Best Tent Camping near Mojave, CA

Tent camping options around Mojave, California span from established campgrounds to remote backcountry sites within Angeles National Forest and nearby public lands. Little Jimmy Trail Campground offers a popular hike-in option located along the Pacific Crest Trail with designated tent sites, while Oak Flat Campground provides drive-in tent camping with basic amenities. Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles offers primitive tent campsites in a more secluded desert setting approximately 70-90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Most backcountry tent campgrounds in the region require campers to pack in all necessary supplies, as amenities are typically minimal. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with many campgrounds implementing fire bans during high fire danger periods. Little Jimmy Trail Campground features picnic tables, fire rings, bear-proof storage lockers, and access to spring water that requires filtering. Oak Flat Campground offers pit toilets and fire rings but no water sources. An Adventure Pass is required for vehicle parking at many tent camping areas in Angeles National Forest, available for $5 daily or $30 annually.

The tent camping experience near Mojave delivers a true wilderness feeling with opportunities for solitude even during peak seasons. Higher elevation tent campsites provide relief from summer desert heat, though wind can be a consideration for tent placement. Many areas offer excellent stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution. Tent campers can access numerous hiking trails, including sections of the Pacific Crest Trail that connect directly to several campgrounds. According to one visitor at Little Jimmy Trail Campground, "There's year-round running water at Little Jimmy Springs. It's not overly windy because it's protected by a bunch of trees." Primitive tent sites at Joshua Tree Ranch are noted for their desert solitude, with a camper mentioning it's "just enough cell service to feel safe, but not enough bandwidth for your kids to stream YouTube all day."

Best Tent Sites Near Mojave, California (39)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Mojave, CA

478 Reviews of 39 Mojave Campgrounds


  • Tony  C.
    Sep. 20, 2020

    Little Jimmy Trail Campground

    Local gem of a campsite

    This campsite is located in California and is one of my favorites. Located above Crystal Lake you’ll find Little Jimmy, it’s a backcountry hike-in only campground nestled just 2 miles off the Angeles Crest Highway. It has around 7 first-come, first-served sites with fire rings, vault toilets (which are currently not in service), and vintage backcountry ovens. After parking at Islip Saddle, cross the highway and begin hiking for 2 miles up the switchbacks until you reach Little Jimmy Campground on your right. Popular with Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, this scenic spot offers a chance to get away from established campgrounds and live amongst the Coulter Pines and Big Doug Firs. Campers turned hikers have easy access to hop on the legendary Pacific Crest Trail which runs through the camp. There is no fee to camp here other than an Adventure pass for your parking. In the summertime, bears can be common visitors so make sure and secure your food in provided bear boxes or bring your own bear canisters. As always, make sure you follow the "Leave No Trace" principles and pack everything in and out!

  • Les R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2018

    Buckhorn Campground

    Most beautiful campground in the Angeles National Forest!

    We've wanted to camp here for so long, but we've never been able to get a spot. We finally did this weekend, and it fully lived up to our expectations. Because this campground is set within a ravine that has a stream during the rainier months, so the landscape feels very different than the other nearby campgrounds - very green with tall trees. The campsites have plenty of space between neighbors, so we felt we had privacy and weren't disturbed by any noise from other sites. Each site has a picnic table, firepit, and bear box for food storage. There is a water spigot at the campground, but the ranger advised that it's not potable.

    There's day parking at the end of the campground for the trailhead to Cooper Canyon Falls. In the summer the "waterfall" is barely a trickle, but the hike still has a nice stream and is worth doing.

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 6, 2020

    Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

    Fantastic Beauty

    Nearly all these campsites butt up against the Badlands-esque rock formations with mini slot canyons to explore right at your campsite. My son absolutely loved this place. I loved it. We had a great time!

    It costs $25 per night and has zero amenities but the landscape makes up for it. Joshua trees and amazing rock formations, Jack rabbits and desert squirrels... it’s just great.

    1 bar AT&T if you’re lucky. No water, no electricity, but there’s a dump station near the visitor center. No electric car charging. Lots of tents and small rigs, nothing big. Campground uses narrow one-way dirt road. There are about 50 campsites with a picnic table, fire ring, rocky tent pad and fairly level gravel parking spot. At least 2 spots are ADA with concrete parking spots and nearby restroom.

    Now during COVID time it’s self registration, not sure about other times. We stayed one night and never saw a ranger. The campground was about half full and didn’t fill up while we were there.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 11, 2022

    Camping @ Quail Run Ostrich Ranch

    Great tour and amenities

    General: This is not an official campground but due to its proximity to the Pacific Crest Trail, the owners make it available for tent and RV campers as well as members of Harvest Host. 

    Site Quality: There are no designated sites so you can park where it best suits you on a large and level gravel lot. Since there was a strong wind advisory to last through the night into the next morning, Jessica recommended we park along the trees, and this made for an effective windbreak. There is also an additional gravel lot where the only other RV camper stayed so we had privacy. 

    Bathhouse: I was hoping for a vault toilet so was pleasantly surprised to find flush toilets with a sink, soap, and paper towels. No showers and no hot water.

    Activities/Other Amenities: Take a tour of the ostrich farm – we learned a lot and it is worth the $10pp. At the end of the tour, you can purchase ostrich oil (many benefits), ostrich eggs (sometimes sold out), local brews, local honey, and a few other items. Other amenities include a propane bbq, fire ring, picnic table, and electric outlets (located by each light pole by the stage/dance floor which is also used for weddings and other gatherings). There is also a peaceful garden and a playground. Other activities include ax throwing and archery, neither of which we tried. (A girl scout troop was doing archery when we were there). Quail Run is a family-owned business and everyone we talked with was very welcoming and communication was thorough. 

    Note: the gates are closed between 5 pm and 8 am (7 pm-7 am during the summer). If you need it, cell coverage via Verizon is available.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 8, 2023

    Ricardo Campground — Red Rock Canyon State Park

    Camping heaven!

    General: Smallish (approx. 50-site) campground that does not take reservations. No hookups, one walk-in tent site, and the others are either back-in or pull-through. Some are “double” sites that would be ideal for sharing. 

    Site Quality: Varies. All sites (except four, three of which are designated handicap sites) are a mixture of sand/gravel. Not all are completely level, and some accommodate larger vehicles than others. 

    Bathhouse: Pit toilets only. Some are open air and some are enclosed; the one closest to our site was clean. 

    Activities: hiking, photography. Good night sky area. The nature trail is accessible directly from the campground and the Hagen Canyon trail is ¾ mile from the campground. Red Cliffs is another short trail across the highway; these are the most popular (and short) hikes in the park but there are others. The views are jaw-dropping and well worth exploring. 

    Note that although there is a dump station, there is a $20 charge to use it. 

    We arrived around 1 pm on a Sunday in late March and had our pick of sites, however, the campground filled in to about ¾ full by the end of the day.

  • K
    Oct. 24, 2020

    Tehachapi Mountain Park

    Quiet campground

    We stopped here on the way from SF to AZ in October. There are lots of open spots, FCFS. Vault toilets and trash cans scattered throughout. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a nature trail nearby although we didn’t have time to go check it out. Cost was $18 paid in envelopes at the entrance.

  • Chanel C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2018

    Saddleback Butte State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Snap Buds at Saddleback Butte State Park

    [ PROS ]

    • Each site comes with a shade shelter, BBQ grill, and fire pit (max 8 to a site)
    • Great for solitude! It’s pretty quiet and empty, and there was only two other groups at the campsite so finding a place to set up was not a problem.
    • Sites have a good amount of distance from other sites. Not much privacy in terms of bushes/trees (it’s a desert!) but they are well spaced and the campgrounds is relatively empty so you can pick and choose where to pitch your tent.
    • First come first serve, cash only. Sites are by self-registration so it’s the honor system. You fill out the form and place $20 fee into an envelope and deposit into the drop box. Don’t forget to take your stub to show proof of payment in case someone comes around to verify.
    • You can hike the Dowen Nature Trail or the Little Butte Trail. Both are easy walks with flat/wide trails. Great for kids and elderly (wheelchair accessible)! Just make sure you wear sunscreen, good shoes, and drink lots of water.
    • Lots of flora and fauna to see! From rabbits and rattlesnakes, to Joshua Trees and wildflowers. You can also see one of the oldest living plants on earth, the creosote bush, and they can live over 10,000 years! It’s pretty awesome!
    • You can see granite buttes all around, which is one of the natural characteristics of Antelope Valley. If you want to hike up the buttes it’s a little steep so be prepared.
    • Evenings here are SPECTACULAR. The sky lights up with endless stars and you can see the milky way very clearly. Also, you can watch shooting stars ALL NIGHT. Absolutely magical.
    • Updated restroom facilities with nice flush toilets and sinks. They are relatively clean and well kept.

    [ CONS ]

    • No fires allowed! Which is weird because each campsite comes with a fire ring.
    • Lack of ranger presence, which is a pro or con depending on how you look at it. In some ways it’s nice feeling off the grid and removed, but the lack of ranger presence means that neighbors don’t always follow the campground rules and it feels a little sketch. Camp Host here is awesome though!
    • Really dusty and windy with constant 20mph winds. Our stuff was flying away constantly so we had to take the time to have everything tucked, staked, and held down securely. The inside of our tent was constantly covered in a fine layer of dust, even with the rainfly on. It was hard to sleep at night because our tent was rattling and flapping all night and dust was flying in.
    • SCORCHING HOT during the day and frigid cold at night. Just like you’d imagine a desert to be. If you come prepared, you’ll be fine :)
    • No showers here but there are water faucets if you need to splash some water on your face to cool down.

    Product Review

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this weekend I tested Snapbuds. Snapbuds is an earbud detangling system which keeps your earbuds from ever getting getting jumbled up into one of those hair-pulling knots. I love that they found such a simple solution to a problem that is VERY REAL. If you’ve ever spent time untangling earbuds than you understand the frustration.

    When I received the product it seemed simple enough, but I was a little overwhelmed with how much instructions came with the product. There are 2 ways - original and bolo - that you can set up your snapbuds, and I went with the original. Just be careful when setting up because they are permanently affixed. I screwed that up the first time opening the package because I got excited to snap them together without reading directions and ended up having one less snap.

    Once you have your snapbuds in place, it’s really simple and easy to use. They look a little funny on the ear buds at first, but they are pretty small and light so they don’t affect the function or design. I crumbled my earbuds and shoved them into my pocket to try to tangle it naturally a couple times and they never tangled! The magnet placements really make them hassle free. Snapbuds are one of those products that you never realized you needed until you own it! It’s great for travel and people on-the-go, which makes it great for camping/backpacking. It’s nice to be able to pack your headphones away into a stuff sack or pocket, and easily pull them pull them out without having to deal with the nightmare of untangling them.

  • Rick S.
    May. 4, 2018

    Angeles National Forest Big Rock Campground

    Excellent somewhat secluded campground

    I have been to this campground twice now. I would love to go back again one day. There is a nice size creek that runs adjacent to the campsites, which appears to run only during snow melt. It was dry one of the times we camped there, the other time it was flowing very good. I would estimate that it was probably around 40-50 feet wide when we went there. You do have to drive through the creek to get to the campground, so a small car probably would not be advisable when it is really flowing. I drove my small Toyota pickup through it with no problem.

    A forest adventure pass was required.

    Campsites were very clean. Has pit toilets, which were also very clean. No electricity or water at the camp site. No dump station. Has fire rings.

    We tent camped both times.

    A mother bear and her two cubs did visit us on one of the visits. We did find what looked like mountain lion footprints. There is wild life. No bear containers at the time.

    This campground is nestled in a valley/canyon and is next to Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp #41.

    There really are no views other than the surrounding trees and landscape, but was still very beautiful.

    It is a very quiet place to stay. Depending on the traffic from the nearby Highway 2, you might hear some of that traffic, but it is not bad at all.

    At the time of visiting, we did not have cell phone service in that canyon.

  • Emily C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 20, 2025

    Monarch-Rand Mine

    Quiet, Peaceful

    Quiet place, we only saw one other set of campers. The warm sun the next morning was beautiful but there is next to no vegetation. Additionally, this campsite has nothing so take what you need and leave no trace! It worked for a night. The road in is kind of weird as it runs parallel to another road similar, we drove along one and would alternate to try and avoid bad potholes. Some are inevitable and I would imagine high clearance is needed to access.


Guide to Mojave

Tent camping near Mojave, California offers a range of options from desert landscapes to higher-elevation pine forests. The Angeles National Forest and surrounding public lands provide camping opportunities at elevations ranging from 2,500 to over 7,000 feet, creating significant temperature variations between sites. During summer months, higher elevation campgrounds can be 15-20 degrees cooler than the desert floor, making them popular retreats from Mojave's intense heat.

What to do

Hiking to mountain peaks: Little Jimmy Trail Campground provides direct access to multiple mountain summits. One camper notes, "Many trails lead from here. Including a 1.2 mike haunt up to a little peak (Mt Islip)," making it perfect for day hikers seeking elevation gains without breaking camp.

Water activities: When camping at Hobo Campground near the Kern River, visitors can enjoy "amazing" river floating during warmer months. A reviewer mentioned, "The Kern river float is amazing and the environment is better than anyone could ever ask for at the best price!"

Stargazing: Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles offers exceptional dark sky viewing. A camper reports, "When it's not windy, it's dead-quiet and fantastic" with minimal light pollution, making it ideal for astrophotography and constellation viewing.

What campers like

Proximity to Los Angeles: Several campsites provide quick escapes from urban areas. At Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles, campers appreciate that "Location is great, only a 70-90 minute drive from LA" while still offering wilderness experiences.

Wildlife viewing: The diverse ecosystems support various wildlife encounters. One camper at Joshua Tree Ranch mentioned "Much wild life and plenty of things to see" throughout their stay.

Natural water sources: Little Jimmy Trail Campground offers a reliable year-round spring. According to a visitor, "There's also year-round running water at Little Jimmy Springs" that campers can filter for drinking water, reducing the need to carry heavy water supplies during the 2-mile hike in.

What you should know

Adventure Pass requirements: Many Angeles National Forest campgrounds require permits. A visitor to Oak Flat Campground explains, "You do need to purchase a $5 Adventure Pass in order to stay here and someone will come around to check in the morning. The fine if you don't have a pass is over $500."

Limited amenities: Most tent camping sites have minimal facilities. At Joshua Tree Ranch, "There's no facilities here. Heck, there's barely a sign," requiring campers to be fully self-sufficient.

Wind considerations: Desert camping locations can experience significant winds. A Joshua Tree Ranch camper warns, "Check the weather! We did not and went on a day where the Santa Ana winds were blowing. The day was OK, but the overnight was brutal in a tent."

Road conditions: Some campgrounds have challenging access roads. For Breckenridge Campground, a camper advises to "make sure you are prepared for a narrow and bumpy road, also a short dirt trail."

Tips for camping with families

Cell service balance: Some sites offer limited connectivity. Joshua Tree Ranch provides "Just enough cell service to feel safe, but not enough bandwidth for your kids to stream YouTube all day," giving families peace of mind while still encouraging outdoor engagement.

Day trip planning: Plan activities during cooler morning hours. The region's summer temperatures can exceed 100°F in lower elevations, making early morning and evening the best times for outdoor activities with children.

Site location: Choose campsites with natural barriers or protection. A Little Jimmy Trail Campground visitor noted, "It's not overly windy, because it's protected by a bunch of trees," making it more comfortable for families with tents.

Tips from RVers

Fairground alternatives: For RVers seeking hookups, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds offers basic amenities. A camper mentioned, "Clean showers and bathrooms. Full RV hook-ups. It's absolutely nothing to write home about and really has no personality, trees, or privacy, but if you're in the area and need an anonymous place to stay in your RV that's quiet with full hook-ups, this one does just fine."

Highway proximity: Some RV sites are conveniently located near major routes. One Oak Flat camper noted it was "Great overnight stop near the highway" and "just a few minutes of the highway," making it convenient for travelers passing through.

Seasonal availability: Many Mojave area campgrounds have seasonal closures or limitations. Before planning an RV trip, check current status as several reviewers noted temporary or permanent closures due to weather damage, such as "Due to a bridge wash out and no funds for repair, this beloved campground is closed."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mojave, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mojave, CA is Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles with a 4.2-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Mojave, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 39 tent camping locations near Mojave, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.