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"I camped down the road from the designated camping grounds. The road is sandy, rocky, and hilly with rivets and ruts. I made it in an AWD Subaru, but be careful."
"This designated dispersed camping area is at 17 Mile Point, the approximate halfway point on the Mojave Rd between Soda Springs and Marl Springs."
"Showed up past midnight and it was still really easy to find a flat spot to park our camper van. It was very quiet all night & the sky was amazing!"
"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."
"This is a great spot for an overnight stay about 11 miles down Kelbaker Road from Highway 15."
LegendThis campground lies within the most populous state in our union, but feels like it’s a million miles from nowhere. The only thing that might remind you of civilization is the distant glow of interstate trucks moving along the highway which cuts through the Mojave National Preserve some 30 miles distant.
Situated on a high vantage point the sites offer options to observe the vastness of this desert plain. The sites are mostly small with only a few offering room for larger rigs but lots of space in between sites. The campground loop road is dirt and narrow, so maybe scout ahead if you need more clearance for turns. The picnic table, tent pad, and fire ring are cool, and the vault toilets are super clean, at least when we were there.
Fresh water is available at the Visitor’s Center just down the road. You can hike, road bike or mountain bike right out of the campsite. In fact, one of the coolest hikes we’ve been on is the famous “hole in the wall” which makes you twist through these beautiful marble canyon walls. While it’s not for the faint of heart, it is easy enough for anyone who can climb a ladder. Other, less committing hikes are all around, including some longer distance trails.
Access to the campground and visitor’s center is easy and paved, but north of the campground the road is 4 wheel drive access only. This makes it great for mountain or cyclocross bikes, with fewer cars and traffic. Driving through the park can be an adventure in and of itself. There’s not much nearby at all so come prepared to be self-sufficient. The nearest towns with restaurants are to the east or west along the interstate.
LegendThis campground lies within the most populous state in our union, but feels like it’s a million miles from nowhere. The only thing that might remind you of civilization is the distant glow of interstate trucks moving along the highway which cuts through the Mojave National Preserve some 30 miles distant.
Situated on a high vantage point the sites offer options to observe the vastness of this desert plain. The sites are mostly small with only a few offering room for larger rigs but lots of space in between sites. The campground loop road is dirt and narrow, so maybe scout ahead if you need more clearance for turns.
The picnic table, tent pad, and fire ring are cool, and the vault toilets are super clean, at least when we were there. Fresh water is available at the Visitor’s Center just down the road.
You can hike, road bike or mountain bike right out of the campsite. In fact, one of the coolest hikes we’ve been on is the famous “hole in the wall” which makes you twist through these beautiful marble canyon walls. While it’s not for the faint of heart, it is easy enough for anyone who can climb a ladder. Other, less committing hikes are all around, including some longer distance trails.
Access to the campground and visitor’s center is easy and paved, but north of the campground the road is 4 wheel drive access only. This makes it great for mountain or cyclocross bikes, with fewer cars and traffic. Driving through the park can be an adventure in and of itself -- defnitely go see the Joshua Tree forest and the lava caves on the north side of the preserve.
There’s not much nearby at all so come prepared to be self-sufficient. The nearest towns with restaurants are to the east or west along the interstate.
LegendWe wanted to check out ZZYZX but there was no camping there so we had to explore other options. Really wanting to be as close to the dried salt lake area where you can literally yell out and hear your voice echo for miles we discovered Hole-In-The-Wall. It sounded a bit funny considered it was in the middle of the desert and everything is like a hole in the wall as you pass through miles and miles of nothingness, but we gave it a shot and were very pleased.
It is a first come first serve campsite but when we were there that wasn't an issue there were only a few campers. It made for a quiet night in the desert where we were surrounded by low laying vegetation and views of the mountains around. It looked like a pretty large campground overall with lots of sites each with a picnic table and fire ring.
There was no potable water when we were there and only pit toilets. Pretty basic, no hook ups and no showers.
It was pleasant though and I would say it made us happy that we had stumbled upon it. It was $12 fo the night for our site and I did notice that those having the senior card could get a discount, so something to look forward to when I get older!!
It was pretty no frills camping. But since we always come prepared we had firewood ready to go and were able to enjoy setting up then venturing over to ZZYZX to check out the "abandoned" site, which is actually partially used as a research facility and partially a ruin of times passed. Really unique experience from every angle.
TIPS:
Pack extra water since there is none available and if you are interested in a shower make sure you have an outdoor shower bag already filled before you arrive.
While you can have a generator they do have a quiet hours policy for other guest. The campground is so quiet at night and everything echoes in the canyon.
Do not camp in washes because even though it seems dry when rain comes it quickly moves across the desert and will flood these areas and create very scary conditions.
TravelerFollow on You tube: https://www.youtube.com/@prince\_chopra\_TWE
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We stopped overnight at Amboy Crater during our vanlife road trip in our Hi 5 Campervan, and it was one of the most surreal camping spots we’ve experienced. It’s boondocking-style, so don't expect any hookups— but the peace, stars, and Mars-like vibes make it worth it.✅ What we loved: Easy access right off Route 66. Ample parking space for our Hi 5 campervan(ours is about 11 ft tall— no issues at all). Uninterrupted views of the crater and desert. Free and quiet overnight stay(just be respectful and leave no trace). Perfect for catching a sunrise or drone shot!⚠️ Good to know: No water or amenities— bring your own supplies. Cell service is very weak, so download offline maps in advance. Gets windy at night, so secure your gear. Trail to the crater rim is doable but not shaded— hike early morning or sunset.🎥 This spot was a dream for content creation. We got epic drone boomerang shots of our van parked solo in the desert. You won't find a vibe like this in Canada!
TravelerHaving camped here twice this year, it's a favorite of mine. Temps are decent, even in January (mid-30s for lows) and perfect in April. Tree cover is still a bit sparse and hiking options are limited, but it's a great place to set up camp and do absolutely nothing. Normally, water is available, but they are revamping the water system and the result is that there is no water available at the campground until Spring 2019, so be sure you bring plenty with you.
TravelerWe stayed here for two nights both of which were quite windy so stake down your tent extra tight. The views here are definitely what make this place worth it to camp at. The Ring Loop trail is also a blast. Theres potable water available and we payed a total of $24 for two nights here. I would definitely visit again.
GuidePros: very quiet campground, with sites that are some distance apart. Absolutely breathtaking scenery - this campground is in the valley between hills and the undeveloped land around the campsites is covered in an amazing variety of cacti. The cost is also reasonable at $12/night. The tent sites are nicely designed with a large tent pad, a picnic table, and fire ring. The visitors' center is very close up the road, and they have flush toilets and water, as well as a very small gift shop, but not really anything else.
Cons: The only way to get to the campground is driving for about a 1-2 hours on unpaved roads, which are rough in some spots. Once you get there, there are only pit toilets and no sinks or showers. There is usually potable water in the campground, but that was also unavailable during my visit because of drought conditions (however that info was easily found on the website and I was prepared for that). But by far the worst thing about this campground was the wind. It was breezy all day, which was fine, but at about 9 or 10 pm at night the winds picked up to about 30-40 mph sustained through the whole night, with gusts of ~50 mph. It definitely caught myself off guard, and by the looks of the remaining tents the next morning it caught a lot of other campers off guard also.
If the conditions are like that most of the time (possible since it's in a valley?), I wouldn't tent camp there again because it wasn't relaxing at all. But if that was a fluke or I had an RV, I would consider another stay there. There were a lot of ORVs in the area, and I think anyone who enjoys doing that would love this campground.
TravelerPure Review:
Stayed here on the 29th of May 2021. Was a little warm during the day but hella cool at night. The campground is kinda remote, way better than "Hole in The Wall." You can get there in a 2wd car during dry conditions. Nice sites with a table and fire pit. Room for trailer or tent camping. Might have to arrive early to get a good site.
************************FACTS*********************************************
Price: $12 (first come basis)
Water: NO
Amenities: Picnic tables and fire ring/grill
Access: A freaking Prius made it
Cell service: Verizon 2-3 bars @ top of hill next to site 24
Pit toilet: Clean
Privacy: Yes/NO depends on your site.
Pure Tip:
Drive the loop before you pick a site. Better ones are at the back. Enjoy!!
RangerStayed: 6/2/2022
Cost: $12 (exact change)
Site: 16
Vehicle: GMC Terrain
Equipment: Tent
AT&T and T-Mobile: Slow but usable
We made the trek out to Hole-in-the-Wall at Mojave National Preserve for one night. It was a much longer dirt road than I had imagined and you go up in elevation. It took almost a half-hour to get to the campground from Cedar Canyon Road.
This is a First Come, First Served NPS campground. We started the loop a little worried because every site was tagged, but by the time we got back over to the first loop, we had our pick of sites. We chose 16 because of the great view and it being directly next to the pit toilet. (The cleanest pit toilet I’ve ever seen)! The campground also has potable water, plenty of dumpsters and a dump station.
We wanted to stay here because we were finishing off our trip the next morning at the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center. It is directly next door, you can even see the lot from the campground.
This was a great place to stay, but maybe it would have been more worth it to stay at least a couple nights. I definitely didn’t realize the trek it was to get here, from the main part of the park. Everything is super spread out at Mojave.
#DareToEverywhere
Tent camping near Mojave National Preserve in California offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning desert landscapes while enjoying the tranquility of nature. With a variety of well-reviewed spots, campers can find the perfect place to set up their tents and explore the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mojave National Preserve?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mojave National Preserve is Providence Mountains State Recreation Area with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Mojave National Preserve, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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