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Dispersed camping is allowed on for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation. There is no potable water or developed facilities other than a single vault toilet on site. Pack out all trash. There are no trash services. In the desert environment, even natural items like orange peels take years to decompose. Travel on existing roads and trails. Vegetation in this climate can take decades to recover when crushed by off road driving or parking. Camp in campgrounds if available. Using campgrounds reduces the number of vehicles, so that the great views are not blocked. Have a great time. The Trona Pinnacles are a great place to explore natural wonders and experience your public lands.
POTENTIAL FIRE BANS - CHECK BEFORE CAMPING Last report - bans in effect til 11/2020 (reported 10/2020) Located on the east side of Lake Isabella off Sierra Way. Open camping; Free use area; Chemical toilets. No limit on trailer length. Open year round. Supplies at Kernville
This is an OHV area, meaning it is designed for off-roading vehicles, take this into consideration before arriving.
Rules for OHV areas in California:
Camping on public lands away from developed recreation facilities is referred to as dispersed camping. Most of the remainder of public lands are open to dispersed camping, as long as it does not conflict with other authorized uses or in areas posted "closed to camping," or in some way adversely affects wildlife species or natural resources. Dispersed camping is allowed on public land for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation. The purpose of this special rule is to prevent damage to sensitive resources caused by continual use of any particular areas. In addition, campers must not leave any personal property unattended for more than 10 days (12 months in Alaska). Campsite Selection Dispersed camp sites are located along most secondary roads and may not be marked. Popular locations can be recognized by the telltale flat disturbed area that has been used as a camp site before. Not all flat spots are sites. If possible, please use existing sites to avoid creating new disturbances. To further protect your public lands, campers must not dispose of any refuse, hazardous materials, sewage, or in any manner pollute the surrounding area.
Guide
35.08627305276245,-117.54092669125416 Great space. Easy to find. Away from highway enough. Very windy. Great sunset and sunrise.
Guide
This place is really cool to explore. Nice star gazing too. We took our www.hitched4fun.com RZR out on the many dirt roads in the area too. Had a blast 💥.
Guide
We love lake Isabella and just discovered this free camp spot right on the beach…
Traveler
We arrived in the evening, when it was still 33 celcius (95f), but the whole day it was about 45 celcius (113f). So the place was as hot as it can be. But that won’t change my rating too much. Because if the weather was a bit cooler I would have loved this even more, when we woke up, we were greeted by a beautiful desert. If you have an AC that you can put on during the night, it shouldn’t be a problem!
Travelerwe looked around the indicated GPS point but at this location, but house or ranch, nothing that looks like the photos posted previously. too bad the spot looked magnificent but with night falling and fatigue from the road we finally slept facing the road in the post office parking lot.
TravelerWe stayed here 1 night and had the place to ourselves. It is a very large area and quite beautiful.
TravelerArrived in the dark and woke up to find a beautiful spot. Quiet, plenty of space and very few people here. Be prepared for freezing temps overnight in colder months.
Traveler
We were looking for a place to car camp on our way up toward sequoia and stopped here. Was easy to locate even at night. Would suggest 4x4 and wouldn’t recommend heavier vehicles as it’s a sandy dried up lake bed and we had to dig ourselves out in the morning. No fire pits or bathrooms.
ScoutI’ve been camping at This lake since I was 11. My favorite place caught 100’s of fish out of there. I’ve camped in all the camps over the years but I like steins cove when we had a boat. Camp right on the water and the price is right FREE. I live in Az now but when we go back we always hit the lake. Love it great memories with my mom and dad and our kids and grandkids. Enjoy❤️
Scout
I really liked it! The place looks beautiful, especially with sunset and sunrise and there is a lot of space. Just the toilet was hard to find. You just have to drive 2 min more on the road. It doesn‘t have water, showers or trash dispencers.
Traveler
Very remote absolutely nothing out there. Definitely somewhere you need to be aware of your surroundings. You can get far enough away from the highway that you don’t need to worry about people driving by. There is nothing out here. The road to it is unmarked and very unmaintained Would definitely recommend high clearance vehicle if you want to be further away then 100 feet from the highway. Lots of wash outs. Beautiful sunrise. We were the only people there.
TravelerFirst time going to the desert to camp. After the abundance of rain it was surprisingly green. Several types of wildflowers in bloom right now. Truly got the desert camping experience here. Spring time was ideal, weather was pleasant and mild. The biggest downside to the whole trip was the wind. Best thing I could recommend is finding an area that creates a natural barrier to it. The gusts are strong enough to really blow your tent hard and jerk you awake. The winds starts around dinner time/dusk and really doesn't let up u til midnight. So if you are down to clown, this place is absolutely beautiful. Clear enough to see the stars and if you come with the full moon (or close to it) you can really navigate around by moonlight. There really is only one vault toilet. And makeshift fire ring dispersed around the area. All the cool/good spots to camp are pretty far away from the toilet. Additionally, bring your own TP. Pack in/out and be respectful as this is BLM land
ScoutWe have been here for 5 days. The spot we are currently in has 3-4 bars 5G Verizon. Lots of sites with privacy with varying levels of cell signal. Vault toilet and fire pits.
Traveler
We stayed 3 nights, we might've stayed longer but the wind was terrible. We didn't explore much at all
GuideI’ve camped here multiple times, sometimes with multiple RVs in a group, it’s very private with wide vistas.
Sometimes you can go days without a single car passing by, and there are a lot of spots to just camp since it is all completely level. There are a lot of insects, birds, and the occasional cow and deer.
To swim in the lake this area connects to Stine Cove campground - via a very soft sandy road - which is also free, has a vault toilet, but is shaded by mountains and less private.
There’s a $12 dump station with potable water at Camp 9 and one at Old Isabella Recreation Site.
T-mobile was very slow but Verizon had a good connection.
Heads up that the lake is MUCH lower than anything you see on satellite view, from Stine Cove I still had to walk 30min before getting to the shore.
RangerRecommend entering into your GPS because there are a lot of side roads before hitting the parking lot/outhouse. Pack out pack in area.
Beautiful place to play, make sure to bring lots of water
GuideWe stayed here in June and there were plenty of open spots we just couldnt see many since it was dark. We eventually found a spot about half a mile back. Only one other person nearby. We had a few bars of service on verizon and at&t.
Overall nice secluded spot off the road with great scenery would recommend
Guide
Great place to be, water, reception and camping places spread out, each with a table and a fireplace.
GuideWe drove our skoolie in and didn’t have any trouble with the small bumps and sand. There were a few rvs and one tent, but it is so spread out that we never heard them. There are two toilets as well. The location has access to off-road trails, but the riders stopped before dark and we had a quiet night.
GuideHey, it's free. Weekends are busy but weekdays are exceptionally peaceful. Be advised the Jawbone canyon store charges RV's $40.00 for potable water. Fill up before you come out here.
LegendWe pulled in to spend the night on our way to Death Valley. We ended up leaving and camping down the road at Hanning Flat. Was a big open dirt area with not much more than some scrub grass. Didn’t seem like a lot of privacy or character.
LegendWe stopped here on our way to Death Valley and ended up staying for several days because we love it so much! There’s another dispersed site a few miles away (Stine Cove) and we found this one to be much more pleasant. The two are actually connected by dirt roads. Our site was shaded and had a fire pit as well as trees perfectly spaced for our hammock. Temps were lovely during the day, but quite chilly at night and during the mornings/evenings.
The area is also used by lots of cows for grazing so beware of the patties and lots of mooing. They didn’t bother us, we actually quite enjoyed watching them.
Literal MILES of dispersed sites so plenty of room to spread out. There’s a bit high spot of rocks in the middle at the beginning of the road which was great to climb for sunset views!
LegendDirt Biking heaven! Our friends brought their toy-haulers and we played in the desert for a few nights. The weather was pretty good for November. Plenty of space to have 2 RV’s, a van, and a few guests. Definitely head over to Slash-X cafe if you get a chance and grab a beer while listening to live music in the back patio!
GuideTook a bit to find as the marker on this map isn’t where the entry is. Go past it and take a left on Sierra way, follow to Stine Cove. Toilets and trash at entrance. The dam is being rebuilt so the water is real low. Easy to drive along the beach until nobody else is around. Great views, sunsets, sunrise, stars, cows… truly wonderful. Early January (2022) is great temps for me around 65. Nights are windy so prepare accordingly.
GuideWe went right after Christmas 2021 since the roads up to Tahoe were closed. Due to the weather we were the only ones there for the first night and then saw a few cars roll in. We camped at the northern group of Tufas and recommend a 4x4 vehicle due to the road not being as smooth as the initial road. Sunset is beautiful and the night sky is even more breath taking.
GuideHeard about this place from someone I met on the road and decided to check it out. I made it there with my honda civic. Rough but definitely doable! But for driving the loop and anything beyond, I wouldn’t recommend. As some reviews on Google mentions it, this place can get WINDY! I thought about pitching my tent but decided to sleep in the car instead. The wind woke me up at 3am ish and kept me up all night. So be prepared!(maybe bring some earplugs?)
Overall, great place for photos and solitude. I will probably return and hopefully it won’t be too windy then.
TravelerThis is a popular camping site for OHV riders during the winter. There are several sites at this location that each can hold 5-7 RVs. Each of the sites has a primitive fire ring, but there is no wood in the area, so bring your own. There are no toilets or water either.
It is the desert, so it gets warm/hot during the summer, but during the fall and winter, it is comfortable and can get cold at night.
The sites are far enough away that the noises of the other sites are not usually a problem, but it can occur. In the mornings, riders can be disturbing as they ride by.
Because of the OHV on weekends and holidays, it can get BUSY. First come, first serve.
For someone passing through, it can be a great one night stop and if you live local it makes a great few days away from the grind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Red Mountain, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Red Mountain, CA is Wagon Wheel Staging Area with a 4.6-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Red Mountain, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 dispersed camping locations near Red Mountain, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
