Found · unverifiedPublic land · dispersedFree
Jawbone Canyon Dispersed Camping
Drive-up · public land · CA · 35.31446, -118.03765
We haven't personally camped here. Everything below is pulled from public land data, USGS maps and OpenStreetMap — a real place on public land, but not field-checked by us. Confirm road conditions, current access, stay limits and fire restrictions before you go.
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 2,399 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
- FFuel2 mi
- GGrocery2 mi
- WWater4 mi
- DDump5 mi
- LLaundry13 mi
- +Urgent care13 mi
- HHardware13 mi
- @Mail14 mi
- RxPharmacy14 mi
- MMechanic15 mi
- ShShower25 mi
- PPropane26 mi
- AAir-up28 mi
- OOutfitter47 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 2 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
public land · dispersed
Elevation
2,399 ft
State
CA
Coordinates
35.31446, -118.03765
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureJawbone Wash (river) · nearby
- Nearest townRancho Seco · ~3.5 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~4.5 mi
- FuelJawbone Canyon Store · ~2.2 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~4.8 mi
- GroceriesJawbone Canyon Store · ~2.2 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid · ~13.8 mi
- Hospital / clinicCalifornia City Family Health Center · ~13.2 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~13.3 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletJawbone Vc -Vault Toilet · ~2.3 mi SE · BLM
- RestroomJawbone Vc · ~2.3 mi SE · BLM
- RestroomJawbone Vc Interpretive Center · ~2.3 mi SE · BLM
- RestroomDove Springs Ohv - Staging Area #1 Cxt · ~7.8 mi N · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Jawbone Canyon Ohv Area~0.7 mi
- Dove Springs Ohv Area~8.2 mi
- Bright Star Wilderness~16.4 mi
- Kiavah Wilderness~18.9 mi
How we know this
Source
OpenStreetMap contributors
Confidence
Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.
How it was placed
auto: drive (road/trail right there)
Field check
Not verified on the ground. Nobody from here has camped it. It stays at Likely until someone does.
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.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Your first dispersed night →Fire rules & restrictions →Getting unstuck →Power off-grid →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 →