Afton Canyon Campground
Mojave Trails National Monument
Write a Review Afton Road Barstow, CA 92309 760-252-6000 Official WebsiteGPS: 35.0379, -116.3842
Overview of Afton Canyon Campground
Last Price Paid: $6
Reported by FourFeetFourPaws on 4/13/2023
Longest RV Reported: 31 feet (Travel Trailer)
Reported by nVeeGreen on 7/26/2021
Number of Sites 22
Elevation 1,410 ft / 429 m
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Afton Canyon Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 760-252-6000
Country Roads asked on 10/22/2019
How many group camps are in this campground? Is there a minimum number of campers to use one? Are the group camps res...
Reviews of Afton Canyon Campground 9 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 2 Users
Last reported 4/13/2023
Confirmed by 2 Users
Last reported 1/28/2020
Confirmed by 1 User
Last reported 11/1/2020
“As of today the road was good, but bumpy.”
Reviewed 4/13/2023
| Nightly rate: | $6 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 18 |
Overall Rating
We decided to check out this campground on a Friday, towing a 38' 5th wheel. We were concerned about the road, but it was fine. The first 2 miles are wide with washboards and embedded rocks making it a bumpy ride. The last mile is narrow but it had been recently graded. This last mile begins with a steep downhill, followed by an uphill... more
We decided to check out this campground on a Friday, towing a 38' 5th wheel. We were concerned about the road, but it was fine. The first 2 miles are wide with washboards and embedded rocks making it a bumpy ride. The last mile is narrow but it had been recently graded. This last mile begins with a steep downhill, followed by an uphill slope and then another large downhill going into the campground. We used our 4WD coming up and out of the campground. It was a bit soft after coming down the last hill.
Some people mentioned pulling over on this road to camp, but the berms from grading would be too high for most vehicles to cross. The entrance would be your only option.
Before going down that last hill into the campground, there is a very large group area up on a plateau with a nice view. The group area had great Verizon cell service, covered picnic tables, fire pit and pit toilets, but were lacking toilet paper.
As far as the main campground goes, it was pretty quiet and clean with 0-2 bars of Verizon service. The camp road does have a large turnaround at the end. Most sites were fairly level and large with ramadas, fire pits and picnic tables. If you are big, a concern will be the large posts surrounding most sites. This could make it difficult to maneuver into your site. Site18 was perfect for our big rig because the site across from us was empty. Sites on the turn around would also be accessible to big rigs.
There is one water spigot, pit toilets lacking toilet paper, trash, pay station and information board. There is an active train crossing the river, we heard it at least 12 times!
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Verizon 4G
FourFeetFourPaws would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Night arrival makes the drive in seem scarier than it actually is”
Reviewed 7/26/2021
| Nightly rate: | $6 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 11 |
| RV Length: | 31' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We were looking for a camp site on the way home to Arizona from Lone Pine and found this place from another website. The washboard road in was a little scary at first, especially in a 2WD truck pulling a 20' TT but the road is wide and I was able to make it across all the dips with no problem. You have to go all the way to the end to f... more
We were looking for a camp site on the way home to Arizona from Lone Pine and found this place from another website. The washboard road in was a little scary at first, especially in a 2WD truck pulling a 20' TT but the road is wide and I was able to make it across all the dips with no problem. You have to go all the way to the end to find the campground but it was worth the drive. There is a railroad bridge at the entrance to the campground and freight trains do use it occasionally. The sites are large and it's a good place to stay for $6 ($3 with Access Pass), but come in during daylight if you aren't so sure about your vehicle's capability. The first few camp spots are popular with OHV campers and their rigs but we settled in toward the back and had a pleasant night. The fire pits were concrete and even had an elevated concrete grill to cook on! It was a bit windy in November 2020 but didn't get too cold.
Drove out the next morning and there were more people heading in with their toys as it's a pretty popular day use spot. There is a creepy property adjacent to the road on your left when you first leave the highway towards the campsites with lots of junk and No Trespassing signs but just follow the road and you should be fine. I did not experience any deep sand but the gravel was loose in several spots along the road but I never felt as though I was ever going to be in trouble. YMMV with your load, weather, and road conditions.
Minus 1 star for the road coming in and train noise, otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again!
https://www.blm.gov/visit/afton-canyon
nVeeGreen would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Couldn’t make it!”
Reviewed 11/9/2020
| Days stayed: | 0 |
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| RV Length: | 24' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Most of the first couple miles is rough and washboard. Then there was the 30 feet or so of deep sand. Pulling a 23’ trailer was not going to happen even with 4WD. I was able to back out and turn around with difficulty. Numerous construction trucks came barreling through while we were preparing to turn around. They are probably what ar... more
Most of the first couple miles is rough and washboard. Then there was the 30 feet or so of deep sand. Pulling a 23’ trailer was not going to happen even with 4WD. I was able to back out and turn around with difficulty. Numerous construction trucks came barreling through while we were preparing to turn around. They are probably what are making it so bad. We ended up on the other side of I15 where there is plenty of space but definitely not quiet.
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pullouts for FWD”
Reviewed 11/1/2020
| Days stayed: | 1 |
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Overall Rating
About 1.25 easy dirt and gravel miles down Afton road, there was a sandy hill that my FWD Toyota Sienna couldn’t pass. I wouldn’t try it with FWD- I tried to get over it, and almost got stuck in a sand hole. Luckily, there are plenty of pullouts along that first mile of road. I spent a solid night in one of them. It’s got a beautif... more
About 1.25 easy dirt and gravel miles down Afton road, there was a sandy hill that my FWD Toyota Sienna couldn’t pass. I wouldn’t try it with FWD- I tried to get over it, and almost got stuck in a sand hole. Luckily, there are plenty of pullouts along that first mile of road. I spent a solid night in one of them. It’s got a beautiful view, and is far enough from the highway to not be noisy.
Great night stop on the way to Utah!
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T-Mobile 4G
yukkiboi would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lovely desert refuge”
Reviewed 2/19/2020
| Days stayed: | 1 |
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Overall Rating
This is a very underused site. In the summer it is very hot and can be infested by huge horse flies, but in winter it is a treat - cooler and no flies. The remnants of the Mojave River flow past and collect in small pools, where the iconic Bighorn Sheep come down from the hills to drink. An unexpected light show was put on by the pass... more
This is a very underused site. In the summer it is very hot and can be infested by huge horse flies, but in winter it is a treat - cooler and no flies. The remnants of the Mojave River flow past and collect in small pools, where the iconic Bighorn Sheep come down from the hills to drink.
An unexpected light show was put on by the passing westbound freight trains that light up the mountains ahead with a spectacular photo op under a starry sky.. Just set up your tripod & camera facing the same direction as the train, and ENJOY!!
Facilities are basic pit toilets and water which can be limited so bring your own to be safe.
There is a group site nearby that is popular with off road buggies and dirt bikers, but they usually stay to their own space.
No idea about cell phone service - I did not come here for that!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot on way to Death Valley or Vegas”
Reviewed 1/28/2020
| Nightly rate: | $3 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 10 |
Overall Rating
This is great for RVers who are traveling Interstate 15. The road in is dirt and 3 miles long, so be cautious if it has recently rained or if rain is in the forecast. Don't be worried by the creepy looking compound at the beginning of the dirt road. The road is washboard much of the way so it is slow going. Hugged the right side and... more
This is great for RVers who are traveling Interstate 15. The road in is dirt and 3 miles long, so be cautious if it has recently rained or if rain is in the forecast. Don't be worried by the creepy looking compound at the beginning of the dirt road. The road is washboard much of the way so it is slow going. Hugged the right side and it smoothed out a bit. Just take your time. There are a few steep loose gravel sections that we were happy to have 4WD on. We towed a 25' Airstream in with no problem with a 4WD Ford F150 Ecoboost. Campground is well maintained with solid amenities: Campfire rings, BBQ pits, picnic tables with covers at each site. Trash receptacles and vault toilets also available close to each site. $6.00 a night ($3.00 for Golden Access senior pass). Pay at the entrance. There are envelopes to fill out and a receptacle to place your payment in.
We were here on a weekday so it was quiet and peaceful. There is a nearby train track, but we were on the back end of campground and barely heard it.
We used our WeBoost and had solid 2 bar AT&T 4G . No problem streaming video.
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AT&T 4G
Mad Dog and CC would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 5/15/2019
| Nightly rate: | $6 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 5 |
Overall Rating
Campground is clean with nice views of sagebrush around sites and canyon cliffs in the distance. Sites have a picnic table and fire ring, and most have a solid awning over the table, presumably for shade. Located about 3 miles down a dirt road off of I-15, doable with 2WD, and the hills obscure a view of the highway as well as highway ... more
Campground is clean with nice views of sagebrush around sites and canyon cliffs in the distance. Sites have a picnic table and fire ring, and most have a solid awning over the table, presumably for shade. Located about 3 miles down a dirt road off of I-15, doable with 2WD, and the hills obscure a view of the highway as well as highway noise. Trains do come through close to the campground, so bring earplugs if you are bothered by the noise but it was bearable - otherwise it was quiet except for the wind. Spigot with clean running water at the entrance. Pit toilet seemed clean enough and had toilet paper but was unfortunately inhabited by many flies which swarm/land on you. I was the first one to arrive at the campground at around 7:45pm, three other vehicles arrived after 9pm so it seems people get in late. Had T-mobile service on the road in but none at the campground itself.
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T-Mobile
Mintint would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lonely desert in a good way”
Reviewed 4/8/2019
| Nightly rate: | $6 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 2nd on the right |
Overall Rating
This was a sleeping stop for us on a long road trip but it was a cool spot after all. I was pulling a pop up trailer and had my doubts about the dirt road in, but it was dry so I was fine even with the hills. I would not attempt in muddy conditions. Spot seemed to be a base for off reading and dirt biking. Also saw some people walk dow... more
This was a sleeping stop for us on a long road trip but it was a cool spot after all. I was pulling a pop up trailer and had my doubts about the dirt road in, but it was dry so I was fine even with the hills. I would not attempt in muddy conditions. Spot seemed to be a base for off reading and dirt biking. Also saw some people walk down to the river for a swim - they said it was fresh and clean. Shades at every other picnic bench site
Drinking water, no showers, pit toilets, no power
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AT&T 4G
Nimsat would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice BLM-administered campground, great place for sightseeing, hiking and train-watching”
Reviewed 9/12/2015
| Nightly rate: | $12 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 15 |
Overall Rating
Been there a couple of times, great stopping place if you are going to the Mojave NP from further West. Somewhat rocky/tricky dirt road to reach the campground from the highway, but totaly manageable (at least in the rented 24ft Class C we were with at the time). No hookups and no dump station, only a water fawcett near the entranc... more
Been there a couple of times, great stopping place if you are going to the Mojave NP from further West. Somewhat rocky/tricky dirt road to reach the campground from the highway, but totaly manageable (at least in the rented 24ft Class C we were with at the time).
No hookups and no dump station, only a water fawcett near the entrance (didn't check to see whether there was water in it), a couple of vault toilets and some trash cans. Sites are on dirt ground, level, spacious and with some separation (ie, not a parking lot), and provided with a concrete picnic table/shade and iron fire ring.
The best are the hikes and the sights around, specially train watching: a well-used railroad goes by near the campground (noise didn't bother us at night), and crosses over a frequently wet section of the famous endorreic Mojave River (means it doesn't go to the Sea).
The 4wd historic Mojave Road also goes by the campground (actually its West terminus is quite near) and runs into the Canyon proper, where there are also some great hikes to be had.
The night sky is very dark and clear, good if you are into stargazing like us.
Overall a nice and quiet place, unless it's been invaded by an ATV gang set on tearing up the place like it happened to us the third time we went there, despite the very visible sight by the entrance telling such activities are prohibited at and around the campground and redirecting all ATVers to nearby Rasor area. We left the same day.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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60 reviews
Life's Little Adventures: Afton Canyon BLM Campground
Since we didn’t leave Ridgecrest until 11 yesterday, and didn’t want to drive 250 miles to Las Vegas, I found a BLM campground, Afton Canyon, about 37 miles northeast of Barstow, just about halfway...
........Rolling in a RV - Wheelchair Traveling......: Afton Canyon Natural Area
This is a small BLM campground located in one of the few places where the Mojave River flows above ground. The river is not visible from the campground but the presence of water is an ideal breedi...
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Recreation
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- group sites
- restrooms: vault
- trash
Pets
- pets
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