Bureau of Land Management, California
Learn about camping and boondocking on BLM land in California
Joshua Tree South BLM (West), Chiriaco Summit, CA
Joshua Tree South BLM is a popular dispersed camping area managed by the Bureau of Land Management and located right at the southern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. This "West" area refers to the lands west of Cottonwood Springs Rd, which tends to have more dispersed camping areas than the "East" side.
Imperial Dam LTVA, Winterhaven, CA
Imperial Dam LTVA is one of eight Long Term Visitor Areas operated by the Bureau of Land Management. It's one of the few that is NOT free, during any time of the year. However, the price is cheap enough during the winter season that it might be considered "almost free". Imperial Dam LTVA has potable water, a dump station, and trash dumpsters.
Sidewinder Road, Ogilby, CA
Sidewinder Road runs through the ghost town of Ogilby and into lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This is a popular boondocking area during the winter months. There is enough open space to accommodate hundreds of full-sized RVs. BLM officials "do" patrol this area during the winter months to enforce occupancy rules.
Pilot Knob LTVA, Felicity, CA
Camping at Pilot Knob LTVA Pilot Knob LTVA is one of eight (8) Long Term Visitor Areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management frequented by snow birds and full time RVers during a seven month period from September 15 to April 15 of each year. For more information, see Related Articles linked below. Video Reviews Cheap Winter Camping in California- Pilot Knob Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) Review
Cowboy Camp, Clearlake, CA
Cowboy Camp is a free, developed campground offered by Ukiah Field Office of California, Bureau of Land Management. It was originally intended as an equestrian camp with 27 total sites, but is frequently-used by fulltime RVers and road nomads. The campground comes with fire pits and vault toilets.
Snaggletooth Primitive RV Camp
Snaggletooth Primitive RV Camp, Needles, CA What makes Snaggletooth a great place to boondock is that it remains largely unnoticed by most RVers, particularly during the Winter season. When places like Quartzsite, Lake Havasu, Yuma, Joshua Tree South are completely filled with snowbirds, Snaggletooth remains largely unnoticed. You can set up camp here, and pretty much get away with staying well beyond the typical 14-day limit. The entire time, you may only see a handful of RVers just camping overnight. Otherwise, it’s peaceful to place to boondock amidst the solitude of the California desert region. And yet, Snaggletooth still offers everything a boondocker would want… ... Read more
Joshua Tree BLM South, Chiriaco, CA
Joshua Tree BLM South, Chiriaco, California Chiriaco Summit is the name of a gasoline station stop along I-10, about 5 miles east of Cottonwood Springs Rd, right where it crosses Interstate 10. It happens to be the closest place name associated with Joshua Tree BLM South. This area of BLM land had long been used by Joshua Tree National Park as an overflow camping site. The campgrounds inside Joshua Tree NP get booked up very quickly, and as a result, many campers hoping for a starry-night weekend amidst boulders and joshua trees, get sent to this place. But it turns out, it’s ... Read more
Hot Springs LTVA, Holtville, CA
Hot Springs LTVA, Holtville, California While technically not free camping, Hot Springs LTVA offers “dirt cheap” boondocking in the California desert for the entire snow bird season. We’re talking $180.00 for 7 months (that’s roughly $0.85 per day). That’s good from September 15 through April 15. The rest of the year, it actually is free. However, it has the normal 14-day maximum stay. But, at this time of the year, the weather gets really hot, like up into the 100s. And you don’t have to spend all that time at this location. That price is good for all of the Long Term ... Read more
