Best Places to Camp for Free in California
https://www.campendium.com/california/free-camping
See the top places to camp for free in California based on reviews from campers in the Campendium community:
00:00 Intro
01:05 Joshua Tree South Dispersed Camping
http://campendium.com/joshua-tree-south
01:51 Alabama Hills Recreation Area
https://www.campendium.com/alabama-hills-recreation-area
02:46 Sawtooth Canyon Campground
https://www.campendium.com/sawtooth-canyon-campground
03:19 The Pads
https://www.campendium.com/the-pads
04:17 American Girl Mine Road Dispersed Camping
https://www.campendium.com/american-girl-mine-road
04:48 Keysville North Recreation Site
https://www.campendium.com/keysville-north-recreation-site
05:30 Glass Creek Campground
https://www.campendium.com/glass-creek-campground
05:54 Owens River Road Dispersed Camping
https://www.campendium.com/owens-river-road
06:22 Williams Hill Recreation Area
https://www.campendium.com/williams-hill-recreation-area
50 Comments
As a resident of Bishop, CA I live out of my van and am constantly picking up broken glass, bullet casings, toilet paper, dog poop, and a lot of trash on the BLM land out here. From Alabama hills(not too bad) up to the Glass Creek area please be respectful and clean up after yourselves. The Glass Creek area has trash all over it by the end of summer. A lot of it comes from the ATV crowd(most are good people… but as always there are a few bad apples that ruin it). Also please don't be afraid to help pick up other people's trash to help out. This is the most amazing place on earth out here so let's keep it that way.🙏🏽
Your thumbnail photo is another place bloggers, Like-addicts, and Ad$ chasers have ruined.
Before you, this place was empty. Now it's a Zoo and BLM has closed it down except for a few areas. Do you know how much you instaposter types have ruined places that we discovered via a map all in your pursuit of Likes and Ad$. RUINED & now trashed Zoos!
I look at this videos to discover all the places I will not visit again…
Dude, please delete this video! So many people find these planes and leave all their trash
Is it possible to go camping just using a suv
Free camping and 6 dollar per gallon gas. No thanks, the communists ruined that state.
California is really an amazing place, took my breath away
You can pitch your tent on the sidewalk in any town in CA
Great info! Thank you!!
You can't camp in the desert it's 150° you can only camp in the tree so only talked to us about where you can camp for free in the mountains and in the trees don't mention the desert it's unbearable it's unlivable you can't be there
Wiw, thanks for all the places you reviewed.
Movie road is over run. Was amazed at how many vehicles piled in. Inyo County took over Independence and other LA County campgrounds. I didn't know it was permitted now 23. Just drove to the top of last big hill. I sleep on ground. Jeep 2 door. Use vault toilets. Slept up at White Mountain 12800. Open other vehicles. There is a vault toilet now.
I sleep at Grant Lake peninsula at dark. Windy so no mosquitoes if blowing. Get up at dawn. Drive up to Yosemite. T Meadows put each night.
If someone is with me. Go to Lake Mary. Mammoth has everything. Pay.
I go in at dark. Dusk. Leave at dawn. Off 395.
On coast I go Nascimento road from hunter Piggott side. On coast at end left is SanSimeon Cambria right Ragged point sand dollar beach. Then of course rest up to Carmel, 9 miles south of Monterey. Those are biggest coves on coast. Marine reserve.
North of Monterey is nice beach.
In Oregon I stay between Dunes Florence and Yachats.
On west side. Sierra if at Oakhurst I spend weekend at Clover Meadow. Area. I never sleep in NPS. ever.
Worked at Yosemite Rocky Yellowstone Teton and BLM AZ STRIP. Canaveral Seashore.
Yellowstone I sleep in Beartooth. Teton just drive out toward Dubois into NF. Wind rivers have roads lake at South end Lander side. Dirt road goes on west side from south. Comes out in Pinedale.WY.
Loop from Jackson around Yellowstone is 330 miles from Jackson around wind rivers 460 miles.
Around Death Valley and down middle 900 miles lol. 😅
I do it infantry style less than 18 inches off ground. In and out at dark dusk dawn.
Pack everything out. 4×4 jeep 2dr so drive up where most can't or won't. Know the areas thoroughly though so that helps.
395 plenty of camping except 4th. Mono Pass behind Tom's is madhouse on weekends now.
Taboose is great pass less busy. 9 miles up though.
Keararge easy 6 miles up. Cottonwood Lakes you park at 10k no real elevation gain.
White 7 miles up a road. 14252.
Shepherd Pass is long hot tough.
12800
Duck Pass at Mammoth lakes is shorty one.
Gould at Kearsarge 13000 fairly easy.
Dana hot. Hot. Exposed. 13000. Great view.
Electric Yellowstone awesome.
My favorite Barronette Yellowstone from ice box canyon up ridge
Big boy Tyndall Williamson area.
Tyndall is good views. University is tougher. Sierra.
As a Mendocino local, thanks for sharing none of our boondocking spots.
Any of these places not average 90°? No, didn't think so.
Thanks for sharing this video of good camping sites in California. We hope to visit at least one or two.
Trash picks
Pack out what you pack in. BLM will close these places and we all lose.
Thanks for sharing these spots. Most are very close from my home.
I’m watching this 3 year later and I can guarantee that by now these beautiful places are ruined by toilet paper and human excrement. A lot if not most Boondockers are nasty people.
I’ll pass on Joshua Tree 🌵
Paola Juliana Ospibo
California? You couldn't pay me to set foot in that cesspool of a state.
please tell people not to run generators all night long a holes
is there anyplace thats not an ugly dried out desert?
Every time someone talks about free camping in California they talk about the desert God awful hideous desert nobody wants to be in the desert we want to be in pine trees where can we camp for free in large pine trees. That's the question. There ain't nothing good about the desert
Alabama Hills area was ruined my Covid campers. Must camp in designated areas now. And limited available
Joshua Tree is not free to camp.. at all. Guessing it was 3 yrs ago when this video was created. But not anymore. Least not by the looks of it.
Sawtooth canyon. The last campsite way in the back by itself is prob the best camping spot I've ever camped. Was solo and heard some weird noises at night lol
Free California
While fishing is a common camping activity, it’s important to consider ethical alternatives that don’t harm sentient beings. Engaging in wildlife observation, nature photography, hiking, or kayaking allows for a deeper connection with nature without causing harm. Choosing such activities reflects a compassionate and evolved approach to enjoying the outdoors.
desert camping pretty much sucks unless youre old
Lol the pads is just an old RV park. Nothing to do with mining.
Litter is a problem all over the world. I follow Jack & Fran, Busses that sail all over in & around Australia & parts of Indonesia. They find tons of litter in some very remote islands. It's disgusting to see litter…all people everywhere should straighten up their act.
Don’t thinks so I stay away from California to expense and to many democrats that want to control every one 😩😩👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿
Anyone stoked when you watch one of these and they don't list your spot…
Thanks so much for sharing !
The best free camping spots are kept a secret.
The best free camping in california are the places NOT listed online, in videos, in apps…etc.
Lassen National Forest is great dispersed camping
Nice job. Thank you!
Bullet casings?
How do you find the Joshua tree locations?
i wanna start camping so bad and apply bushcrafting skills i learned long ago but… will i get in legal trouble for making a fire? freedom is not free anymore
is these places safe for solo women car camping?
Any where in San Fran is ook to camp. All rivers and creeks too are free camping. You can throw your trash and poo in the creek if you want. No problem just say you are homeless
This MF really just read yelp reviews and uploaded user photos