Wild Pitch Camp

Free & dispersed camping in California

We currently track 80 dispersed and free-camping locations in California, drawn from public OpenStreetMap data and cross-referenced against BLM, Inyo / Sequoia / Six Rivers National Forest and state trust land. California sits in the California and offers some of the most generous public-land access in the country for self-reliant campers. Unlike the reservation-driven world of state-park and KOA-style campgrounds, the sites listed here are largely first-come, first-served, with minimal infrastructure and a 14-day stay limit on most federal parcels. Expect dirt roads, no hookups, and zero cell service — that's the appeal. The trade-off is that you carry the responsibility for water, waste, fire safety, and respectful land use. Browse the directory below by name, then click into any listing for facility detail, GPS coordinates, and field notes specific to that pitch.

Directory
80 named campsites
 Regions
4 curated zones in California
 Rules
Permits, fire, stay limits
80 documented sites Region: California

Curated regions in California

The dispersed-camping inventory in California concentrates in a handful of regional zones. Each one has its own brief — managers, named pull-outs, season, elevation.

May–October

Eastern Sierra

Inyo National Forest; BLM Bishop Field Office

Region brief →
May–October

Lost Coast & Six Rivers

Six Rivers National Forest; BLM Arcata Field Office

Region brief →
October–April

Mojave & Death Valley Edge

BLM Needles, Barstow, & Ridgecrest Field Offices

Region brief →
June–October

Modoc Plateau

Modoc National Forest; BLM Alturas Field Office

Region brief →

All documented campsites in California

Sorted alphabetically. Tap any row for facilities, GPS coordinates, and a 300+ word field-grounded write-up.

  1. Alder Creek Campground

    Basic · 40.209, -121.497

    Fee: unspecified

  2. Ananias Camp

    Basic · 41.546, -123.202

    Fee: unspecified

  3. Angler

    Basic · 34.411, -119.338

    Fee: unspecified

  4. Arbuckle Flat Boat in Campground

    Basic · 40.765, -122.119

    Fee: unspecified

  5. Aspen Hollow Group Campground

    Basic · 36.780, -118.905

    Fee: unspecified

  6. Azalea Cove Campground

    Basic · 38.881, -120.370

    Free

  7. Bear Valley Group Area

    Basic · 39.307, -120.668

    Fee: unspecified

  8. Belknap Campground

    Basic · 36.142, -118.598

    Fee: yes

  9. Black Canyon South Site

    Basic · 34.935, -115.412

    Fee: unspecified

  10. Bootjack Campground

    Basic · 37.909, -122.602

    Fee: unspecified

  11. Bort Meadow Group Camp

    Standard · 37.780, -122.130

    Fee: $200/night

  12. Buck Pasture #12

    Basic · 38.705, -123.060

    Fee: yes

  13. Buck Pasture #2

    Basic · 38.704, -123.057

    Fee: yes

  14. Cachuma

    Basic · 34.698, -119.913

    Fee: unspecified

  15. Chilcoot Creek

    Basic · 41.332, -122.576

    Fee: unspecified

  16. Chipmunk Flat Campground

    Basic · 38.324, -119.693

    Fee: unspecified

  17. Cold Spring Camp

    Basic · 36.212, -121.680

    Fee: unspecified

  18. Cold Springs Campground

    Basic · 39.317, -120.464

    Fee: unspecified

  19. Crestline Group Campground

    Basic · 33.313, -116.864

    Fee: yes

  20. Egret

    Basic · 34.417, -119.342

    Fee: unspecified

  21. Eightmile Camp

    Basic · 41.165, -123.425

    Fee: unspecified

  22. Foreman Creek Campground (Boat-In)

    Basic · 39.580, -121.464

    Fee: unspecified

  23. Free overnight Forrest parking, tents possible

    Basic · 40.342, -123.915

    Fee: unspecified

  24. Friends of the Rubicon Camping Area

    Basic · 39.014, -120.258

    Fee: unspecified

  25. Goat Harbor

    Basic · 33.416, -118.395

    Fee: unspecified

  26. Gooseberry

    Basic · 33.806, -116.664

    Fee: unspecified

  27. Greens Creek Campground

    Basic · 40.826, -122.255

    Fee: unspecified

  28. Group Camp Site

    Basic · 33.652, -117.600

    Fee: unspecified

  29. Group Campground 3

    Basic · 34.370, -118.524

    Fee: unspecified

  30. Handy Camp

    Basic · 39.176, -120.388

    Fee: unspecified

  31. Hanging Valley Campground

    Basic · 36.169, -121.495

    Fee: unspecified

  32. Hanson Ridge Trail Camp

    Basic · 40.310, -124.013

    Fee: yes

  33. Herring Creek Reservoir Campground

    Basic · 38.249, -119.935

    Fee: unspecified

  34. Hike and Bike Campsites

    Basic · 41.358, -124.030

    Fee: yes

  35. Hope Valley Campground

    Basic · 38.730, -119.930

    Fee: unspecified

  36. Horse Pasture (Adobe) Primitive Camp

    Basic · 36.218, -121.516

    Fee: unspecified

  37. Hull Creek Campground

    Basic · 38.094, -120.042

    Fee: yes

  38. Hungry Valley SVRA

    Basic · near Gorman · 34.792, -118.871

    Fee: yes

  39. Irvine

    Basic · 33.809, -116.659

    Fee: unspecified

  40. Kayak Group Camp

    Basic · 37.862, -122.441

    Fee: unspecified

  41. Kings Canyon Campground

    Basic · 36.819, -118.887

    Fee: yes

  42. Lake Siskiyou camp resort

    Basic · 41.280, -122.347

    Fee: unspecified

  43. Launtz Creek Camp

    Basic · 36.310, -121.790

    Fee: unspecified

  44. Liberty Glen #13

    Basic · 38.718, -123.059

    Fee: unspecified

  45. Liberty Glen #2

    Basic · 38.716, -123.058

    Fee: unspecified

  46. Liberty Glen #22

    Basic · 38.718, -123.060

    Fee: unspecified

  47. Liberty Glen #29

    Basic · 38.718, -123.061

    Fee: unspecified

  48. Liberty Glen #58

    Basic · 38.717, -123.062

    Fee: unspecified

  49. Lost Campings

    Basic · 38.648, -119.952

    Fee: unspecified

  50. Lost Valley Camp

    Basic · 34.766, -119.922

    Fee: unspecified

  51. Lower Cruikshank Camp

    Basic · 35.855, -121.387

    Fee: unspecified

  52. Lower Nye Campgrounds

    Basic · 39.443, -122.825

    Fee: unspecified

  53. Madrone Point #2

    Basic · 38.698, -123.038

    Fee: yes

  54. Madrone Point #4

    Basic · 38.699, -123.038

    Fee: yes

  55. Mesquite Springs Camp

    Basic · 35.006, -116.196

    Fee: unspecified

  56. NightJar Oasis

    Basic · 34.847, -117.350

    Fee: unspecified

  57. Peg leg legal RV boondocks side

    Basic · 33.295, -116.298

    Fee: unspecified

  58. Pine Camp

    Basic · 33.830, -118.375

    Fee: unspecified

  59. Primitive Camp

    Basic · 36.354, -120.821

    Free

  60. Rays Camp

    Basic · 34.742, -119.888

    Fee: unspecified

  61. Ridgeville Island Boat-In Campground

    Basic · 40.845, -122.788

    Fee: unspecified

  62. Ruppel's Roost

    Basic · 37.156, -122.203

    Fee: unspecified

  63. Russell Camp

    Basic · 35.913, -117.089

    Fee: unspecified

  64. Santa Rosa Campground

    Basic · 33.991, -120.048

    Fee: yes

  65. Sheep Creek Campground

    Basic · 40.600, -122.595

    Fee: unspecified

  66. Site #10

    Basic · 34.321, -118.015

    Fee: unspecified

  67. Skunk Point Group Campground

    Basic · 40.736, -123.234

    Fee: unspecified

  68. Skyline Wilderness Park Horse Camp Area

    Basic · 38.278, -122.254

    Fee: unspecified

  69. Spring Camp

    Basic · 34.215, -117.978

    Fee: unspecified

  70. Sugar Pine Environmental Camp

    Basic · 38.274, -120.302

    Fee: unspecified

  71. Sweetwater Laguna Mountain Campground (Free, BLM)

    Basic · 36.361, -120.852

    Fee: unspecified

  72. Sycamore Camp

    Basic · 33.829, -118.374

    Fee: unspecified

  73. Third Stream Crossing

    Basic · 34.254, -117.571

    Free

  74. Thomas Mountain Yellow Post 6

    Basic · 33.623, -116.681

    Fee: unspecified

  75. Upper Mistletoe

    Basic · 33.806, -116.663

    Fee: unspecified

  76. Valley Forge Trail Camp

    Basic · 34.253, -118.074

    Free

  77. Wailaki Campground

    Basic · 40.019, -124.003

    Fee: yes

  78. Wildcat View Group Camp

    Basic · 37.910, -122.260

    Fee: unspecified

  79. Yellow Post #3

    Basic · 34.282, -116.982

    Fee: unspecified

  80. Youth Group Camp Area

    Basic · 37.446, -121.856

    Fee: unspecified

Rules at a glance

  • Stay limit: 14 days in a 28-day period on BLM and USFS land
  • Trust permit: Not required
  • Fire authority: CAL FIRE

Full rules →