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Camper submitted image from Fossil Falls dry lake bed - 1

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Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Fossil Falls dry lake bed

7 Reviews

About

Bureau of Land Management

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Location

Fossil Falls dry lake bed is located in California

Coordinates

35.983891131961386 N
117.90814728336515 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Available
AT&T
Available
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Dispersed

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Big Rig Friendly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

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Contact

General Info

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Paolo A.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 29, 2022

Great place!

Great place to be, water, reception and camping places spread out, each with a table and a fireplace.

Month of VisitApril

(5) View All

Pinkie K.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 7, 2021

This area is pretty trippy going from volcanic rock and flows to various brush to the dry, beautifully cracked dirt. We landed here and drove thru the FF campground, which we knew was closed but wanted to check it out, and pulled out onto the dry lake bed area to spend the night.

At first, we weren't sure if we liked it but after we set up and took a long walk around the area, we were digging it. Perfect for bike or dirt scooter riding or just running around on the lake bed. Perfect for dogs and kids. Gets dusty so your rig will get a bit dirty. It can get windy but we had a great night. The road is maintained but a smidge bumpy and uneven but should be easy for most cars. Area was quiet and no very little trash. Great to watch the light change the hillsides.

Verizon cell service was great and stars were bright. Saw a jackrabbit while there...thank goodness my dog didn't see him! HA!

Disbursed so no amenities so please pack in, pack out. Happy Camping!

Month of VisitApril

(5) View All

Candice T.

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 9, 2021

Beautiful

Very beautiful campground. Cannot camp there overnight currently because of covid. However, it’s still a nice place to spend the day with picnic tables, restrooms, and fire pits. Views are gorgeous.

Edy K.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 19, 2021

Love this place!

Almost no people, some night we were completely alone. Due to Covid, restroom are closed. Water station is just for filling up a container, no hose connection.
Very spacious sites. Picnic table and fire pit ring

Will

Traveler

Reviewed Dec. 9, 2020

Sweet

The black dirt and yellow grass make this a magical place to wake up. Cell service was good enough that I stayed parked here for the work day. Only 4 RV accessible sites but there was no one else here the Thursday night I stayed.

Tommy B.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 16, 2020

Other worldly

$6 camping. The volcanic river bed and falls area were very cool to explore and learn about.

(5) View All

Elaine V.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 6, 2020

Good cell service, odd rocks

This place is so odd. The attraction is a dry water fall (not a lake bed) that formed when the last ice age was ending and a river formed from melting ice but the river was jostled by volcanic and earthquake activity when caused the river to become a water fall. It has since dried up like most of this part of the country and most of the remaining ice age water is trapped below, coming up as ‘fossil water’ in springs. The fossil falls rocks are basalt mostly but have been pummeled by water and have smoothed and eroded. There’s also said to be obsidian flakes on the area.

Anyway, this campground is simple/primitive but has excellent cell service, low prices, and an interesting attraction.

Month of VisitDecember