★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
San Bernardino County
Drive-up · public land · San Bernardino County, CA · 35.18101, -115.61373
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A primitive camping area along the Mojave Road in the central part of the Mojave Preserve. Rock formations to the east. Several sites here with flat spots and fire rings. Desert setting. Kelso Dunes visible in the valley to the southwest. No cell service. Enough room for two or three vehicles per site. Looks like a popular stop, but I had it all to myself. Recommend.
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 3,785 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
- WWater15 mi
- DDump16 mi
- FFuel18 mi
- @Mail26 mi
- MMechanic26 mi
- GGrocery26 mi
- PPropane27 mi
- LLaundry28 mi
- ShShower28 mi
- RxPharmacy56 mi
- HHardware58 mi
- +Urgent care58 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 18 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
3,785 ft
County
San Bernardino County, CA
Coordinates
35.18101, -115.61373
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Nearest townCima · ~7.4 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelChevron · ~25.9 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~15.6 mi
- GroceriesArco · ~26.7 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomMidhills Vault Toilet 803 · ~10.6 mi E · NPS
- RestroomMidhills Vault Toilet 804 · ~10.7 mi E · NPS
- RestroomMidhills Vault Toilet 802 · ~10.7 mi E · NPS
- RestroomMidhills Vault Toilet 805 · ~10.7 mi E · NPS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- San Bernardino County~15.9 mi
- San Bernardino County~21.1 mi
- Clark Mountain Camp~23.2 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
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 →