Public land camping

Camping in California

788 federal places to camp in California, from Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, on the land they sit on.

788
federal places to camp: 614 Forest Service, 65 Bureau of Land Management, 79 National Park Service, 25 Army Corps of Engineers, 4 Bureau of Reclamation; 18,184
campsites you can book ahead: At the 586 places that take reservations on Recreation.gov. 10 more are first come, first served; 9,980 ft
the highest you can drive to: Trumbull Lake; 46
counties with federal camping: 124 gateway towns, each with three or more within 30 miles

Camping near a town

Every federal campground in California

788 places

Camping rules worth knowing in California

A California campfire permit covers a stove as well as a fire: Campfire permits are required on all Inyo National Forest land, and on nearby BLM land, and the requirement is not limited to open fires: the permit covers campfires, barbecues and camp stoves. It is free, it is issued by the state, and it is the single most commonly missed piece of paper in California. Source 10
Camping in the Alabama Hills now needs a free permit: Camping permits are required for designated camping in the Alabama Hills. They are free, they do not guarantee a campsite, and all camping remains first come, first served. A California campfire permit is required as well on BLM land in the state, and drone operators need a separate drone use permit before flying. Source 27
Mojave allows free roadside camping, for fourteen days: There is a 14-day camping limit in the preserve and no fee to camp at an undeveloped campground, with a maximum of 14 consecutive days per stay and 30 total days a year. Roadside camping is allowed at sites that have already been used, which is the most generous dispersed arrangement of any national park unit in this guide. Source 41
A campfire permit covers your stove too: Every campfire and gas stove fire on public land in California needs a California Campfire Permit, which is free from any Forest Service, BLM or CAL FIRE office or online. The Forest Service states it plainly: the permit is required for a campfire, charcoal fire, camp stove or any open flame outside a designated recreation site. BLM California’s statewide, year-round fire order adds two conditions for any fire outside a developed campground: a five-foot circle cleared to bare soil with nothing flammable overhead, and a working round-point shovel at least 35 inches long within reach. Field offices layer their own orders on top, and several ban motor vehicles off established roads outright. Source 19

The full guide to overlanding California

By agency

By county

Campground records: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), read September 19, 2026. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Fees, seasons and limits change; confirm with the managing office before you go.

The California campground map

Camping rules worth knowing in California

By agency

By county