Cleveland National Forest — near Ramona — Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County

How we know thisCONFIDENCE · LIKELY

✓
World-class recommendation
GPS and field notes from veteran overlanders Dave vouches for. The source
✓
Researched
Checked and detailed by Dave — five decades in the field. Public data — no copyright on coordinates
0
Verified on the ground
No dated visit here yet. Stays Likely until Dave's stood on it — or the crowd confirms

A world-class recommendation — GPS and notes from veteran overlanders Dave vouches for, carried and detailed across his five decades in the field. Coordinates and facts are public. Confidence stays Likely until Dave's been there or the crowd confirms — then real field notes replace this.

From the field

A small clearing in a mountainous valley north of Ramona, California. This used to be a campground in Cleveland National Forest, and is displayed on Google Maps as such, but it is overgrown and there are no amenities. A stream runs through here which is refreshing, but there were a ton of bees when I was there. There was room for one or two overland vehicles. Many primitive roads wind around the mountains, making it worthy of overland exploration. Recommended due to lack of free camping options in the area. No cell service.

— field note from a world-class overlander Dave vouches for. Verdict: Recommended. Confidence stays Likely until Dave stands on it or the crowd confirms.

At this pin

A dispersed site on national forest — Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County. The facts below are structured data from Dave's list; the write-up is being rebuilt from real field notes, so it's held at Likely until it's confirmed on the ground.

Aerial view of the land around Cleveland National Forest — near Ramona — Aerial view — USGS NAIP (public-domain, flown in summer), about 660 m across. The pin is the logged GPS, which often sits on the access road you drove in on — the actual dispersed sites are the open clearings on and just off the tracks you can see. Terrain and roads only; not a claim about who owns or manages the exact spot.

✓ Free — no fee

✓ Tent-friendly

✓ Primitive

– No 4×4 required

– No cell signal

Stay limits vary by unit — many USFS/BLM areas cap dispersed camping around 14 days, but not all. Confirm the current rule and road status with the managing office before you commit.

Dave was here

Not logged yet. This site is on Dave's list, but there's no dated personal visit for this exact spot. When there is, his notes and photos land here — and confidence moves toward Verified.

What we don't know

Road surface & last-mile access
How many rigs fit
Cell coverage by carrier
Seasonal / winter access
Current fire restrictions
Water access from the pin
Shade & wind exposure
Noise / neighbors

Everything you need — measured from camp

Nearest: Water 11 mi · Dump 17 mi · Propane 15 mi · Fuel 7 mi · Grocery 7 mi · Mechanic 15 mi · Pharmacy 15 mi

A rough supply run — closest of each, nearest first

1 Fuel7 mi
2 Grocery7 mi
3 Water11 mi
4 Propane15 mi
5 Dump17 mi

Ordered by straight-line distance, not a routed loop — real drive-time is the refinement coming.

Straight-line miles from camp — real roads run longer; drive-time is the refinement coming. Nearest few per category, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Treat all natural water. Open in Google Maps ↗

Been here? Help the next rig.