★ Field-verified · Dave's ownBLMFree
BLM public land
Drive-up · Bureau of Land Management · San Bernardino County, CA · 34.66823, -116.98405
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on Bureau of Land Management land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Sawtooth Campground south of Barstow, California. Located in BLM land a short drive from pavement. Very nice free campground. This particular site is primitive and is not among the others that have picnic tables, shelters and pads. This is a flat spot with a stone fire ring at the foot of a large rock formation. Enough room for a few vehicles and some cell service. Despite being more primitive, this might be my favorite spot in Sawtooth. Strongly recommended!
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 3,623 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel14 mi
- GGrocery14 mi
- WWater14 mi
- DDump14 mi
- MMechanic14 mi
- @Mail14 mi
- RxPharmacy15 mi
- HHardware15 mi
- LLaundry16 mi
- AAir-up16 mi
- +Urgent care16 mi
- PPropane19 mi
- ShShower28 mi
- OOutfitter44 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 14 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
Bureau of Land Management
Elevation
3,623 ft
County
San Bernardino County, CA
Coordinates
34.66823, -116.98405
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureWater · nearby
- Nearest townThunderbird Ranches · ~12.7 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelShell · ~13.9 mi
- Propane / LPGMain Street Gas & Mart · ~24.9 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~14.0 mi
- GroceriesMCLB Commissary · ~14.3 mi
- PharmacyWalmart Pharmacy · ~14.9 mi
- Hospital / clinicBarstow Community Hospital · ~15.6 mi
- HardwareHarbor Freight Tools · ~15.3 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomSawtooth Cxt Single/Gunnison · at this camp · BLM
- RestroomSawtooth Cxt Double/Tioga · ~0.2 mi E · BLM
- RestroomHodge Road Cxt Single /Gunnison · ~9.8 mi NW · BLM
- RestroomOutlet Center Drive Cxt 2 Single /Gunnison · ~11.4 mi NW · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- BLM public land~0.2 mi
- Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness~0.5 mi
- Barstow~7.7 mi
- Johnson Valley Ohv Area~16.8 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (San Bernardino County, CA). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Hot-weather camping →Off-grid communication →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →