Best Tent Camping near Niland, CA

We rolled in after dark and found a spot super easy that was secluded and perfect for tent camping. We had a nice hike in the morning before heading back to Julian for pie :)

Great Area to take your OHVs. Season starts around Halloween and ends in May for Red stickers. They have public restrooms spread through the grounds. It's great for tent camping and RVs/campers, tents. Town is about 25 minutes away, however they have a few stores/restaurants nearby.

Lots going on here but felt peaceful midweek in Jan. 3 spring-fed pools, hot showers quarter operated, clean flush toilet bathrooms, water, hiking trails and ample roads to walk the dog on. Mountain lion country - be alert. Friendly rangers. Clean facilities and well-kept grounds. Horseshoe pits and large group picnic areas. Cute cabins for rent - no pets allowed in those. Will definitely visit again. Many of the tent sites are close together - if the campground was full you’d have little privacy but it’s a large place and there were hardly any tent campers when I was there, though more RVs and vans in the hookup section. Tent site 106 is very private. I liked 109 it was in a kind of bird thicket with privacy from the road etc.

Salton Sea is such an interesting place. A bird haven for migrating birds - be sure to visit the Sonny Bono Refuge closeby. This camp had $20 basic tent sites, some full hookup sites available- paved, some sites along beach. One of the 2 loops were closed. Showers - tho no hot water left when I got to them and most bathrooms boarded up and in disrepair. Ample trash and recycling bins and water. Friendly host and camp wood available at $10 a pop. Check to see if sites are reserved at kiosk if you are coming without reservations.

2 outdoor pools and an indoor adult spa (102 degrees), RV sites with Power, Water and Sewer as well as tent sites. Flush toilets and hot/cold showers. This place is well maintained and the cleanest campground I have ever stayed at. Shuffleboard and Horseshoes courts, lots of hiking trails and things to see. The campground / pools are all fed from natural mineral springs. Pets are allowed within the campground and all sites have picnic table and fire-ring. Small store at the park entrance is great for the simply things you may have forgotten. They even have cabins available but they book up pretty fast. Rangers are all very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed my stay, I will be back.

This campground was away from the primary campground like Jumbo Rock and therefore less crowded. Campsites included fire ring and picnic table. Flush toilets on premises and away from primary sites. Tent sites were very close together and as we found or a very popular site for star gazing and meteror showers. Required aunt of a drive to get into the primary park area and firewood not available in campgrounds (Walmart is the closest location it was available). Camp hosts were very nice however did not enforce quiet hours. We camp with our daughter (5 at the time) and unfortunately we were surrounded by many college students drinking heavily (not Joshua Trees fault). We ended up leaving a day early because of this. Aside from the other campers we had a good desert camping experience. I think next time we would try a different site to attempt to be more secluded and avoid this issue in the future.

Camped here for three nights in March of 2019, in one of the partial hookup sites close to the pool. According to the map of the CG, there are 104 sites and 7 cabins. Partial hookups are closest to the pool/shower area, with full hookups and cabins farther back and tent sites in the middle.  

it seemed to be a well run facility. It was cool, cloudy and wet from recent rains when we were there and our site had a tiny stream running through it. Some sites, including ours, were not too level. The pool was not what I'd call "hot", probably in the mid to high 90s. 

There's a couple short trails in the park, we hiked Moonlight Canyon. We really enjoyed it!! A bit like a lunar landscape with wild desert plants and flowers. The highlight was seeing some desert bighorn sheep!

A small store sits just outside the park entrance and though it was small, it seemed to have at least one of everything you could possibly need, including my favorite Colorado  beer, Fat Tire!!

This park has a lot of rules, some quite unusual. Probably a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before you head out.

The S.Family went camping for my Nieces birthday. Small campground, restroom is a plus, off-roading & trails were very nice. That weekend was very very windy our 2 person tent didn’t fly away. Campsite fit a tent & 1 motorhome & 2 truck and trailers.

A great spot to camp! We were only there briefly, but it had everything we needed. Very well kept, a good fire pit, a picnic table and plenty of space for tents and parking

Campground next to hwy which makes it easy to get to but can hear traffic. Along a wash so just pick a spot. Great for groups. Can get windy so bring your tent stakes.

When we traveled through this area we checked out this as well as Mecca campground. This being the lesser of the two price points at only $10 instead of $20 we considered the difference between the two.

At the time we visited this site the restroom was a pit toilet. Restrooms left something to be desired. The camping area itself did not offer amenities such as hook ups yet a lot of self sustaining vehicles and RV campers were there. We in fact were the only tent campers.

The evening was pleasant and temperatures were moderate. Not a lot of people were moving around the campsite. By morning, the temperatures began to heat up and with it came the flies and smell of death. Flies were everywhere!!! This began to be quite distressing as we were attempting to load up and we dared not even attempt to have breakfast.

I love this area and the very unique history however you have to be willing to arrive late to actually be able to appreciate it without the smell. It is a great place to watch the night skies on a clear night as there are few lights impairing you from seeing all of the stars.

For all my hammock friends I would not recommend this space!!

TIPS:

• Pack a camping pad for your tent floor the ground here seemed a bit less comfortable for a tent camper because of the materials of the ground.

• Do not leave your car doors open when packing due to the high volume of flies in the area, you will end up with more passengers than you came with if you do.

Ended up here since CA closed all state campgrounds (because camping spreads COVID?) We were the only tent campers there. Lake is super lovely, clean bathrooms with showers. Sites have charcoal grills, but no ground fires allowed.

Unfortunately there is a very loud and semi-smelly cow farm next door. I was fine with earplugs but I wouldn't stay there without them.

Hot spring campground in the Anza desert. Such a great place to come and reset from busy day to day hustle. Peaceful and clean, with cabins for those who dont tent or trailer camp.

Not much to do if you don’t like off-roading. There are places to rent Atvs and side by sides if you don’t have your own. Bathrooms stink, but it beats squatting in the sun and sand in your bum. Bring a tent or a trailer and make sure you have 4 wheel drive.

Cool place in the mountains. About 6 miles of dirt road, but fairly well maintained with minor washboarding. About 8-10 sites, most have level spots for car or tent. Small section of petroglyphs, unfortunately some have been ruined with graffiti. Overall pretty clean and well maintained for a BLM site...please keep it that way people!!!

We staying during Spring break (March 2016). The group sites are spacious and include a number of areas to pitch all tent sizes. We were within walking distance of the visitor's center but it remained quiet. The bathrooms were clean and a number of water locations provided. Parking was ample.

We weren’t expecting to stay here but it ended up being such a good camping experience!! The views we had from our tent on the beach were beautiful and the site was super affordable. Site came with a picnic table, fire pit, and access to restrooms. We could hear the road and train at night, but it wasn’t the worst.

Love camping here! Absolutely beautiful! However the terrain is not very dog friendly sharp rocks cut our pups paws up (he is familiar with outdoor hiking) and if you want to do the ladders or ropes... no way. Easy to find a place to tuck away in a tent or truck at night and enjoy hiking again in the AM.

Come slow things down at this wonderfully secluded campground. About 6 miles off the main highway down a rough dirt road lies this hidden gem. Whether you’ve got a boat to launch, a travel trailer, or a good ol’ fashion tent, you’re welcome here! Located right on the beautiful Colorado River! Heads up, this place gets packed during the warm months!

We ended up here for one night in January and were so pleased with the experience. We stayed in the tent loop- grateful we brought along our chemical toilet, because the facilities were very very far! But- the nursing was amazing- we had a few roadrunners and thrashers that hung out in our campsite and dozens of small Birds with the bushes around.

As a tent camper this one was a bit of a stretch for me to feel comfortable, however if you are a boondocker this is an ideal spot for the adventurer who wants to be off grid with a community designed for just that.

Slab City and East Jesus are known as the last free place in America as noamads flock here during cool months and find themselves in many cases not wanting to leave. It is a community without a city limits but with basic rules of understanding that everyone dwelling there or camping there basically respects the thoughts of respecting one another and living self sustaining lifestyle.

Most staying are in travel vehicles of many kinds and have large water catchment systems as there is no sewer or water supply available. For an average tent camper you can visit however there are no amenities making for a rough stay if you opt in for more than a day or so.

There is within the community Salvation Mountain and a outdoor art gallery constructed from the leavings of those in the desert. You will find things made of old parts, used tires, pieces of old buildings repurposed and all free!!

I give it a 4 for the unique experience and urge you to check into the “library” if you make it there. They will let you know if you have arrived during any special occasions such as their community prom or karaoke night at their nomadic bar. Yep, it is a can’t miss.