Looking to cabin camp near Johnson Valley and enjoy a rustic retreat into nature? The Dyrt can help you find the best cabin camping destinations for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect cabin for your California cabin camping excursion.
Calico is an old West mining town that has been around since 1881 and was abandoned in the mid-1890s after silver lost its value. The town that once gave miners a good living lost its hustle and became a “ghost town.”
Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950’s architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880’s. Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Today, Calico is part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system, which is visited by people from across the country and from all over the world. Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops, restaurants and offers camping, hiking and off-roading.
$22 - $44 / night
North Shore Campground is a quiet place to camp, away from the hustle and bustle of nearby cities. The campground is nestled among Southern California's pine-covered mountains, providing ample opportunity for outdoor relaxation and recreation.
The North Shore National Recreation Trail connects the campground with Papoose Lake (trail is not accessible). The 1.7-mile trail descends through a mixed conifer forest and settles along Little Bear Creek, providing scenic views of the surrounding area. Please note, nearby Lake Arrowhead is a private lake.
The North Shore National Recreation Trail connects the campground with Papoose Lake (trail is not accessible). The 1.7-mile trail descends through a mixed conifer forest and settles along Little Bear Creek, providing scenic views of the surrounding area. Please note, nearby Lake Arrowhead is a private lake.
The campground is located 23 miles northeast of San Bernardino in the San Bernardino National Forest. It is about 3 miles from the community of Lake Arrowhead. Settled in an oak woodland environment, the campground is close to many outdoor amenities. Lake Arowhead is a private lake, no access available.
Lake Gregory is located 40 minute away and offers fishing, boat rentals and a waterslide park. Lake Arrowhead is a private lake, no public access.
Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations.__ Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites.__ Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility.__ Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation.__ Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies.__ Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location.__ Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date.__ If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.__ Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund.__ Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure.__ Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777."__ Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July__
$56 / night
Lake Hemet is surrounded by the majestic beauty of the San Jacinto Mountains, in Mountain Center, near the charming town of Idyllwild. The scenery is splendid no matter which direction you look. Tall pines, manzanitas, sage, and giant oaks abound!
Lake Hemet is one of the most popular spots in Southern California for camping and fishing. The recent additions of the Soaring Pines Cafe serving delicious food and Splashing Eagle Swim Zone have made Lake Hemet the vacation spot to be during the spring and summer months.
Remember to pack a camera and binoculars, and keep a watchful eye as majestic eagles, hawks, and other wildlife are often seen soaring throughout the forest and campground. Come and enjoy camping, fishing, boating and the breathtaking scenery all year round.
DAY USE: In addition to camping, Lake Hemet offers public access to the campground for day use guests daily (hours vary by season). Day use is $25 per vehicle and affords guests with the opportunity to picnic, shoreline fish, launch personal boats or kayaks (additional fees apply) and rent boats or kayaks from our marina. If you are visiting other guests who are overnight camping with us, the $25 fee still applies. NOTE: DAY USE WILL BE CLOSED FOR ALL SUMMER HOLIDAY WEEKENDS FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. Only guests with previously purchased annual day use or launch passes will be allowed as our campground will be fully booked and activities are planned for our guests.
$45 / night
Durrwood is a 29-acre pristine wilderness nestled in the San Bernardino National Forest, offering an unforgettable outdoor experience. Your group will have exclusive access to all of our amenities, including a comfortable RV for lounging, picnic tables, hammocks, horseshoes, corn hole, and numerous hiking trails starting from the campground. Our property includes an outhouse in form of a porta potty. No Showers.
We are conveniently located just 2 miles from the Santa Ana River, 5 miles from Jenks Lake, and only a 25-minute drive to Big Bear, making Durrwood the perfect private retreat for your group.
Durrwood is the ideal destination for families, company retreats, club meetups, church groups, girls and boy scouts, and any other groups looking to reconnect with nature. Our beautiful surroundings and wide range of activities make us the perfect choice for your next group gathering.
$300 / night
Sky Valley RV Resort is nestled in the foothills of Joshua Tree National Park. Just 25 minutes from downtown Palm Springs, CA, you're close enough to enjoy an evening of fine dining, then retreat back to the peace of dark skies and mountain views in the resort. Sky Valley is located on top of natural hot water that is pumped into mineral pools for your enjoyment.
Book online via the campsite's website or call the resort directly to make your reservation!
Caliente Springs Resort is a Resort for those 55 years of age and over active resort. Join our fun community for pickleball, natural mineral hot springs pumped out of the ground and mountain views. Far enough away to experience the peace of nature, but close enough to get a world-class dinner in Palm Springs, Caliente Springs is in the perfect location for you to relax and meet other fun RVers.
Book online directly through the Caliente Springs website or give us a call to make your reservation!
Temporarily closed until further notice
$40 - $55 / night
Traveler
I prefer to stay on BLM, but every once in a while I boondock at VLC for a hot shower and intentional socialising. I really dig the hostel vibes and communal activities. I'm usually stopping over, but there are folks who hang for longer and work remotely here.
Scout
Growing up my family went on a few camping trips; mostly to Arizona to visit the ghost towns but when we wanted to go take a weekend trip and didn't want to leave state we would stay at the Catalina Spa Rv Resort in town. I remember my brother and I having so much fun running around or riding our bikes through the many turnaround streets at this park. They have an awesome pool and jacuzzis to use and a very large pond that all year round has ducks, birds, frogs, fish and turtles to look at. They have a friendly staff and the travelers were always very sweet and kind. The only town fall was that usually there isn't very many kids there, mostly older people come here to stay. They have. Gym and a game room. Lots of shade in rv parking areas and small bbq and tables to enjoy. Definitely worth checking it out !
Traveler
Great camping site during halloween event. Very kid friendly. There were free balloon twisters, pumpkin craving, arts and crafts, toss games. We enjoyed the train ride. it was about $5 per a ride. Campsites were dirt roads. we had electric hookup. Dump station was easy to access and water/trash located next to it. No fees for water and dump. Weather was perfect in mid 70's. Would definitely take the kids back again before they get older.
Scout
Staff all friendly and facilities while dated are kept very clean. Campers are respectful and quit at night but it’s a very noisy location right next to the freeway which took some getting used to the first few days.
Guide
Clean and well maintained. Friendly service. Awesome pool! Just a little pricey...$71
Scout
Booked this campground for 3 nights, in large part for the hot showers. The showers and bathroom facilities are frankly disgusting and not something we would us, nor would our friends who were there with us. The staff was rude and provided the typical"we don't provide refunds" when we told them respectfully we we're leaving after the first night. The campground was a wierd mix of what looked liked full-time campers but mostly no one was occupying the sites that there campers and belongings were left at. Post apocalyptic vibe, can you say ghost town. North Shore Campground is a dusty one and done for us. Caveat emptor.
Traveler
We didn’t plan to stop here. After we were driving for over 10 hours. We found this location online. And WOW!!!! Great experience.. the Mineral water pool’s was a great refresher after long day !!! Would highly recommend
Scout
I have been a member of this place for 20+ years.
Most times if someone has a problem at the front gate. It because of the many background checks and or any one of the Screening Process...
The previous review does not mention anything about that factor???? I wonder why??
GuideI think I was lucky. There was myself and two others in the entire campground. Granted it was June and hot. The sites are ok. The electric and water worked. The bathrooms were clean and maintained. The shower costs $1.00 for 6 minutes. The water was pleasantly warm. The Ghost town is a fun place to walk through.
Scout
They are scammers. The cabin they have on site electricity keeps going on and off, the cabin was also dirty. Got a bad splinter on my hand from the railing and spoke to some residents and figured out that even though they’re selling memberships the electricity is going to be shut off. They are going to cause hundreds of people to go homeless and trying to keep it a secret. What a shame.
GuideIt's an excellent location for access to Barstow and Calico. We appreciated the pool, hammocks next to the pool, and the treats at the store. Sites are primarily pull-throughs, and many are occupied by people passing through them for one night. There are easy hookups, 50 amp service, and easy on/off from the highway. We visited both Barstow and Calico and had a good time at both.
Guide
Yes it's not the easiest to park but it's also not that bad. 45ft toy hauler and we didn't have any issues. Great location, great weather, sites are close but we found everyone to be friendly. No issues with starlink and loved the heated pool in January! Will be back
Guide
We had a great overnight stay at this park. Two other campers were there, and we had no interactions other than waving. We arrived after hours, and the gate code was included in the reservation information. We will be adding this park back for future stays.
Scout
The photo of the three spas mislead me to think this was a nice resort with three spas that my wife and I stayed at years ago but this place was old and the spas were dirty and cold. We drove in, set up, looked around and left. Won't be going back.
Traveler
Had a wonderful time with the kids and our two doggos here! Great dog park, family friendly and the hot springs was just perfect for all of us. Even have 3 temperatures so the kids can enjoy hot springs too! Thanks for a wonderful stay! We’re here last week of March 2024.
GuideWe loved visiting calico ghost town! It was fabulous, but the two nights at the campground were rough. We stayed in the “O” section which I didn’t want based on the map but after we arrived, I’m glad we were in That section. The other side of the campground looked awful. Our sites were small but the main campsite area had lots that were Even smaller! I mean we had 10’ from the edge of our camper to the next camper. How do I know? Our 10’ awning was only an inch or two from my parents camper next door. The picnic tables were nice in our area but warped and awful in the main campsite area. The bathrooms were dirty. They didn’t stink but they don’t appear to clean anything. I brought Clorox wipes with me every time to wipe the toilets. There was no toilet paper in the bathrooms ever and the light are off at night but on during the day. Super helpful. I passed on the showers - didn’t even look at them based off the toilet area. The first night there was so many parties and loud drunks. It went on past midnight. The people next to us were loud and had apparently rented a trailer and had it swapped out for a new one at midnight and no one seemed to care about even attempting to be semi quiet for the neighbors. The second night was a Sunday. Everyone moved out and it was much quieter but early Monday in the am the trash picks up. I probably wouldn’t stay there again.
GuideGood, hardworking hosts keep this place running and eco-friendly.
ScoutReasonable price for full hook up - 40 dollars Amazing place, quiet, the ghost town was really a good surprise it s really interesting, nice hiking around. Definitely recommends
Guide
This is one of my favorite Thousand Trails. The pool is really nice and the grounds beautiful with all the date palm trees. We've met other nice campers and there are families with kids and retirees. The City of Palm Desert has a beautiful public park with pickle ball and lake. Great dining and shopping in the area. Lots of hikes and recreation areas.'
ScoutWe got there and were told to just find a spot. We started to back into a spot and began hooking up but realized the power isn’t working. We check the other spaces around us they didn’t have power either. It was so frustrating that I called the office and they came out to fix the problem. In the process they told us that our trailer had to be at a 45 degree angle and our truck had to be parked on the left of our trailer not the right. Such a hassle to do anything and such strict rules for a facility that is run down. Luckily we were only staying the night. Would never book this place again.
Scout
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! Deep Creek Camp is a great spot to get out in nature and check out one of the coolest geological features in the area! Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!
Guide
We booked a few days here on our 2 month trip to be able to relax in a nice campground, but we were a bit disappointed.
Toilets and shower were not very nice, you do not get much privacy as the sites are quite close to each other, and it is super busy, a lot of people around. Even during the day it is quite noisy.
Location is good though, and it is nice to be up here in summer as the temperature is a bit better.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! The Shadow Mountain Camp keeps it simple with the essentials and a few unique touches. Check them out and leave a review for them on the Dyrt!
Scout
I wish I could be positive. OK. One positive note, the sun was bright. No obvious maintenance in years. Trees are dead and standing for the most part. The laundry smells of cat pee. The flies have taken over. The tweekers have violent tendencies. The large riverbed homeless encampment is next door. They will not return my deposit or any of my months rent after three days of stay.
ScoutVisited the last 2 weeks of August. Great place for family and kids. Affordable. Campsite #295. You can fit two 10' x10' canopies to cover the bench table, and fit 2 individual tents (4-6 person) OR a bigger 12p tent however you decide to position it. It has its own Fire pit. Different campgrounds for all chosen methods (Tent, RV, Glamping, etc..) There's restrooms you can use. There's showers you can pay per use. The swim zone isn't too far from this campsite, 5-10 min walk w/ no accessories. If you have little ones, you can take them with a wagon but I'd recommend just driving your car with a few items to the zone. Bring your own shade for this campsite, your own water too. The marketplace is near the entrance BUT they only sell individual waters (No 48 pack types). You'll definitely hear your neighbors snore at night after a long day LOL.. quiet hours are from 10pm - 8am. Overall, this is a great spot. If you're lucky to snag other spots with trees covering you then great but this is still a good campsite. Happy camping! ... Oh yeah, T-Mobile no service up there (apparently Verizon, AT&T do)
ScoutThe day use areas were under water and we weren’t told we were allowed to be anywhere else so we just drove around and checked it out then left.
It looked like a nice lake to fish in and I know they don’t control the water levels but $25 is a lot for day use
Cabin camping near Johnson Valley, California, offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and cozy accommodations, perfect for those looking to escape into nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Johnson Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Johnson Valley, CA is Calico Ghost Town with a 4-star rating from 41 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Johnson Valley, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 cabin camping locations near Johnson Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
