Free camping near Apple Valley, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Apple Valley, CA there are 38 camps: 19 free, 13 fee, 6 unpriced. The closest is Juniper Flats, 11 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is BLM public land, 16 miles out. 3 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 10 on an agency our record does not name; 6 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper Flats | 11 | Unpriced | — | 3.1 mi to Apple Valley Highlands | — |
| Horse Springs Campground | 15 | Fee | Coxey Creek (stream) | 4.9 mi to Fizzben Heights | — |
| Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness | 16 | Unpriced | — | 13 mi to Thunderbird Ranches | — |
| BLM public landDave slept here | 16 | Free | — | 13 mi to Thunderbird Ranches | — |
| BLM public landDave slept here | 16 | Free | — | 13 mi to Thunderbird Ranches | — |
| North Shore Cg | 19 | Fee | — | 1.3 mi to Lake Arrowhead | — |
| Clark'S Ranch Trail Yellow Post Site | 19 | Free | Coxey Creek (stream) | 5.4 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Big Pine Flat Family Campground | 19 | Fee | Coxey Creek (stream) | 5.3 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Big Pine Flat Equestrian Group Campground | 19 | Unpriced | — | 5.3 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Holcomb Crossing, Pct Trail Camp | 19 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Ironwood Group Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| El Mirage Ohv Area | 20 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to El Mirage | — |
| Tent Peg Group Campground | 20 | Fee | Crab Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Green Valley Lake | — |
| Crab Flats Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Dogwood Family Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Grass Valley Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Meadowbrook Woods | — |
| Fishermans Group Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Little Bear Spring, Pct Trail Camp | 21 | Free | Greenlead Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Hanna Flat Campground | 22 | Fee | Greenlead Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Green Valley Campground | 22 | Fee | Crab Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Green Valley Lake | — |
| Barstow | 22 | Unpriced | — | 15 mi to Lucerne Valley | — |
| Big Bear Yellow Post Sites | 22 | Free | — | 5.5 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Bench Camp, Pct Trail Camp | 23 | Free | — | 1.1 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Yellow Post 1 | 24 | Free | — | 0.5 mi to Fawnskin | — |
| Grays Peak Group Cg | 24 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Holcomb Valley Cg | 24 | Fee | — | 4.1 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Dispersed camp #3 — San Bernardino County, CA | 24 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Minnelusa | — |
| Dispersed camp #11 — San Bernardino County, CA | 24 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Cushenbury | — |
| Dispersed camp #4 — San Bernardino County, CA | 24 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Minnelusa | — |
| Dispersed camp — San Bernardino County, CA | 24 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Minnelusa | — |
| Dispersed camp #2 — San Bernardino County, CA | 24 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Minnelusa | — |
| Keller Peak Yellow Post Sites Along 1N96 | 25 | Free | — | 3.5 mi to Running Springs | — |
| Dispersed camp #9 — San Bernardino County, CA | 25 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Cushenbury | — |
| Dispersed camp #10 — San Bernardino County, CA | 25 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Cushenbury | — |
| San Bernardino National ForestDave slept here | 25 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Big Bear Lake | — |
| Dispersed camp #6 — San Bernardino County, CA | 25 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Doble | — |
| Applewhite Campground | 25 | Unpriced | North Fork Lytle Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Lytle Creek | — |
| Dispersed camp #5 — San Bernardino County, CA | 25 | Free | — | — | — |
| Dispersed camp #8 — San Bernardino County, CA | 25 | Free | Caribou Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Minnelusa | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Apple Valley, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.