Best Dispersed Camping near Jackson, CA

Standard dispersed camping on national forest land. Paved main road with dirt roads and areas for camping branching off. Plenty of room. Some areas have beautiful views of strawberry valley!

It’s just the boat launch. Perhaps u can get away with hanging out, not sure. The access to the dispersed camping, in the hill overlooking the water, is gated and locked.

There seem to be plenty of spots to use enroute to the water, just not at the location.

This place is really cool and easy to find! Great views

Weather isn’t to hot and very secluded.

This road follows power lines pretty much for the entire length of the road. It would be a really nice area to disperse if they weren't there as the area is beautiful. That said, you don't need 4x4 but you definitely will need a vehicle with some decent clearance. There are some weirdly purposefully placed speed bumps? on the west end of the road approaching 4N01 and Spring Gap Rd that will let you know if you have enough clearance pretty quickly. Overall not a super terrible road to disperse off of. There are a lot more and a lot better spots nearby and it's not too far from Beardsley Lake which can get pretty busy.

Super fun spot went in September. Dirt road to get to spot is pretty rough but my Taurus wagon did just fine. There are a few people on dirt bikes ripping around trails so not fully secluded but still a good spot.

Pretty easy to get to and lots of spaces for dispersed sites. There was trash EVERYWHERE. Broken glass, toilet trash, bottles and cans, we were really disappointed. We found a spot pretty hidden which was rad but someone was shooting litteraly all night long which was frustrating. We probably won’t come back.

My 9 yr old son wanted to try camping in or near the snow, and the weather was favorable on this December weekend (high 56, low 39). We are pretty new to camping and not hardcore, but this was very easy and comfortable. We camped right at the entrance because nobody was there and there was plenty of flat area. Easily accessible on paved roads. Spotted a rock climber on the nearby rock face when we arrived, who later came by to pick up his car he had parked there.

Caldor Fire damage was evident everywhere, but this made it easy for my son to chop down a small dead tree that we used for firewood. It was breezy, which made it chillier than the temps indicated, but we were fine and very toasty once in our tent cots.

We found a few beer bottles around (which we took home to recycle), and small amounts of building waste such as concrete. But overall the setting was peaceful and beautiful. Amazing to have a resource like this that's free. We brought a privacy shelter and portable camp toilet, and our own water. Those are really the only things you need that would normally be provided by a paid campsite.

Can't even park and enjoy the view without getting harassed by the overweight goon they call a "camp host". $10 day fee? Naw. Been coming here for years FOR FREE. Not paying now.

Large pull off area I found and stayed at for 4 days with amazing views of the sunset and sunrise! I was there on weekdays so was pretty much alone the whole time but even if the main spot is occupied there’s a couple of dirt roads that lead to more areas to camp. A couple of level spots and lots of room to hike around. Completely free and peaceful but 0 amenities so come prepared. Currently there is an abandoned red semi truck cab so it’s easy to find not sure if that will ever be moved in the future though!

Great spot for a tent or small trailer. The dirt road up is full of ruts and potholes, but my Toyota Yaris made it up. Some noise from chainsaws in the distance one day, and some target practice, but neither lasted long. 2 bars LTE of Verizon.

Showed up to pinned spot around 3pm and saw zero people. It was basically just a road to what I think was a state park? There were multiple spots off to the side where ppl had previously parked/camped w/ fire pits. But I did not feel comfortable pulling off…No service, it was rainy, and not sure how my vehicle would hold up. If planning to visit I would look to see if you need forest permit.

Pulled off Union valley road and set up camp with our Rooftop tent. Little cold up here in November but made for some great pre-snowfall camping!

I always have a great experience camping here. Not too many people in between seasons. Summer time is not bad

Bear valley is my favorite place to go camping, the most you get close to the top of the mountain, the most curvy the road is, so be prepare. There is a point where the paved road disappears and is only dirt road, you can keep driving as far as you want, it is easy to find a good spot to park and set your camp. The night views are amazing!

There are no Volt toilets here nor running water but pretty good Verizon signal. Lots of trails to ride your bike and walk.