The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Inyokern. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Inyokern. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Inyokern. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Great place to dry camp(boondock). Love camping out here. Most of all it's free."
"It’s literally a big open desert flat and you park wherever so there’s plenty of room for privacy. As far as facilities, there are 2 privies and that’s it, so you’ll be dry camping."
"I never knew this was here and grew up camping in California. Filming for the remake of Planet of the Apes happened here."
"Free BLM dispersed camping here, so bring everything you need and take everything with you when you leave.
The landscape is like no other."
"March 5-6, 2021
This area is pretty trippy going from volcanic rock and flows to various brush to the dry, beautifully cracked dirt."
"Short drive from 395 and once the road became dirt it was easily navigable in our Promaster. No one else there. Nice wide open views."
"This is BLM land camping in an OHV area that we used for an overnight. For this purpose it was great. A paved road leads to endless dispersed camping options in a beautifully rugged canyon."
"It can get really warm so we set up under a shaded tree which helped a lot. We had a fire pit for the evenings too, so that was nice.
Lots of trails to ride - for beginners to advanced."
"Good location. I would definitely do this again. I'm planning to stay for the full 14 days.
Tip - Evening winds come from a westerly direction."
"We love lake Isabella and just discovered this free camp spot right on the beach…"
"Great hideaway with plenty of dispersed sites. I spent two days here and only seen a handful of vehicles drive through, mostly US Forest Service trucks. Pack in, pack out."
"On my way into Sequoia NF I was so excited to see Hanning Flats dispersed camping area. My pup and I stayed for three nights and didn’t see another person or vehicle the whole time."
"Had a nice evening right next to the Pinnacles. Easy drive in. Had my F150 and my teardrop trailer. Easy walking along with some stunning views. Worth spending a night."
GuideQuiet place, we only saw one other set of campers. The warm sun the next morning was beautiful but there is next to no vegetation. Additionally, this campsite has nothing so take what you need and leave no trace! It worked for a night. The road in is kind of weird as it runs parallel to another road similar, we drove along one and would alternate to try and avoid bad potholes. Some are inevitable and I would imagine high clearance is needed to access.
GuideGreat hideaway with plenty of dispersed sites. I spent two days here and only seen a handful of vehicles drive through, mostly US Forest Service trucks. Pack in, pack out. No toilets, showers, or water so bring in everything you need. 14 days of free camping every 30 days. A great find to get away from it all.
TravelerVery remote absolutely nothing out there. Definitely somewhere you need to be aware of your surroundings. You can get far enough away from the highway that you don’t need to worry about people driving by. There is nothing out here. The road to it is unmarked and very unmaintained Would definitely recommend high clearance vehicle if you want to be further away then 100 feet from the highway. Lots of wash outs. Beautiful sunrise. We were the only people there.
TravelerDispersed camping at a Yellow Post campsite was great. About 4 mi. of washboard dirt road past Heart Bar Campground to Yellow post site #6. No amenities other than a picnic table and a fire ring. That means, bring plenty of water and a port-a-potty. There is no fee, however, you need to go on line to get a fire permit, which is necessary even for a propane stove. Actually, the fire permit is for anything that has a flame. This trip was over Labor Day weekend of 2022 and the use of the fire pit was forbidden at that time due to high fire hazard conditions. The campsites are quite far apart so you feel a sense of privacy. However, you will see vehicles and or horses go by on the road next to the campsite. Some of the vehicles drive fast on the dirt road which can kick up dust clouds. This is only a problem if you are downwind. The temperature was about 83 for a high and 55 for a low and the wind was light and comfortable. We were glad we had our canopy. The canopy has bug screens on 4 sides but the bugs were not too bad. We used lemon grass bug spray repellent and were comfortable. This campground is away from light sources making it great for stargazing. We enjoyed the campsite so much that we just hung out and relaxed there all weekend ...no hikes or trips away from the campsite. We hung a couple of hammocks with tarps for shade but backed our teardrop under a naturally shaded area of the campsite. We will probably camp there again. If you are not into dispersed camping, there are several campgrounds nearby. Heart Bar campground is huge with amenities and South Fork Family Campground is nice with more shade and a small stream running through. The parking for rv's at South Fork is a bit short at some of the campsites. Best to check the length for a match with your gear. This area is great for camping but make sure you have everything you need as there is no grocery store at the corner. Happy camping..!
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.
TravelerThis camping site is a nice free area super close to the Giants Trail entrance (5 minute drive). As you head in you go thru a little dirt road and at the end you see an opening for this site. There is one site located right at the start of the access road but with no views. The main area is cleared to pitch your camping tent. There are no trash cans around or toilets (closest is entrance of Giants trail) but trash may be near at the other camp sites. I did have to put my trash in the tree with a rope about 20-50ft away just for safety. Make sure you don’t keep anything smelly in your tent or around your truck because there is a local bear that comes by in the middle of the night when everyone’s sleeping. The Bear didn’t tamper with my ground tent but I ended up sleeping in my camper due to it being too cold. Although, I did hear the next campers yell out bear for safety. But nothing to worry about if you pack in and pack out and are respectful. The stream and meadow is beautiful. I would recommend this to anyone looking to have a secluded quite area that some ppl may not come to due to the friendly bear wink.
GuideI wasn’t sure when driving out here at night in a minivan, but the dirt road didn’t give me any trouble and I still had some service with Verizon. It’s a great little secluded spot about 4 miles off the highway in the desert. I missed the sunset but caught a beautiful sunrise.
TravelerThis is BLM land camping in an OHV area that we used for an overnight. For this purpose it was great. A paved road leads to endless dispersed camping options in a beautifully rugged canyon. There were a few OHVs but we arrived late on a weekday and OHV traffic stopped altogether in the evening. Wind was a problem and made sleeping hard. We camped in a 24’ travel trailer with a high clearance truck. While not necessary, the larger truck was nice to have on the dirt portions. There are sites that would be accessible by car as well just be more discerning. Verizon was at 1 bar the whole time.
LegendThis camping area is at the end of dirt road Route 21S69, there is a sign for Dome Rock. It's very close to Ponderosa, a small town(?) with a general store and lodges, so that makes it super convenient if you need to buy some standard supplies.
At the end of the dirt road there is a parking area. You can camping anywhere in this area, no fee. Just make sure to apply for a fire permit ahead of time. There are NO facilities at this campground - no bathrooms or trash even. That said, it is a beautiful area, especially if you want to rock climb or hike with great views, including The Needles. Rock climbing info for the area can be found here.
Keep in mind that this location is at ~7,000ft elevation, so the temperatures will be cooler here, and you should plan accordingly.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Inyokern, California, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With vast open spaces and stunning desert landscapes, this area offers a unique outdoor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Inyokern, CA is Wagon Wheel Staging Area with a 4.7-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 46 dispersed camping locations near Inyokern, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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