Map showing campground location near Modoc National Forest, California

Camper submitted image from West Tionesta

West Tionesta

Road conditions to this dispersed site require careful navigation, with dirt access featuring dips and ruts that demand slow speeds. The area shows clear signs of recovery from the 2020 Caldwell Fire, with blackened trees and debris piles scattered throughout the landscape. Despite the fire damage, the location provides surprisingly strong cell reception for a remote forest setting.

RV access works for larger rigs up to 26 feet, though drivers should expect to maneuver around road obstacles once leaving pavement. The campground sits just down the road from South Lava Beds, offering campers another option in this section of forest. While the site functions adequately as an overnight stop, the barren post-fire environment may not appeal to those seeking dense forest cover.

Suggest an Edit

RV Road Trip Guides

19 Day Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

Pacific Coast Road Trip Segment: Brookings, OR to San Francisco, CA

Brookings to San Francisco: 3 Day Road Trip

Build Your Trip

Plan a TripAdd

Map & DirectionsWest Tionesta is located in California near Modoc National Forest

Dispersed Camping

Coordinates

41.65884206 N
121.4116785 W

Open in Google Maps

Connectivity

Presented by

T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More

T-Mobile5G
Excellent Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 3/29/26
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
AT&T
No Coverage

Connectivity

Presented by

T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More

T-Mobile5G
Excellent Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 3/29/26
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
AT&T
No Coverage

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Dispersed
Group

Features

For Campers

Phone Service
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if West Tionesta needs a permit.

Try PRO for Free

Drive Time

2 hrs 18 min from Medford, OR
2 hrs 36 min from Redding, CA
2 hrs 44 min from Grants Pass, OR

2026 Explorer Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Enter to Win

Reviews1 Camper Review - West Tionesta

Add Review

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

5.0

out of 5

1 Review

Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed May. 16, 2023

Desolate

Another one of these Dyrt campsites with zero info other than the location- thank you to whoever is adding these. This spot is a little further down the road from South Lava Beds, and would be fine, but we decided to keep going and find something a little less surrounded by blackened and burned trees and debris. There are piles of them everywhere, so I don’t know if workers come through here periodically- we didn’t see anybody when we were here on a Sunday. The area is still recovering from a 2020 fire

(Caldwell Fire, I believe).

Good cell reception, to our surprise. Our 26ft Class C had no problems reaching this spot, just take it slow once you leave the paved road. The dirt road is ok but there were a few dips and ruts that we had to go around. This would make a fine spot to stop over at, but it was a little too barren for us to want to stay here.

Month of VisitMay