Best Dispersed Camping near Trona, CA

A very out of the way place to plant yourself if you are looking for space. I never knew this was here and grew up camping in California. Filming for the remake of Planet of the Apes happened here. There is so much room and a huge choice when camping here, there isn’t however, potable water or shade unless you bring your own. Amazing views and stunning sunsets. Pretty decent star gazing as well, tho there are lights from Trona it’s self and a glow of light on the horizon to the south. We spent a few days camping with family here. It’s easy to social distance when you need binoculars to see most of the fellow campers in the area. There is one pit toilet at the main parking area and some people to camp there as well. Close to Spangler Hills Off Rd area as well.

First 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

Designated as dispersed camping by the BLM, this place is incredible for a few night stay and has plenty of room for all.

Great place to dry camp(boondock). Love camping out here. Most of all it's free.

Camping here was totally worth it! If dispersed camping is what you’re looking for you’re in luck. We drove in and found camping pretty easily on a Saturday evening. 360 views no matter what spot you choose. Definitely plan on setting up camp before sunset so you can get a good spot to watch from all around. Stock up before arriving though because there are not many resources nearby.

Was a nice and clean campsite! Plenty of space to branch out on your own. There were about 10 other groups there and still had plenty of space! It was also 100% free, which is even better! There were 2 or 3 restrooms from what I saw. I highly recommend this spot. Absolutely beautiful star gazing at night.

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.

If you like the desert and being away from everyone and everything this is the place. Great night sky and absolutely quiet.

Recommend 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

We 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.

Aside from it being hot well because it is the desert. It was fun the kids enjoyed it and I did too. It was cool to see were they have shot some movies one being the planet of the apes. Just remember when your driving out here to visit the pinnacles bring water and sweat rags it's a lot of walking and also bring a truck or SUV it's not exactly a dirt Rd. More like just dirt and kinda take your own trail you can't miss it.

The road in/out of Pinnacles is rough - but totally worth it. There are numerous places and spaces to park/camp and when it’s empty the place takes on an almost surreal alien landscape. Stunning night skies, and amazing sunrise/sunsets.

Ease of access

4x4 recommended anything south- west of the pinnacles.

Any vehicle with standard clearance can drive through the pinnacles.

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 💥.

The dirt road is worrisome, but it worked out fine with my Tesla model Y. Lots of great sites overlooking an alien planet landscape. I felt safe as a solo female camper. No AT&T service within a 10 mile radius.

Super chill areas are perfect if you need to pull off and get rest. Nothing offered here so pack out what you pack in. I saw a lot of groups of people so crowds are welcomed.

I was hesitant about this site because it’s right off the road, but we actually really liked it! It’s literally a big open desert flat and you park wherever so there’s plenty of room for privacy. As far as facilities, there are 2 privies and that’s it, so you’ll be dry camping. Some sites are more trashed so watch for broken glass but overall it’s pretty clean. There are plenty of man made fire pits. Star gazing was on point! Sunrises and sunsets were also pretty dope. It’s a OHV staging area so there’s lots of people dirt biking in the morning but we were up by the time there started zooming around. We’d def stay here again for a night of rest after a day of driving.

We 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.

We were the only ones here. So quiet and serene. Not a lot of glass in this spot like stated. We will be back one day.