Desert Camping

Desert Camping Overview

California has literally thousands of campgrounds. Below, you'll find campgrounds from Death Valley to Anza-Borrego with conveniences like flush toilets and showers, as well as popular and unique campgrounds to help you narrow the choice. These include campgrounds in National Parks, State Parks, County Parks and privately owned resorts. Camping locations in the Desert include campsites at Death Valley National Park, under the the Joshua trees at Joshua Tree National Park, at a historical ghost town, along side the Colorado River and among the wild flowers of Anza-Borrego. We've included as much detail as possible so you have a better idea of what to expect and whether reservations are required in advance.

PETS: Dogs are allowed at almost all campgrounds but must be kept on a leash, picked up after, and never left unattended. Most beach campgrounds allow dogs in the campground but not on the beach.

CAMPING CHECKLIST - download our checklist of camping essentials and you won't forget anything at home.

REI - rents camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags, stoves, lanterns and more.

TIP: Looking for some late night campsite entertainment? Check out www.seasky.org for their celestial calendar including meteor showers.

California State Park Closures are expected to begin in 2012 because of California's budget crisis. Check here for an update on park closures.

Desert Campgrounds
BACK TO TOP

Death Valley National Park is located east of Lone Pine via highway 190 and north of Baker via highway 127. Death Valley is the hottest, driest and lowest point in the United States and can reach temperatures over 120 degrees in the summer. Activities include sightseeing, road & mountain biking, off-roading, hiking, and camping. Spring is the best season to see this park for its 'desert in bloom'. Area attractions include the town of Furnace Creek where a museum, visitor center and resort can be found. There are a total of 9 campgrounds in Death Valley of which, we list the 5 most popular.

 Check our Death Valley blog for more details.
 See our Death Valley photo album on Flickr.

Death Valley National Park
Highway 190
Death Valley, California 92328
Reservations: (800) 365-2267
Map  |   Park Map  |   Furnace Creek Reservations  |   Furnace Creek Campground Map  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

• Mesquite Spring Campground offers 30 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire ring, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served.

• Stovepipe Wells Campground offers 200 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire ring, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served. Showers, groceries and laundry facilities are available in the Stovepipe Wells Village.

• Furnace Creek Campground offers 136 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire ring, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. Reservations recommended. Showers and pool access are available for a fee at the adjacent Furnace Creek Ranch. Groceries and other amenities are available in the Furnace Creek Village.

• Sunset/Furnace Creek Campground offers over 1,000 campsites for tent or RV camping. Flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served.

• Texas Spring/Furnace Creek Campground offers 92 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire ring, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served.

Tecopa Hot Springs Campground is located off Highway 127 between Death Valley and Baker. Tecopa Hot Springs features natural mineral hot springs that are enclosed and separated for men or women. Another popular activity is rock hounding for amethyst, opal and petrified wood. The campground offers 200 campsites for tent or RV camping, some with hook-ups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill, flush toilets and showers. Reservations recommended.

Tecopa Hot Springs Campground
Tecopa Hot Springs Road
Tecopa, CA 92389
(760) 852-4481
Map  |   Call for Reservations  |   Website  |   Resort Website   |   Other Ideas

Millpond Campground is located off Interstate 395 north of Bishop. Situated at the base of the Sierra Nevada range, Millpond features a small swimming pond, campground, archery range, softball fields, tennis courts, horseshoe pits and picnic facilities. The Campground offers 60 campsites for tent or RV camping, some with hook-ups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill, flush toilets, showers and concession stand. Reservations recommended.

Millpond Campground
Sawmill Road
Bishop, CA 93514
(760) 873-5577
Map  |   Call for Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Brown's Town Campground is located off Interstate 395 south of Bishop. Situated next to the Bishop Golf Course, Brown's Town features a campground, horseshoe pits, game room and playground. The Campground offers 150 campsites for tent or RV camping, some with hook-ups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill, flush toilets, showers and general store. Reservations recommended.

Brown's Town Campground
Highway 395
Bishop, CA 93514
(760) 873-8522
Map  |   Call for Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Glacier View Campground is located off Interstate 395 north of Big Pine. Situated at the base of the Sierra Nevada range, Glacier View offers campsites for tent or RV camping, some with hook-ups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill, flush toilets and showers. Reservations recommended.

Glacier View Campground
Interstate 395
Big Pine, CA 93514
(760) 873-5577
Map  |   Call for Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Diaz Lake Campground is located off Interstate 395 south of Lone Pine. Diaz Lake is a small lake offering activities like boating, fishing, water-skiing and swimming. The campground offers 200 campsites for tent or RV camping, some with hook-ups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill and flush toilets. Reservations recommended.

Diaz Lake
5007 South Main Street
Lone Pine, CA 93545
(760) 876-4700
Map  |   Call for Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Joshua Tree National Park is located off highway 62 just north of Palm Springs. Sightseeing, road & mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and camping are the major activities to be enjoyed in Joshua Tree. Joshua Tree offers 9 campgrounds and all but 2 are just above primitive standards. Black Rock and Cottonwood are the only camps with flushing toilets and running water.

Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, California 92277-3597
Reservations: (800) 365-2267
Map  |   Park Map  |   Black Rock Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

• Black Rock Campground offers 100 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire grates, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. Reservations required.

• Cottonwood Campground offers 62 campsites for tent or RV camping. Flush toilets. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served. Group campsites can be reserved.

• Indian Cove Campground offers 101 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served. Group campsites can be reserved.

• Hidden Valley Campground offers 39 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served.

• Ryan Campground offers 31 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served.

• Sheep Pass Campground offers 6 group campsites only. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. Group campsites can be reserved.

• Jumbo Rocks Campground offers 124 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served.

• Belle Campground offers 100 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served.

• White Tank Campground offers 15 campsites for tent or RV camping. Vault toilets. Bring your own water because there is none available at this camp. First-come first-served.

Lake Cahuilla Campground is located southeast of La Quinta off Interstate 10 and Monroe Street. Features include a small fishing lake and swimming pool. Lake Cahuilla offers 56 campgrounds for tent or RV camping with hookups. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, flush toilets, showers and shade awnings. RV dumpstation available.

Lake Cahuilla
58-075 Jefferson Street
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 564-4712
Map  |   Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Calico Campground is located off Interstate 15 northeast of Barstow. Calico is a historic ghost town. Once known for mining silver, borax and gold, Calico today attracts tourists. Atractions include the Maggie Mine, train rides, glass bottle house, restaurants, gift shops, and multiple shows including Tombstone-style gunfights. Learn more about Calico on our Points of Interest page. Calico offers 265 campsites for tent or RV camping. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, grill, flush toilets and showers. RV dump stations available. Reservations recommended.

Calico
Ghost Town Road
Yermo, CA 92398
(760) 254-2122
Map  |   Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Moabi Campground is located off Interstate 40 south of Needles, along side the Colorado River. Features include a boat launch, marina, store and canoe & kayak rentals. Moabi offers 35 full hookup RV campsites and unlimited tent camping. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, flush toilets and showers. RV dumpstations available. First-come first-served.

Moabi
Park Moabi Road
Needles, California 92363
(760) 326-3831
Map  |   Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Mayflower Park Campground is located off Interstate 10 north of Blythe, along side the Colorado River. Features include a boat launch, day use area, shuffleboard and horseshoes. Mayflower offers 152 campgrounds for tent or RV camping. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, flush toilets and showers. RV dumpstation available. First-come first-served.

Mayflower Park
4980 Colorado River Road
Blythe, CA 92225
(760) 922-4665
Map  |   No Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Salton Sea State Recreation Area Campground is located east of San Diego and south of Palm Springs along highways 78 and 86. This is a huge, 40-mile long and 20-mile wide lake that formed as the result of a dam breakage in 1905. Activities include camping, boating, hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. Boat performance is increased due to its 228 feet below sea level elevation. Off-roading is popular in nearby Ocotillo Wells. Salton Sea offers over 100 campgrounds for tent or RV camping. Features include a picnic table, fire ring, flush toilets and showers. RV dumpstation available. Reservations recommended.

Salton Sea
100-225 State Park Road
North Shore, California 92254

(760) 393-3052 or (760) 393-3059
Map  |   Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

Anza-Borrego State Park is located east of San Diego on highway 78. This area is a playground for off-roaders with the Octotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area and Borrego Badlands within its boundaries. Other activities include hiking and wildlife viewing of bighorn sheep, roadrunners and other desert species. Anza-Borrego offers 4 campgrounds but only 2 are above primitive standards and are listed below.

Anza-Borrego
200 Palm Canyon Drive
Borrego Springs, California 92004
Reservations: (800) 444-7275
Map  |   Reservations  |   Website  |   Other Ideas

• Borrego Palm Canyon Campground offers 117 campsites for tent or RV camping. Amenities include a picnic table, fire grates, and flush toilets. RV dumpstation and hook-ups available. Reservations required.

• Tamarisk Grove Campground offers 27 campsites for tent or RV camping. Flush toilets. Reservations required.

Camping by Region
BACK TO TOP