We spent a full week here and enjoyed it immensely. Our tent site was large and spacious and even when full, the campground was quiet and peaceful. The hosts were very attentive to the needs of everyone staying there. We had one night during which a nearby, private property had some dogs that barked all night. We reported this concern the next morning, after which the hosts contacted the neighboring individuals and the dogs were quite for the remainder of our stay. The bathrooms and showers were always clean and well maintained. We will definitely stay there again.
Found the camp and sites easily right off the highway across from the Subway Cave. Visited for the night with my oldest son’s Boy Scout troop, troop 16. Tent sites were flat and free of major debris and rocks. Fire ring was put to good use. The Camp Host, Gary was very friendly and introduced himself and offered to help in any way he could. We also enjoyed a very entertaining magic show by one of the camps frequent guest, Clancy. Flush toilets were clean and well stocked, minus hand soap or sanitizer. It was an easy walk from the site to the subway cave lava tube, which was the destination for the quick trip, is not to be missed. We neglected to bring fishing poles by observed many anglers returning with trout for their camp fires. Park Rangers we’re friendly and inviting.
Will return again!
This was a perfectly placed campground near the McCloud Falls, which are definitely recommended if you stay at the campground. Also, go to Clear Waters coffee and the adventure business next door, we had a great lunch and coffee at the cafe before heading north.
We came thru at a time that little OHV traffic was in the area, but it clearly gets busy at this site. Hosts were excellent and helpful, and there is a wonderful trail nearby for bikes. Not being a fan of OHV noise, I would recommend some of the dispersed camping in the area for those that go to nature to avoid the noise of their neighbors.
After reading another review from a backpacker we decided to dispersed camp near the Castle Lake Campground. The campsites themselves are nice with and offer fire rings, but there are few sites to use. The Lake is a trailhead for an amazing hike that is quite popular, so expect some traffic. The view is top notch of both Castle Lake and Mt Shasta
we cant wait to come back again. the crags are beautiful!
the falls are amazing. i love the temperature difference you can experience when you hike to the bottom of the falls. looking forward to going again.
PROS:
+ FREE overnight parking for RVs, trailers, and camper vehicles.
+ Very safe and heavily traffic location. Lots of travelers here spending the evening! Signs say for Olive Pit Customers Only but we spent 2 nights here (along with a few other campers) and no one ever disturbed us.
+ Very flat, leveled, and long paved spots (great for up to 35-foot long fifth wheelers and even 50-foot rigs).
+ Huge lot with lots of available spots. Around 10 spots for larger trailers and RVs, and lots of small spots for campervans and car rooftop tent campers. We saw 4-5 other campers around us who mostly were very private and to themselves
+ Super convenient location near lots of fast food joints, a Starbucks, Rite Aid, and supermarket. The lot shares the same entrance as the Shell Station and Olive Pit Cafe & Store where you can conveniently pick up food/beer/supplies.
+ The Olive Pit has a great cafe and wine tasting room. They sell specialty items such as olives, balsamic vinegar, etc. And they have a great breakfast!
+ There is a giant dumpster for trash disposal behind the Olive Pit
+ There is also a pet area that has a small white fence around a dirted area for pets to relieve themselves.
+ Lots of palm trees in the backdrop giving the place a very California vibe.
CONS:
+ No tent camping, unless it's a car rooftop tent or a pop-up tent trailer
+ No fires/no showers/ no toilets (Although you can walk to the Shell Station to use their toilets which were super clean and well-maintained.)
+ Loud 24 hour carwash at the Shell station. Usually quiets down around 9 pm
+ Bright security lights in the parking lot. Just don't park directly under one. There are a few darker and less lit spots
As of May 2019, the camp was closed to the public due to safety hazards. Otherwise, it's an ok site. Bear boxes, composting toilet, trash bins, picnic table, and a fire ring. There's a trail that leads down to the creek.
Marina RV park was ok, more a parking lot with hookups. There was a pool as well, it sure it was open though. It was pretty clean and comfortable, just no picnic table or even space outside to hangout.
The camping spot was near the lake and good hiking trails. The road getting in you need a suv not a car. It’s very bumpy lots of pot holes.
A simple little spot. There are tables there and shady spots for the tents. It’s quiet and if it just rained there is the sound of waterfalls around there. If the spots are filled up, there is another flat area to camp without a table.
It had been over 20 years since the last time we camped here so I was pleased to see that updates had been made and the park is well maintained. Two loops: Rim Camp and Pioneer camp. Pioneer has over 20 cabins plus over 20 camping sites. We stayed in the Rim Camp; on a Monday the week before Memorial Day, we had our pick of sites as the park was nearly empty but the website warns that on weekends and during the summer, this park does fill up. No hookups so the $35 per night ($33 for seniors) price is a little pricey. Some sites have paved pads and some are dirt; since it rained hard as soon as we set up, we appreciated the pavement. Bathrooms have been updated since the last time we were here in the mid-1990s and they are individual rooms with toilet and sink and (powdered) soap but no trash receptacle. Didn’t check the condition of the showers. The two draws are Burney Falls and Lake Britton. We didn’t go to the lake because it was cold and rainy but there are boat and kayak rentals available, which we would take advantage of during nicer weather. Absolutely no cell service!
Great campsites and clean facility, plenty of great places to see in the area and wonderful lake access
Beautiful scenery and clean facility and sites are setup well with good privacy. Lake view is beautiful as long as the lake is up
Not too far from the river and it's a quiet campground with great sites. Beautiful location
Nice place. Every spot sits next to an olive tree. It’s very manicured. Very close to the freeway but has a safe feel to it.
Drive in and group camp spots with some sites right off the lake (though some spots had rocky beaches). Pretty views of the lake! Bathrooms, trash, and yurts available.
Not a lot of amenities if you’re looking for hookups or anything beyond a place to set up camp, but we were able to set up camp right on the lake in a beautiful spot. Porta-potties were available, and “spots” were first come first serve. Lake access was easy and swimming was great!
We absolutely Love this place!!!! Very family friendly and Gorgeous landscapes!!
To get to Black Rock Campground in Joshua Tree, you have to take a separate road into it from Yucca Valley. So if you are planning on spending a lot of time in the park and don't want to drive back and forth, this probably isn't a good choice for you. There's running water and flushing toilets in the bathroom. Views overlook the valley below, which is nice at night. Not a lot of shade. After all, this is a desert campground, with desert plants. Picnic tables and a fire pit. Flat places to lay a tent. Some trails go off from the campground. We chose to drive into the park. This was a good place to introduce my friend to his first camping experience. We ended up going into town (pretty close) for dinner. (Cheaters, I know!) The other plus about this campground is it's one of few that take reservations in Joshua Tree. So if you don't like knowing whether you have a site or not, you can be certain you'll have one when you arrive here if you make a reservation.
Day use are very nice, camp ok, and very good beach area
Great place. Always clean and cooler than the valley. Good fishing and family/per friendly
Its clean lots of space between campgrounds great fishing the falls are beautiful
I loved this campground! Would go back in a heartbeat. This was the first KOA I've ever stayed in, and I was worried it would be too cheesy/boring (in comparison to the forest/state/national park ones I tend to love), but it was totally fun.
Pros: Lots of clean bathrooms, warm swimming pool, lots to do including a whole forested area with swings, a fort, etc., games, ping pong, decent sized sites. Close to the entrance to Lassen Park.
Cons: Some tent sites were better than others. My favorite tent sites were T6. T7, T8 and especially T13.
There are only a few spots and I think they fill up pretty quickly.
Very quiet during the week. Staff extremely helpful when our schedule changed. Weather was great and Park not that crowded.
we loved this campground! You have options of no hiking and enjoying some spectacular views or short hikes to see even more spectacular views! So even my kids enjoyed the hiking! The staff was so kind and the store is away from the camping by a short walk. Close enough but not to close! Absolutely loved this place for family camping.
Cabins though were not what we expected. 2 room cabin and we got 2 bunk beds and a space heater. Nothing in front room. Bring your table and chairs. Bunk beds were comfortable though!
Because of the rules regarding bear vaults, if you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, you either need to hike many miles through the park or plan on staying here. You can get a permit to backcountry camp in other areas but that takes weeks in advance planning. There is a nearby resort and restaurant called Drakesbad you can stay at too. The campground isn't geared to RVs. Plenty of sites for tents. It's first come first serve campground with self pay kiosk. There was a camp host there. The sites closer to the pay station (8-14) are flatter and seemed larger. Our site, #5 was a bit on the hill. Each site has a bear vault. We paid $16 for the site and then shared it with another hiker. We saw a lot of deer in the area and of course the views of Mount Lassen are awesome.