Best Dispersed Camping near Mojave National Preserve

Wonderful dispersed free camping in Mojave National Preserve. Find the first road adjacent to the white cross memorial. We arrived after sunset and we reluctant to drive too far down the uneven and non-maintained dirt road, but were rewarded with an outstanding campsite for our risky persistence!

The road has many wash out holes and soft sand, but I was able to navigate successfully (and slowly) in an AWD Honda Element. Higher clearance four-wheel drive vehicles will be able to explore additional camp sites further down the road, but there are a handful of sites near the entrance.

Tip: Stargazing at this site was outstanding. Rock formations provide comfortable platforms for laying on your back and watching for shooting stars. Camped here in December with overnight lows around 30 degrees. Bundle up and enjoy!!

Great place for desert boondocking! Very quiet and amazing stars! Joshua Trees all around. Coyotes howling at night. Watch out for cacti which are enormous! A huge fire left a large area of this part of the preserve damaged but there are still some spots where the Joshua Trees are un damaged. It’s a dirt road with some large-ish rocks to get to the dispersed spots. We made it just fine in our pick-up towing a teardrop. 2WD cars shouldn’t have a problem expect. High clearance definitely makes your life easier for sure. Most sites have a rock fire pit and not much else. We opted for a spot against some jumbo rocks for wind protection. It’s a decently trafficked area but wasn’t at all crowded or trashed. We’d 100% stay here again.

• Free primitive campground great for boondocking! First come first serve.
• Right across from the Teutonia Peak trailhead. Perfect for going on a day hike and explore the landscape surrounded by Joshua Trees
• Shell gas station about 11 miles up Interstate 15 if you need to pick up water and supplies
• Dirt roads with gravel with some small rocks when approaching campground.
• Fires are allowed and some sites have firepits. You can always make your own with the rocks in the area.
• The land is owned by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and dedicated to the fallen soldiers of all wars
• The best sites are the two right around the White Cross Memorial boulders. The one near the front of the cross (entrance) is great for group camping. It has two picnic tables and is right next to a large Juniper tree. The one in the rear of the White Cross is very spacious and has large rocks that protect from the wind.
• Amazing star gazing in the dessert with very little light polution
• Some spots may be difficult for vehicles without high clearance. Beware of scraping the underbelly your cars or trailers on rocks in the road.
• Pretty secluded and remote camping. There were about 6 other campers near us -- mostly RVs and a few tent sites
• No showers, toilets, running water. Practice LNT and pack in pack out.
• Wifi is okay -- 2 out of 4 bars (AT&T)

We tried to stay at a few of the other Mojave Preserve sites listed on the Dyrt (17 mile and Kelso dune)  when traveling between Joshua Tree and Death Valley), but a blown tire on our campervan rental meant that we couldn’t reach any of them as they were all down long dirt roads. With the sun setting and a limping van we had to find a new dispersed location.  [Disclaimer: we wouldn't have camped here unless we had other options. Leaving this review in case someone is in a similar situation— I was scouring Dyrt Pro offline for anywhere to go as we were searching that night and everything needed 4WD or a long drive down a dirt road]

The turn off was Aiken Mine Road and we went down it a bit to get off the main road and find a flat wider spot to safely camp.

Along Hwy 127 between I-40 and I-15 there are a number of  pull offs where you can spend the night in a campervan or RV (I wouldn’t recommend a tent unless you can get further off the road). This space we found was very wide and far enough off the road to be quiet, but not too far that we wouldn't be in trouble with the tire. Only one car passed between sunset and sunrise. There aren't a whole lot of options between Death Valley and Joshua Tree if you're traveling in the shorter days of winter and plan to see one of the parks during the day.

I'd only recommend this option if you just need a place to sleep during the dark hours.

There is actually some decent cell service in the Mojave preserve (along Hwy 127) . There are also call boxes about every 2 miles further along the 127.

Cost=$0 also means no amenities. But there were lots of Joshua Trees to be seen and a very, very beautiful night skies because there is NOTHING out here.

Just 10 miles down a great, stereotypical, paved desert road off of I-15 you’ll find an unmarked turnoff as the road curves. The turnoff quickly becomes a dirt road that runs straight for miles. On the right side is the Mojave National Wilderness and on the left is the Mojave National Preserve where camping is allowed in designated areas only. These are marked pretty well and can easily accommodate groups (see “camping” below). The road is easy (see “Approach” below) and I’d feel comfortable taking a 2wd sedan to at least the first campsite which is only about 200m from the road. Fires are allowed in fire pits only which both sites I saw have.

Camping There are two designated dispersed campsites that I saw. I didn’t drive much past the second site though the road wasn’t difficult. The sites are well established and well marked. Some places look like they could be campsites but they are marked as “No Camping.” Look for the established areas with a fire pit that have the designated camping signs. They are located next to rock formations that help block the wind and give you a place to get on top of to look around. Watch out for snakes! The first one is maybe 200m down the road on the left. It has a driveway leading to a circular area so it would be good for a pull through camper or two. It’s large enough for a few campers, I’d say, or several vehicles. Pretty ideal if you had a horse trailer (there is not water source) as across the site is a good equestrian/hiking trail. I chose this one because it was actually smaller and I didn’t want to take up the larger second site. The second site is visible from the first but not close enough to interact much. The rock formation is larger, it’s more hidden from the main road, and has more space for vehicles. Better for a group - even a large one. Check the sign on the way into the preserve to make sure fires are allowed that day. Firewood can be purchased at the market in Baker.

The Approach and Ace Test The exit off of I-15 is convenient - stop in Baker immediately on the right for supplies then right across the interstate is Kellbaker Rd - the paved road that goes through the Mojave. After the mile 10 marker, the road turns right and in the middle of the turn is an unmarked paved driveway. Turn onto that driveway and it becomes a sandy dirt road that runs straight. There are some signs that say “No Motor Vehicles” and “No Camping” but these signs are talking about not leavening the road. You’re fine if you stay on the road. There are some pull offs that look like campsites but they will have rocks across the path and have signs saying no camping. Look for the designated camping signs and pull offs with a fire pit. This road does pass the Ace test for me (Ace was my 216 VW Jetta that I took on roads like this often); however, there are a couple spots toward the second campsite and beyond that I, personally, would do with Ace but if you’re less comfortable, the first campsite is maybe 200m in and any car could make that easily.

Activities The trails are well marked and one can explore the Lava Tubes which is just across the dirt road and easy access. It’s hot even in spring so bring a lot of water - more than you think you need. WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES. I had a fire and it was great to sit, relax, and stargaze. There isn’t a lot of light pollution so on a clear night, it’s awesome. Further down the paved road, there are other things like more Lava Tubes, some mines, and a trail you can drive along to check out water tanks. I like this camp area because it’s isolated and out of town but close enough to get supplies while allowing access further into the preserve. You can also go check out the World’s Largest Thermometer in Baker as well as an Alien kitsch shop and a few restaurants.

Weather I was there towards the end of April and it was in the 90’s and sunny during the day, a hot breeze coming from the west. At night, it was clear and starry and a low around 65.

Cell Service and Other Services I had 3 bars of Verizon LTE and was able to text and send videos and do some of my remote work. There are no amenities; however, Baker is just 10 miles away and has a few gas stations and a market that have pretty much everything from laundry detergent to firewood.