Want to go dispersed camping near Niland? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your California camping adventure.
Slab City is a small unicorportated town that was originally a small military base. It now remains as a unique place to escape the mainstream.
Thank you for visiting the Hot Spring LTVA managed by the BLM El Centro Field Office. You must have a permit to camp in a designated LTVA between September 15 and April 15.
Every year, thousands of visitors come and enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities offered at BLM's Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs), where visitors can camp for as long as seven months. The Hot Springs LTVA is known for it's historic and still active hot spring attracting both local and winter visitors.
Traveler
It’s technically the Republic of Slowjamistan.
Lots of open space, just drive out and park. Might need an air down/up system depending on how far in you want to travel. No issues for the first 0.25-0.5 mile off the highway.
ATV rentals available. There are some picnic tables and compost hole restrooms.
Ranger
Hippie Hole is a fantastic boondocking spot with easy access to the Colorado River and plenty of nearby walking trails. The campground is right next to the Cibola Wildlife Preserve, making it perfect for anyone who loves nature and wildlife.
Getting There: If you’re using Google Maps, I recommend skipping the first suggested right turn into the campground and instead pulling in the other entrance across from Baseline Road. This route is much wider and less steep, making it a safer option—especially for larger rigs.
Planning Ahead: The closest town is Blythe, about 30 minutes north, so stock up before arriving. That said, there’s a little store just down Baseline Road with last-minute essentials. The staff there are incredibly kind; they even gave us some free, fresh lemons during our visit!
The Campground: Technically, there’s a 14-day stay limit, but it’s clear that many campers spend most of the winter here. Vault toilets are available, though they come with their fair share of spider friends. There’s supposed to be weekly trash pickup, but it’s inconsistent, so we packed out as much as we could. If you plan to stay a while, be prepared to manage your own trash.
The Vibe: The relaxed, friendly atmosphere makes this spot stand out. You’ll find a mix of travelers and snowbirds enjoying the simple life here. The easy river access and proximity to wildlife make it ideal for kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching.
Overall, Hippie Hole is a laid-back spot for those seeking a peaceful retreat surrounded by nature. Just plan ahead and pack out your trash to keep this gem clean and enjoyable for everyone!
Legend
We love this BLM dispersed boondock area. It’s one of our go-tos. There’s always room, even though there are always lots of other campers here. Once you leave the main road and drive on the dirt road for a bit in either direction, people start to thin out and you have your own huge patch of camping.
The road is washboard in parts, but manageable. Heads up that the BLM land is a checkerboard type situation, but nobody seemed to care. People were camped anywhere, and we’ve never seen anyone from BLM come by.
Cell service is great out here. Getting your spot level is tricky each time, and we usually have to dig a hole on one side and use levels on the other just to get our rig level. Of course we fill the holes back in when we leave.
Guideabsolutely incredible views, in my opinion better than the park itself! easy road and so many open spots + so many cool people
Guide
We stayed here for 2 nights and worked from here with our starlink. Great internet - we had 2 people doing video calls.
Each site is pretty large and can fit at least 3 vans but they’re only about 100 ft off the dirt road.
GuideGreat location in proximity just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. There are plenty of spots for tents, pop-ups, campers, or RVs. Fire rings are already established.
Guide
Traveling down Black Mountain road for about 2miles of wash boards before turning down the camping road.
All the sites were empty as it was almost 100degrees outside and nothing for shade of a creature larger than a bird could find. But here we found quiet solitude and a cooler evening, perhaps the winds helped.
If you have furry friends keep a watch for their paws, there’s small cacti/pokeys scattered about.
Lovely sunrise and sunset 360 views.
Good Verizon service!
Traveler
Absolutely quiet and an amazing starry sky
Ideal for tents
Scout
Pretty sandy - would recommend 4wd but i suspect you could get in without. got my jeep deep into the canyon between coachella weekends and was the only person there.
Guide
Drove in..., drove out. As another review noted, it's a big parking lot. Fine if you just need a place to pull over, nothing of value there..., maybe proximity to a hiking trail.
GuideReally convenient if you’re in Joshua Tree. The sunset was a 10/10. Very quiet, but we went in July so it was miserably hot. There are fire circles scattered throughout each site. Cell service for xfinity was great. Very nice quiet night
GuideStayed 1 night in this easy to access free area near entrance to the National Park. No fee required to camp here. Was not busy at all end of March. Fire Rings randomly throughout. Verizon 5G works great here.
Guide
We loved this spot. FREE Dispersed camping is located just past power lines behind the actual hot springs. To stay at the LTVA you must have self contained trailer, van, rv…we didn’t know this. It worked out better-FREE camping and just a lil over an ¼ mile to the springs. It is well maintained by camp host Bill. Vault toilets, with TP & bonus there is great food at The Holtville Taco Shop 7 miles from springs. The Del Sol market has great marinated chicken for the BBQ and the tortillas are best outside of Mexico I have found. We will be back as the sunsets are too good not to experience over and over again…cold at night this time of year…
LegendGreat spot on the river. Private spots or group. Vault toilet and trash. Fantastic sunsets.
Traveler
Nice little spot about two miles from the highway, fairly secluded with many sites scattered around. Suggest arriving before nightfall as it’s difficult to see into the sites at night. I would STRONGLY suggest any trailer vehicles or vehicles over 24 feet, do not continue beyond a few miles- the road starts to become more of a trail, 4x4 experience- narrow corridors and blind hills with short tracts of very high grade. A class A or travel trailer WILL get stuck here!
TravelerBeen here quite a few times. Depending on the time of year, there can be others close to you...visible...sometimes audible. But, usually you can choose if you want folks close, grab one at the start...if you want to be more solo...dig deeper.
GuideThis is ideally a good spot, but the sand is way too deep to get far enough off of the road.
Guide
Drove up this road thinking it would be okay, but as I got closer to the location, the sand got deeper. At night it was especially hard to see. Any of the roads going off the main road were too deep with sand to get into without getting stuck. Had to turn around and ended up parking closer to JT park.
GuideRight outside the park. Several spots to choose from all along the road. There’s a road that is on two sides. It’s a great option!
TravelerThis place should be part of the park system. Stunning diversity in color and rock formations. If you hike to the top of the loop, you’ll not only feel like you’ve accomplished something special, but you’ll also get to see the rock formations and vegetation change with elevation. In the higher points of the hikes, you can see the Salton Sea from afar. Absolutely stunning at sunrise and sunset.
Guide
We stopped at Wileys Well rest area on WB I10. The hum of the freeway & idling big rigs was overwhelming. Pulled up my Dyrt app which directed me over freeway, past the prison & up towards camping sites. There is a lot of soft sand you cannot get around. Recommend ONLY 4WD and knowledge of how to drive on sand. I had traction mats & compressor to pump tires back up. Gorgeous area and far from noisy freeway.
GuideI arrived at 5pm and already almost all spots were taken. I campt on the second site from the road leading to and from the National Park and there was a lot of traffic on it in the evening and well into the night.
No facilities but good cell service.
No shade at daytime, it got hot quickly and at 7am almost everyone was gone already.
Scout
Great area, only downside is it is close to the freeway, so there will be lights visible from traffic as well as traffic sounds / sirens
TravelerIt was great when I got there, they have covered tables with parking beside them, they have spots to park along side the banks, they have a small swimming beach like area. The only drawback from when I was there is extremely windy.
TravelerPristine high desert w/ lots of room, many established sites. Close to Joshua Tree NP and Interstate 10.
GuideVery nice spot for camping. Loved the trails, nice sunrise. Will definitely come back
Guide
Very nice camping area, beautiful sunrise, nice trails. Its pack in pack out, pit toilets. Watch little dogs as the area has hawks.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Niland, California, where you can immerse yourself in nature and enjoy the tranquility of the desert landscape. This area offers unique spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a more rugged camping experience.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Niland, CA is Joshua Tree South - BLM Dispersed with a 4.3-star rating from 58 reviews.
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