Need Advice: Best Off-Road Camping Destination in SoCal!
05-19-2010, 07:27 AM
#11
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I actually went to J Tree 2 wknds ago. Definitely crowded, but I managed to get a campsite @ Jumbo Rocks on a Saturday @ 11am somehow. I'll check out Apple Valley Hot Springs and Kern, I've heard good things about those.
Another option I was thinking of is just as a last resort going to one of the camp sites up the mountain a bit from the Gorman OHV area, if all the roads are open that is, or as a last last resort, there are campsites off of Liebre Canyon I guess.
Since I'm going on a Thursday, I'm pretty confident I can snatch up a site almost anywhere (hopefully - there ARE a lot of unemployed people out there that don't have to worry about getting time off work to go...). If it's a little crowded, I guess I'll just deal with it, no big deal. It is memorial day wknd afterall.
Another option I was thinking of is just as a last resort going to one of the camp sites up the mountain a bit from the Gorman OHV area, if all the roads are open that is, or as a last last resort, there are campsites off of Liebre Canyon I guess.
Since I'm going on a Thursday, I'm pretty confident I can snatch up a site almost anywhere (hopefully - there ARE a lot of unemployed people out there that don't have to worry about getting time off work to go...). If it's a little crowded, I guess I'll just deal with it, no big deal. It is memorial day wknd afterall.
05-19-2010, 07:54 AM
#12
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Well if you're main intent is to avoid crowds, and you're not necessarily set on offroading to a campsite, another possible option would be to backpack. I took my son's boy scout troop backpacking up in Mt. San Jacinto on Labor Day weekend a couple of years ago, and it wasn't crowded at all.
05-19-2010, 12:12 PM
#13
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Southern Kern or Piute Mountain
This time of year normally is very nice up on the southern Kern but campsites will be hard to get unless you go early. You can try the various campgrounds up on top of Piute which are fun to get to via various dirt access rounds from either the East (near Redrock) or from the West (Bodfish). It is green and wooded with light traffic. Dry camping only up on top.
If you like unique trips that way there is an old decommission firewatch tower you can reserve and rent from the forestry service that overlooks the Kern River Valley and Bakersfield below off Rancheria Road just west of highway 178. A very cool place and unique expereince! My daughter loved it!
If you like unique trips that way there is an old decommission firewatch tower you can reserve and rent from the forestry service that overlooks the Kern River Valley and Bakersfield below off Rancheria Road just west of highway 178. A very cool place and unique expereince! My daughter loved it!
05-19-2010, 01:04 PM
#15
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I second this one. Anza is alot of fun and where I go alot. Bunch of places to camp, and tons of open trails. Just stay away from ocitillo wells area, there will be a ton of ORV action over there.
05-19-2010, 01:17 PM
#16
JK Freak
05-19-2010, 06:39 PM
#17
I would also recommend the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park if you don't like crowds. The ABDSP
is the largest State park in CA and has 700,000 acres within its boundaries, of which it claims about 660,000 acres, the rest belonging to the BLM and private land holders. Approximate dimensions of the park are 22 miles wide, east to west and 50 miles long, north to south. Elevation ranges from
6,000' on the west side to -220 on the eastern side (Salton Sea) Here are a few features of the park:
- There are only two improved campgrounds, (1) Borrego Palm Canyon Campground near the town of Borrego Springs and (2) Tamarisk Grove Campground about 10 miles to the south of Borrego Springs. There are also about six primitive campgrounds throughout the park.
- But, the good news is that you can camp almost anywhere in the Park if you follow a few simple rules.
- The park has 500+ miles of Jeep trails
- There are 330 different types of birds, 60 different types of mammals and 65 different types of reptiles in the park for you nature lovers.
- Temperatures in the park can range from 20 degrees in the winter to 120 degrees in the summer.
Starting in June, you can expect the temp to hit the 100 degree mark almost every day. I won't go into detail here, but the desert is very unforgiving and can kill you in short order if you are (1) not prepared, (2) fail to pay attention to your surroundings or (3) do something stupid.
- Borrego Springs and the Park have been designated an international "Dark Sky" location. What this means is some of the best star gazing in the USA.
- There is one area I would stay clear of if you don't like crowds. That is the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Area. It's marked on most maps, but here are some simple boundaries.
-- Find Ocotillo Wells on Rt 78. Run your finger two miles west on RT 78 then draw a line north to RT S-22. That's the western boundary.
-- Now run your finger east on RT S-22 to RT 86. Generally speaking that's the northern boundary, However, there is a portion of the OWSRA above (north) of S-22 in the Truckhaven area.
-- The eastern boundary is RT 86 from Salton City to RT 78.
-- The southern boundary is RT 78 from RT 86 back to the OWSRA Ranger station.
This is where you will find the quads, sand rails and dirt bikers drinking beer and ripping up the environment.
Anyway, if you intend to make a trip to the desert, I would do it before June. Stop at the ABDSP Visitors Center, just west of Borrego Springs at the end of Palm Canyon Road. Get the latest briefings, buy a topo map and a desert survival book and watch a movie or two. Before you head
out into the desert, make sure you have a gallon of water per person, sun block, a hat, hiking shoes/boots, food and shelter. One never knows. Go prepared !
Fred
is the largest State park in CA and has 700,000 acres within its boundaries, of which it claims about 660,000 acres, the rest belonging to the BLM and private land holders. Approximate dimensions of the park are 22 miles wide, east to west and 50 miles long, north to south. Elevation ranges from
6,000' on the west side to -220 on the eastern side (Salton Sea) Here are a few features of the park:
- There are only two improved campgrounds, (1) Borrego Palm Canyon Campground near the town of Borrego Springs and (2) Tamarisk Grove Campground about 10 miles to the south of Borrego Springs. There are also about six primitive campgrounds throughout the park.
- But, the good news is that you can camp almost anywhere in the Park if you follow a few simple rules.
- The park has 500+ miles of Jeep trails
- There are 330 different types of birds, 60 different types of mammals and 65 different types of reptiles in the park for you nature lovers.
- Temperatures in the park can range from 20 degrees in the winter to 120 degrees in the summer.
Starting in June, you can expect the temp to hit the 100 degree mark almost every day. I won't go into detail here, but the desert is very unforgiving and can kill you in short order if you are (1) not prepared, (2) fail to pay attention to your surroundings or (3) do something stupid.
- Borrego Springs and the Park have been designated an international "Dark Sky" location. What this means is some of the best star gazing in the USA.
- There is one area I would stay clear of if you don't like crowds. That is the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Area. It's marked on most maps, but here are some simple boundaries.
-- Find Ocotillo Wells on Rt 78. Run your finger two miles west on RT 78 then draw a line north to RT S-22. That's the western boundary.
-- Now run your finger east on RT S-22 to RT 86. Generally speaking that's the northern boundary, However, there is a portion of the OWSRA above (north) of S-22 in the Truckhaven area.
-- The eastern boundary is RT 86 from Salton City to RT 78.
-- The southern boundary is RT 78 from RT 86 back to the OWSRA Ranger station.
This is where you will find the quads, sand rails and dirt bikers drinking beer and ripping up the environment.
Anyway, if you intend to make a trip to the desert, I would do it before June. Stop at the ABDSP Visitors Center, just west of Borrego Springs at the end of Palm Canyon Road. Get the latest briefings, buy a topo map and a desert survival book and watch a movie or two. Before you head
out into the desert, make sure you have a gallon of water per person, sun block, a hat, hiking shoes/boots, food and shelter. One never knows. Go prepared !
Fred
05-19-2010, 06:55 PM
#18
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I would tell you about a few of my "secret spots" up in Big Bear, 
but I don't want the whole world to know about it. Otherwise, the spots would never be available anymore! 
but I don't want the whole world to know about it. Otherwise, the spots would never be available anymore!
05-21-2010, 12:52 PM
#19
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If you're interested in some Angeles forest locations near santa clarita feel free to PM me. My buddies and I go to and enjoy pretty much all of the campgrounds in the area, nice and secluded 4x4 trails to get there as well. Although if this wind keeps going up here...