The best camping near Harper Dry Lake

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Harper Dry Lake adventure.

Discover the allure of Harper Dry Lake's desert oasis and wildlife habitat.

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Community favorites near Harper Dry Lake

Top-rated campgrounds near Harper Dry Lake

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High Desert Hot Spring Hideout

17 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents160 acres · Lake Arrowhead, CA

Nestled in the mountains of the high desert, we invite you to come stay in a peaceful serene setting, where you can relax & recharge with us here in the desert and release yourself from the burdens currently placed on you for a brief moment. Staying on this rural 160 acre slice of nature allows one to escape the sounds and stresses of the city and immerse yourself in nature, where beautiful natural desert scenery and mountain views surround you. Bordering 1000's of acres of natural undeveloped BLM and USFS land. The property's rural location provides abundant opportunities to view unique and spectacular wildlife right from your campsite or on one of the numerous hiking and OHV trails in the area. The 40 minute hike to the Deep Creek Hot Springs is well worth the effort, and there's so much more natural beauty to see as you explore miles of hiking and OHV trails nearby and right on the property. Weather can be extreme at times, with Winter temps ranging from 20*F to 40* F, and Summer temps peaking at 112F. The cold creek water in the Deep Creek canyon flows all year around, and the 6 creek-side hot spring pools are always full and consistently hot all year around, ranging in temperatures between 90F-108F. The hike to the Deep Creek Hot Springs is fairly steep and can be difficult for some people, especially in warm weather. In order to be prepared with the correct gear to make this hike and know the USFS rules that apply to the area, please educate yourself before coming by visiting the USFS website page for the Deep Creek area and our webpage for the Deep Creek Hot Springs Campground for detailed driving directions to the official trailhead located right on our property. You won't get lost if you park on our property and hike from the trailhead, so make sure you go to the right address. Know before you go! Generally, reservations are not necessary to set up a tent site, but we have a more private area set aside for hipcamp reservations that has separate facilities from the general camping area. Although children are permitted on the property, we do not recommend bringing children due to occasional nudity that may be seen in the area and the degree of difficulty for the hike. The hike to the hot springs is fairly difficult and everyone’s physical fitness needs to be considered when deciding to take pets, or have children, elderly people, or out-of-shape/over-weight people in your group.

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Hot Spring camp

31 sites · RVs, Tents161 acres · Apple Valley, CA

This off the grid property is the perfect place to escape the city and immerse yourself in nature. Nestled in the mountains of the high desert, we invite you to come stay in a peaceful serene setting where nature and wildlife encompasses you on this rural property surrounded by 1,000s of acres of undeveloped BLM and US Forestry land. Come escape from the city and relax at a place where you can enjoy yourself amongst others or be by yourself in your own private campsite. With 160 acres, there is lots of room for your large group to spread out or find a more private site to seclude yourself! Set up your campsite and park your vehicle at any of our developed sites that have a patch of turf, picnic tables and fire pits (grills available). Flushing toilets, pits toilets, potable water, and showers on site. The 40 minute hike to the Deep Creek Hot Springs is well worth the effort, and there's so much more natural beauty to see as you explore miles of hiking and OHV trails nearby and right on the property. The creek water in the Deep Creek canyon flows all year around, as does the hot spring source water that feeds the 6 creek-side hot pools, ranging in temperatures between 90F-108F. Weather can be extreme at times, with Winter temps ranging from 20*F to 40* F, and Summer temps reaching 112F+. The hike to the Deep Creek Hot Springs is fairly steep and can be difficult for some people, especially in warm weather, so everyone’s physical fitness needs to be considered when deciding to hike to the hot springs with pets, children, elderly people, or out-of-shape/over-weight people in your group. Although children are permitted on the property, we do not recommend bringing them due to occasional nudity that may be seen in the area and the degree of difficulty for the hike. In order to be prepared with the correct gear to make the hike to the hot springs and know the USFS rules that apply to the area, please educate yourself before coming by visiting the USFS website page for the Deep Creek area. Know before you go! The Deep Creek Hot Springs Camp is part of the historic Bowen Ranch property that was homesteaded in 1924. This property has been the camping and parking area for the Deep Creek Hot Springs for nearly a century. The Bowen Ranch property is under new ownership as of 2020 and we welcome everyone to come visit! Generally, we always have sites available and reservations are not necessary, but reserved sites are located in a more private area set aside for Hipcamp reservations with separate facilities from the general camping area. See our webpage deepcreekhotspringscampground.com for detailed driving directions to our property with the official trailhead located right on site.

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New Yurt City

7 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Lake Los Angeles, CA

New Yurt City is one of those hidden gems. The daily views are breathtaking. You can see every star down to the horizon, sunsets are amazing with snow capped mountains. There are lots to do nearby: 30min to ski resort, 1hour to the beach. Near lots of national parks and centrally located. It’s got a small town feel with amazing food trucks with handmade taco 5 mins away. We atvs for rent and a beautiful garden with lots of fresh rosemary and lavender to share.

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The Hilltop Getaway

1 site · Lodging3 acres · Lake Los Angeles, CA

Welcome to The Hilltop Getaway! One of the coziest glamping spots near the Alpine Butte, Palmdale with Joshua Tree landscape just an hour from LA. The amazing 360 view from the jumbo rocks mountains on valley with Joshua Trees will make your memories unforgettable. We also have a great landscape for your spectacular photo shoot. If you’re looking for a place to hike, relax, refresh and recharge yourself, you found the place! While our site is private and secluded, it is close to most stores you might need. Palmdale is a 10-minute drive and has a Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Ross, restaurants, fast foods, banks, and more. Additionally, you can visit a lot of unique places just few minutes from us like Antelope Valley Indian Museum, Four Aces Movie Ranch, Movie Set Diner, Club Ed Movie Set, El Mirage Dry Lake, Kill Bill Church, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, Joe Davies Heritage Airpark, Blackbird Airpark, Dry Town Water Park On our space you'll find 1. Bar/Kitchen area offers a four-burner gas grill with one side burner, kitchen table, sink with foot water pump, bar counter with four chairs on the bar deck; 2. Classic wood picnic table 3. Fire pit with wood chairs and bench for lounging 4. Hammock for relaxing and stargazing 5. Toilet/Shower cabin. Thetford Porta Potti flush toilet, sink with foot water pump, mirror, Eccotemp hot shower We provide towels and soap 6. Cowboy Pool 6ft. Open seasonally May - Oct 7. The Geo Dome Tent 23ft (7M) is equipped with everything for a comfortable glamping experience Geo Dome: - Queen bed with memory-foam mattress and bedding - Two Convertable Tri-Fold Sofa Beds - Twin Tufted Back Convertible Sofa - Foldable Camping Cot - Hammock Chair Swing - Dining Set - Nightstands - Kitchen Island with kitchen utensils, pots, tableware - Portable Power Station EcoFlow River Mini for charging and power devices - Propane Portable Heater, indoor-safe (Propane gas is include) - Solar lights - Fresh towel-Fresh linen- Books games for entertainment - fire extinguisher, first aid kit, etc. Please note - water in the tank is not drinkable and has a distinct taste Please plan for a “leave no trace” style camping and to take your trash with you upon check out

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Desert Stargazers Dream

3 sites · RVs, Tents2 acres · Edwards Air Force Base, CA

Learn more about this land: Less them 3 hours from Los Angeles, this private property is 2 acres of the secluded desert for you to enjoy! Just outside California City, there are miles of roads for the off-road enthusiast and some of the best stargazing in California. (As the Mayor once said, you can see more stars in California City then you could in Los Angeles). There is also great rockhounding and hiking opportunities! Campers can set up camp anywhere on the property but we also have an area cleared off for tent or car camping. There is also a firepit - enjoy and have a huge bon fire! Fires are allowed but must be completely put out, and campers must bring all their own supplies. All off-roading must get permit before hand - contact host for details.

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Mojave Moonlight Camping

4 sites · RVs, Tents25 acres · Lucerne Valley, CA

Located in the outskirts of Lucene ValleyLearn more about this land: Experience a blanket of stars at night, beautiful sunrise and sunsets. We have limited it to only 4 campsites so there is plenty of space and privacy on this 20 acre campsite.Hike the mountain, experience nature and solitude and be just 10 minutes from a town where a supermarket, hardware store, service station, post office, sheriff's station and a variety of restaurants are available.This is big sky and wide open California Desert. Remote enough to be away from crowds but close enough for all the essentials.Life is short ... Get outside.

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3 Peaks Sanctuary

40 sites · Tents10 acres · Boron, CA

Nearby activities include hiking and exploring 'The Buttes', aka '3 Peaks' - a nearby rock formation of ancient origin - about a mile to the south. Also in the area is Harper Dry Lake, which has been used as an airfield to test experiment aircraft in the past, and includes a wildlife viewing area (look for the signs, off Harper Lake Road, on the way in). To the north is Fremont Peak, and in the distance to the East can be found Black Mountain. Common flora in the area include Creosote Bush, Salt Brush and White or, Purple Sage.

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cowboy hottubs

2 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Phelan, CA

Welcome to our home. 5 acres in Phelan, Ca 10 miles from Wrightwood and Victorville. Come spend a night and enjoy a soak in our wood burning hot tubs. We have chickens, greenhouse, an orchard, solar, a windmill come experience our bit of paradise. We have had two single women both with Toyota Tundra trucks. Feeling safe was important to them, it has always been safe here with plenty of peace and quiet. Phelan is a semi rural area with good neighbors. Tesla charging is available.

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Glamping at Camp Haystack

3 sites · Lodging, RVs1 acre · CA

The area was an alfalfa farm in the early 1900's. The property was purchased in 2019 and it has been a passion project to beautify and bring life to the area ever since. Hiking and jogging across the street and surrounding areas available, pets welcome, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, 10 mins from groceries and fast food.

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Family-Friendly Skoolie Glamping

11 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Lake Los Angeles, CA

EVERY STAY PLANTS A TREE 🌳 Our mission is to cultivate all ten acres of land into a sustainable oasis. That’s why we offer glamping on our tiny house bus (the "Starry Night Skoolie"), and tent camping in the gardens. 100% of proceeds to back to planting trees, watering gardens, and cultivating the land. Watch it grow: ForEveryStarATree.com In 2023, we incorporated as a nonprofit ecofarm called "For Every Star A Tree." Kids LOVE exploring our school bus clubhouse as well as the land. Pets LOVE to run free! Enjoy relaxing in the hammock, sitting at the picnic table, or even laying down on the ground to fall into the infinite starry night desert skies.

Curate Arts

51 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents2 acres · California City, CA

A desert Oasis near the gateway to the Southern Sierra Nevada, Kennedy Meadows, Walkers pass all along the 14 freeway. The property is located approximately 12 miles out from the California City area and California City Blvd. Rhe properly is 2 acres with a lovely campsite that has a shaded picnic sitting area as well as a wood burning bbq station. The campsite is at the top of the property and is marked as you drive in via Rutgers Road. Visitors are welcome to bring pets, enjoy food and drink. The property is immediately adjacent to the OHV dirt bike and side by side trails. The famous Jaw Bone trail is here.

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Camp Juniper | Private Hot Tub

3 sites · Lodging1 acre · Piñon Hills, CA

Camp Juniper is a relaxing private glamping site about 20 miles from Wrightwood. Enjoy the private hot tub at night and ski at Mountain High Ski Resort in the day time. The gazebo is made from 100% recycled pallets that my supplies I use to make my metal art come on. All of the metal artwork you will see outside is made by me.

The best camping near Harper Dry Lake guide

Overview

About

Harper Lake or "Harper Dry Lake" is an outdoor recreation area located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County. While the fishing may have dried up decades ago there is still plenty to do. Over the years this park has become famous for it's offroading, rock-crawling, and mudding. While in this region of the Mojave Desert be sure to keep an eye out for the wildlife that is drawn from the desert to this arshy environment.

When to go

The best time to visit Harper Dry Lake is during the cooler months, from late fall to early spring, when the desert climate is more forgiving. Summer visits can be challenging due to extreme heat, making outdoor activities less comfortable.

Know before you go

Check fire restrictions before you go, as they may be in place from May to October due to high fire danger.
Dispersed camping is allowed; look for areas with clear signs of use and minimal vegetation.
Remember that off-highway vehicle travel is limited to designated routes to protect the environment.
Be mindful of the desert tortoise habitat and adhere to wildlife viewing guidelines.
For any inquiries or additional information, contact the Bureau of Land Management at 760-252-6000.