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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.
A warm welcome is waiting for you at Lone Wolf Colony. We are a multi-use facility located at a 3,000 foot elevation in Apple Valley, California. Lone Wolf Colony has been designated a Historical Landmark in the Town of Apple Valley California.
Mission Statement Lone Wolf Colony supports many deserving charities, while interacting with the community in which we live. We are continuing to see through Sam Caldwell vison in our ever changing times.
The Shady Oasis Kampground is open all year, and provides camp sites for tents and RV's (up to 70 ft. in length), and we also have one-room cabins for rent. The campground office is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, except Sunday when we close at 6pm (closed an hour for lunch Mon-Sat).
Located on 160 acres in close proximity to the Deep Creek Hot Springs. Rural property with natural landscapes in the mountains of the high desert. Showers, bathrooms and running water on site, no RV power hookups. Private hot spring rental and glamping tents available. Large group sites available, secluded sites, event venue available. Ziplines on site.
$15 - $119 / night
Guide
This campground in Barstow has many things to do. Campground has full hookups first off. Next, they have a separate campground area for OHV campers and vehicles. Plenty of trails and some famous rock climbing just behind the hill. The ghost town is awesome to check out, kids love it. Pan for silver, train rides and explore the mines. Even grab a bite to eat with a beer at the saloon. Gets hot in the summer but fall and winter good times to go. This place even has cabin rentals too.
TravelerWe arrived well after dark and the security folks helped us get into our cabin. Very nice staff. We stayed in one of the bunkhouse cabins. It had 2 sets of bunk beds (twin size) and a sofa (futon style) that was about the size of a queen. We had 2 cars and 2 trailers. Plenty of parking and I felt comfortable with our gear being safe outside. Small kitchen was perfect for our needs. We would recommend the cabin and we will definitely visit again to visit the ghost town.
GuideHad a great time exploring the ghost town with my kids. I recommend doing the tour of the mine for a small fee. A lot was still shut down due to the pandemic. Super windy but we opted to stay in one of the small cabins. It was nice and clean. Bathrooms were also clean and well-maintained. It was an overall good, one-night stay vacation!
LegendTalk about good times!! Get dirty as you can and have a blast doing it!! Razrrrr city!! Super cool ghost town, and really family friendly! Clean bathrooms and well maintained. You can fill up your propane here and dump your rig if needed. This place has cool little mining caves and a cool train for kids to ride on. Somethings are locked down due to covid but this place isn’t shy of family fun! Really neat place! Bring your fire wood for a cool fire at night, if you don’t want to camp they do have cabins that are without bathrooms but shelter if you prefer. Also plenty of parking for your vehicles.
TravelerWe stayed here with family who had an RV. At the time, we didn’t so we rented one of the cabins. They have bunks, a bed AC and heat and that’s it. Lol. You have to use the public restrooms and showers. It was raining and super cold when we stayed here but one of the days it cleared up and we walked to Calico ghost town. We had the best time exploring, shopping, eating at the restaurant, panning for gold, touring the mine. Super fun. We also enjoyed some off roading. Bathrooms were clean. Showers are run by quarters and were hot although the windows high above don’t close so the cold air was constantly blowing in. It made for an adventure that my daughter and I will remember for many years. Lol. I’d stay here again. It was fun.
Traveler
I 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.
TravelerThis Covid summer my family and I took two trips out to the Calico Ghost Town campground. The first was over Fathers day weekend and the second at the end of September. We had a great time despite the over 100 degree weather. Because there are so few people the wildlife is abundant. It was nice to take walks and hike the hills. The night sky is amazing (download the app that tells you what everything is, "star walk 2") your kids may have never seen the stars like this. Lots of places to ride OHV and great shooting in Mule Canyon. Caves to explore in camp and free admission to the ghost town.
Campground could use more trees but the showers and toilets are nice.
A great desert get away! ENJOY and please keep it clean!
LegendI had always wanted to visit a ghost town so when this came up in our travel path, we had to stop for a night. Located in Yermo, CA, this campground offers over 250 sites although we were about one of 5 campers there on our visit which made it even more ghostly. It is a desert like area with few trees. There was a bathroom with showers nearby, fire ring and hook-ups. Also lots of steep canyon walls and abandoned mine shafts. Since there were hardly any others there, we picked our spot and set up for the evening. I kept wondering when a coyote or some other wild animal was going to show up. The next morning, we wandered into the Ghost Town for some entertainment. We took pictures of the bottle house, mercantile, and many other buildings. There was a shooting show going on that was really cool and the boys enjoyed ice cream on a hot day. I loved the ghost town themed park and would like to visit again one day and explore when we have more time.
GuideThere were no trees at all. We were told to wait for a white truck when we got there. No one came. We called the security number and they told us they would be by. We waited about 20 minutes and ended up leaving. The tent sites were gravel. Overall not impressed.
GuideI was here one October where the weather was above 100F during the day. The sites have absolutely no shade or cover, and are just lined up in a row next to each other with no privacy. We ended up choosing to spend more of our time at Owl Canyon (BLM campground nearby) because it was much more secluded, had better views, and offered shade. The advantages to Calico are: bathrooms with showers, water, and dump stations. However we were ok with a primitive site and did not want to feel crowded in.
RangerWe arrived on a Friday night, without reservations. Our first night of van living. Found the security guard who connected us with the ranger. There were plenty of sites to chose from. The ranger then found us a better site for $5 less, The place was quiet, Beautiful sunset. We aren't off-roaders but noticed a lot of ATVs around. Seems like the place to be. There are also mountain bike trails around. In the morning we discovered the Calico Ghost Town attraction right next to the park. In fact entrance to the ghost town is included in the camping fees. The town is an abandoned silver mining town. There's a few historical buildings and mines you can hike around. You can pay for a tour of the mine. Lots of old west quaint shops, and restaurants. We watched a skit of a shoot out preformed in the main square. Spent more time there than planned, it was that fun.
GuideFree admission to Ghost Town with camping reservation. Good fall to spring. Way to hot in summer. No shade. Dusty but that’s expected in an OHV Campground. We just held an outing there with 24 people. Great time!! https://hitched4fun.com/2018/09/15/2018-calico-ghost-town-ca-outing/
ScoutMost of the wet camping spots are very rocky and not level. Bring extra blocks to level your RV. Restrooms were not very clean.
TravelerBut very rock to tent camp on. A ton of RV’s, so the noise was a premium. Great hiking into the mountain and mines.
TravelerThe campsite at Calico Ghost Town is nice with hook ups for RV and spaces for tent camping. Our boys scout troop spent a weekend October. The boys and their families enjoy touring the ghost town. We hiked around the area and on hills during the day. The facility has running water, restrooms and showers.
RangerThere are 253 different sites. There are primitive sites, only electric sites as well as full hook up sites. Section A came with the full hookup, I saw mainly large class A RVs parking there, probably came for a longer time. I took a space in camp B with only electricity, which is enough for me and my Class B. Basically when you drive to the gate, they tell you to go inside and pick a place for yourself, the ranger will come and collect the fee later. I liked that.
The bathrooms and the park is clean, it has paid showers. Park admissions are also included for both days in your nightly camping fee. The town itself has many little tours that they charge extra for. I only tried the train ride. The ranger was around all day and at night, security took over. I visited in February and it was perfect weather to stay outdoors all day, however, in the summer camping, there might be too hot. I did not see many shaded areas.
If you don’t go when there is a big event there it will be peaceful and quiet. It can get crowded and dirty when there are special events going on there, Halloween or New Years Eve.
GuideYou can’t beat having a campsite AND you can enter the ghost town either by foot or drive to the ghost town’s parking lot. Your camping fees include all that. Very cute little town and lots to see.
GuideI’d give this a 3 star during COVID but it’s probably closer to a 3.5 star post-COVID if not a 4* for kiddos!
The grounds themselves are OK; not much to look at. The bathrooms were old and a bit dirty. The ghost town is walking distance through a short cut or you can quickly drive over to the parking lot.
I wouldn’t recommended visiting during covid. There were only a few gift shops open. I just wanted to grab an expensive beer and sit outside on one of the patios and that wasn’t an option. Everything from the train to going into the mine was not available. Mostly understandable, but still, it would have been nice if there were socially-distanced, safe food or entertaining options. You can just walk around the town right now.
TravelerIf you have to camp near Barstow, this is a good place for a week-day stay. Calico ghost town was a fun spot for our kids, not too busy on a week day in the spring though I’m sure it can be crazy (and hot) at other times. The campsites were hit or miss. We staid in a tent site which was tiny, right next to all the others, with no trees or vegetation for privacy, and no permanent fire ring or picnic bench. We walked around and some of the other RV sites are bigger and nicer. Classic desert views. I give it 4 stars for access to the ghost town and price.
RangerAs other reviewers mentioned, most of the campground is tucked into a narrow sort of canyon just below the Ghost Town. Sites are tightly packed and simple but the proximity to the ghost town, nearby OHV trails, and the ability to walk up out of the canyon for views make this a great spot. There’s little in the way of privacy but being tucked into the canyon makes it all feel less crowded and more intimate than it otherwise might.
GuideAbsolutely love Calico and Ghost Town! There’s something for everyone. Explore the caves and tunnels, ride off road, visit the ghost town and shops or just hang around the campfire. I always look forward to our annual trips!
TravelerWe came in after dark and were escorted by the ranger to the campsites. It was really nice not having to fumble our way through the dark in a place we didn’t know with an RV. Very friendly, sites were easy to drive into and the location is gorgeous
ScoutDirt interior roads, including a dead end that was really a challenge to back and fill the trailer out of. Quiet at night once the off-roaders go to bed. Good hookups. Pretty easy walk to Calico Ghost Town, well worth the effort. We will probably be back.
GuideWe rolled into camp around 9pm and was greeted by a security guard who kindly called the ranger who then took us to a campground. This was great since rolling in at night it’s not always fun specially when you have to drive around a campground you are not familiar with and find a spot.
The night sky was beautiful!! Definitely breathtaking and quiet! The next day we packed up and walked into the ghost town and enjoyed Taking a trip back in time
RangerAwesome! Gets windy, but so much fun with the kids, and the RZR.
TravelerFairly basic campground, not so great WiFi or cell coverage. Was great for a 2 night stay to see the town but that’s about as long as I would stay.
ScoutIf you will be camping with your off road toys, make sure you ask where you are allowed to camp. We made the mistake of not doing the research and had to move from one location to the other.
The spots are nice, however they have a lot of trash that is left over from previous campers. There are dumpsters available throughout the camp ground.
Camping here allows admission to the ghost town, which was a nice area to explore.
Cabin camping near Joshua Tree National Park offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and cozy accommodations, perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the comforts of home.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Joshua Tree National Park is Calico Ghost Town with a 4-star rating from 44 reviews.
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