn up a wealth of historic resources, including a variety of mining structures and features, a historic fort, and the famous Walker Cabin. Keysville offers commercial and noncommercial white-water rafting opportunities as well as fishing, recreational gold panning, and dispersed camping. A network of over seventy miles of trails provides for mountain biking, equestrian, and motorized recreation use.
Travel Responsibly - on designated roads and trails or in permitted areas
Respect The Rights of Others - including private property owners and all recreational trail users, campers and others to allow them to enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Educate Yourself - by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning for your trip, taking recreation skills classes and knowing how to use and operate your equipment safely. Avoid Sensitive Areas - such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams, unless on designated routes. Do Your Part - by leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species, restoring degraded areas and joining a local enthusiast organization.
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/Keysville%20arch%20E%20low%20res.pdf
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.
Brush Creek is a dispersed camping or day use site open year round. There are vault toilets available and seasonal trash bins. This is where the Brush Creek meets the Upper Kern River and is a good spot for fishing. Campfire permits are required for campfires, barbeques, and camp stoves. Permits are available at your local Ranger Station or online at preventwildfireca.org
Scout
Clean Spots, recommend! lot of space and different places.
Guide
35.08627305276245,-117.54092669125416 Great space. Easy to find. Away from highway enough. Very windy. Great sunset and sunrise.
Traveler
Arrived at the coordinates and had no place to turn off the road. Also, the area was hit by wildfires (maybe 2 years ago) so it's all pretty barren. Camped at Holey Meadows campground a few miles away.
Scout
This campsite was fantastic. Access was easy with a 4x4, but may be a little tough for a 2WD car. Plenty of space for a small trailer to maneuver.
Highly recommend. Perfect for an off-road trailer or overland setup.
Guide
This place is really cool to explore. Nice star gazing too. We took our www.hitched4fun.com RZR out on the many dirt roads in the area too. Had a blast 💥.
Guide
We love lake Isabella and just discovered this free camp spot right on the beach…
GuideWe stopped here on our way through Sequoia Nat’l Forest and loved it. The water is super clear and nice! We were the only ones staying here, so it was very quiet and calming. A handful of camping spots around this area, well worth the stay!
GuideAll the spots at the front were taken here so we had to drive almost all the way to end. Don’t go down the final steep hill, you might not make it up. It’s very tight there and you have to do a 20 point turn to turn back.
We walked down the hill and our friend saw some random guy come out the trees and follow us as we were walking back up. He might be living there because there was so much trash
2 stars because the area itself is nice, there’s the river nearby and internet was good
Traveler
We arrived in the evening, when it was still 33 celcius (95f), but the whole day it was about 45 celcius (113f). So the place was as hot as it can be. But that won’t change my rating too much. Because if the weather was a bit cooler I would have loved this even more, when we woke up, we were greeted by a beautiful desert. If you have an AC that you can put on during the night, it shouldn’t be a problem!
Ranger
Not for big rigs! A very primitive but beautiful area. Tons of winding roads with lots of S curves Leading up to 9000 feet. Many great camping spots including close to Peppermint Creek. Completely dry area so no campfires until November. No services and no reception so pack it in and pack it out!
Ranger
Directions didn’t lead me to any dispersed camping but I did find just an ok spot along the road. Don’t know if where I camped was allowed but I did anyway
TravelerDoes take about 45 mins to wind up there and i got there at 1:15am. Didn't find the campgrounds but had large side areas with forest machinery. Next to stream. Then if you continue on you will hit a 4 mile off road (my Corolla/any sedan OK) and see great views and waterfall! Nice!
Travelerwe looked around the indicated GPS point but at this location, but house or ranch, nothing that looks like the photos posted previously. too bad the spot looked magnificent but with night falling and fatigue from the road we finally slept facing the road in the post office parking lot.
GuideWe stayed here two nights and felt so peaceful and out of sight ! Def recommend
Guide
Pretty easy to find. You can see off the main road. Any vehicle can make it. Be mindful on 3 day weekends we encountered a very large party and did not have a pleasant experience. All other times I have came, it was very quiet and relaxing.
TravelerWe pulled in at night time around 10:30PM. I was scared it would be sketchy, but turned out to be a smooth dirt road. We encountered multiple other campers as well before we found a suitable turnout. Loved the accessibility. We woke up to a beautiful little spot near the water; would definitely camp again here
TravelerWe stayed here 1 night and had the place to ourselves. It is a very large area and quite beautiful.
RangerCampground had some nice spots for dry camping. I planned to stay on BLM land off the road but this seemed part of the ghost town private property. It was late and I was confused..I need to go back and donate $5.
TravelerArrived in the dark and woke up to find a beautiful spot. Quiet, plenty of space and very few people here. Be prepared for freezing temps overnight in colder months.
Traveler
We were looking for a place to car camp on our way up toward sequoia and stopped here. Was easy to locate even at night. Would suggest 4x4 and wouldn’t recommend heavier vehicles as it’s a sandy dried up lake bed and we had to dig ourselves out in the morning. No fire pits or bathrooms.
GuideStunning. If you want privacy this is it. You are definitely alone. We went and there was only 1 other camper there - he was kinda weird and wanted to hang out but we politely asked him for privacy (he said he is there a lot). BRING water and fill up on gas before you go. There are 0 resources for you. It’s gorgeous, we will definitely be going back
Legend
Great for a night or two, heading towards or leaving Death Valley between Joshua Tree..
You are literally in the middle of nowhere. No cell phone reception, amenities, nothing, not even shelter, but yet so peaceful and quiet. We saw a couple of RVs but everyone has a TON of space....I would totally camp here again.
I was able to let dog and cat out of camper and they weren't going anywhere....nothing to chase, etc.
ScoutI’ve been camping at This lake since I was 11. My favorite place caught 100’s of fish out of there. I’ve camped in all the camps over the years but I like steins cove when we had a boat. Camp right on the water and the price is right FREE. I live in Az now but when we go back we always hit the lake. Love it great memories with my mom and dad and our kids and grandkids. Enjoy❤️
ScoutNice place. Beware! Road ends on the half of the way. No advise to enter the road with RV.
Scout
I really liked it! The place looks beautiful, especially with sunset and sunrise and there is a lot of space. Just the toilet was hard to find. You just have to drive 2 min more on the road. It doesn‘t have water, showers or trash dispencers.
Guide
There are about five spots for disperesed camping, we stayed at an upper spot with great view and wonderful night sky. We felt very safe here. Road is bumpy, so drive very carefully, but we saw RVs to get there. (October 2023)
Scout
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Inyokern, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Inyokern, CA is Wagon Wheel Staging Area with a 4.6-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Inyokern, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 45 dispersed camping locations near Inyokern, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
