Sawtooth Canyon Campground
BLM
Write a Review Barstow Rd. Lucerne Valley, CA 92356 760-252-6000 Official WebsiteGPS: 34.6703, -116.984
Overview of Sawtooth Canyon Campground
Campfire permits are required and can be obtained online.
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by Bluebeard on 10/12/2024
Longest RV Reported: 38 feet
Reported by Ro on 9/15/2018
Number of Sites 13
Pad Type dirt
Elevation 3,576 ft / 1,089 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Sawtooth Canyon Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 760-252-6000
TomStone01 asked on 2/23/2022
Is RV camping only allowed at the 13 campsites with the permanent patio covers or can I boondock off the road at what...
Camper Dreamin' asked on 12/18/2021
What is the access road like to the campsite from the highway? 3 miles of dirt? well graded?
Reviews of Sawtooth Canyon Campground 68 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 42 Users
Last reported 4/23/2024
Confirmed by 20 Users
Last reported 10/12/2024
Confirmed by 5 Users
Last reported 5/3/2022
Reviewed 6/6/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
HagePhoto would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful desert views and quiet!”
Reviewed 3/2/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 14 |
| RV Length: | 30' |
Overall Rating
We camped at Sawtooth Canyon Campground while en route from the pacific northwest to Mesa Arizona. After several nights at crowded and expensive RV parks we wanted to save some money and have a few nights of privacy and quiet. We found both at Sawtooth Canyon campground. The campground is about a mile off of the highway and the a... more
We camped at Sawtooth Canyon Campground while en route from the pacific northwest to Mesa Arizona. After several nights at crowded and expensive RV parks we wanted to save some money and have a few nights of privacy and quiet. We found both at Sawtooth Canyon campground.
The campground is about a mile off of the highway and the access road is - as others have described - a bit washboarded. But by driving slowly it's quite doable for any rig. We arrived on a Monday night. There were about 4 other campers and no camp host. We picked our site for maximum privacy and settled in.
The area is between the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. The canyon is surrounded with rocks that reminded us of Joshua Tree. If you like desert and unusual rock formations then this is a great place to stop.
Our site didn't have great Verizon cell reception. We had mostly Extended or 1-2 bars 3G service although there were areas at the north end of the campground where a 4G signal was available.
Our only complaint was that one of the vault toilets had been trashed the previous weekend but a BLM employee showed up Tuesday morning and cleaned it up. It may be a bit wilder in the campground on weekends than it was during the week. Overall we enjoyed our stay at Sawtooth Canyon and will definitely stay there again when we're in the area
sjp would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Really Great!!”
Reviewed 2/12/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 6 |
Overall Rating
Here's what you get - private sites, most with a unique setting amongst the various rock formations, and each site has a covered picnic table, a fire pit, and a waist high BBQ with a low grill. (You don't need a while bag of charcoal). The sites vary in that some are level and some, not so much, but all are clean and many have fresh c... more
Here's what you get - private sites, most with a unique setting amongst the various rock formations, and each site has a covered picnic table, a fire pit, and a waist high BBQ with a low grill. (You don't need a while bag of charcoal). The sites vary in that some are level and some, not so much, but all are clean and many have fresh crushed gravel.
Its quiet, scenic, and has all amenities a free campground can offer. I actually stayed in three different sites. When at # 6 & # 13, I had to drive down the road to get a cell signal, but #3 which faces Highway 247, the signal was actually very strong.
The road in is not clearly marked, you have to be alert. Its a washboard, but less than a mile, and once you get to the campground the roads are very good.
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AT&T 4G
Anthony Sherman would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Unexpectedly good spot.....”
Reviewed 1/14/2016
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 23' |
Overall Rating
Getting into this campground was easy. Entrance is right off the main road and the road in, although a bit washboard-y isn't long enough to pose a problem. Overall this was nice spot to stay at for a few days. It's not that far from town but you still get the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere. Granted, "town" = Barstow,... more
Getting into this campground was easy. Entrance is right off the main road and the road in, although a bit washboard-y isn't long enough to pose a problem. Overall this was nice spot to stay at for a few days. It's not that far from town but you still get the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere. Granted, "town" = Barstow, but nevertheless if you have the need there's plenty available in the way of gas, supplies, stores, restaurants, etc (I was able to get an oil change at the local ford dealer in about 30 minutes for example). Spots here are great and are pretty spread out. As a previous reviewer mentioned, there are fixed, concrete pads with camp tables and metal awnings/canopies. You don't usually get this in CA even when you are at PAY campgrounds. This is free!! Although there are a good amount of spots towards the end that are nowhere near being level, there are plenty that are and that work for bigger rigs. Cell service was good for us on both AT&T and Verizon. There's some good hiking and climbing in the area as well.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Gus M. would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Fancy and Free”
Reviewed 12/14/2015
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
Overall Rating
Free BLM camping with a covered picnic table and fire ring? Yes, please! Oh, you'll throw in some awesome rock climbing nearby, too? I'll take it! The road out is a bit of washboard, but it's not too long of a drive (maybe a mile). We snagged a site midday Friday and the campground filled up on the weekend with climbers. We were al... more
Free BLM camping with a covered picnic table and fire ring? Yes, please! Oh, you'll throw in some awesome rock climbing nearby, too? I'll take it!
The road out is a bit of washboard, but it's not too long of a drive (maybe a mile). We snagged a site midday Friday and the campground filled up on the weekend with climbers. We were alone the rest of the week.
There's also a small kid area with some "dinosaur" themed equipment for the kids to climb on. Delightfully unexpected.
Solid Verizon signal without a booster.
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Verizon 4G
Jon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Secluded campground, pretty location and peace and quiet”
Reviewed 6/1/2015
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| RV Length: | 27' |
Overall Rating
This campground has quite a few things going for it. Firstly it is free, which is not bad given that the sites are well equipped with shade canopies, picnic tables, BBQ grills and fire rings. But also it is really quite pretty. We arrived mid week and found no-one there but us and the hosts. More joined at the weekend, but the s... more
This campground has quite a few things going for it. Firstly it is free, which is not bad given that the sites are well equipped with shade canopies, picnic tables, BBQ grills and fire rings. But also it is really quite pretty.
We arrived mid week and found no-one there but us and the hosts. More joined at the weekend, but the sites are so well spaced we might as well have been alone. The campground is surrounded by rocks and I think many come ina t the weekend for climbing. We scrambled over a few and went for a few dusty walks inside the campground.
It is remote, Barstown and Lucerne Valley are the closest towns, but you won't find a lot to keep you occupied around here. But for a peaceful stopover this worked out perfectly.
The cell phone coverage is a little spotty, but we found we could lock onto a Verizon signal and get all the connectivity we needed.
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Amazing Place!”
Reviewed 1/30/2015
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 12 |
| RV Length: | 25' |
Overall Rating
We camped at Sawtooth Canyon from January 8 to 13 & would've stayed longer if not for the cold weather. The camp hosts, Janet & Jim, have transformed this area from a party/ATV area for locals to a clean, safe & beautiful canyon that is a climbing mecca for SoCal climbers. There were lots of climbers tenting over the weekend but we we... more
We camped at Sawtooth Canyon from January 8 to 13 & would've stayed longer if not for the cold weather. The camp hosts, Janet & Jim, have transformed this area from a party/ATV area for locals to a clean, safe & beautiful canyon that is a climbing mecca for SoCal climbers. There were lots of climbers tenting over the weekend but we were the only RV there during our stay. We enjoyed watching people climb on the weekend & we shared a double site with climbers--they were friendly. Climbers know this area as New Jack City.
The lower part of the campground doesn't have good Verizon reception but further up the canyon we got 4-5 bars of LTE. There are 3 vault toilets & no water. Dogs can be off-leash & our dog had a great time. There are some nice hiking opportunities. The road in is about .75 miles long but it's a good road that we didn't have a problem driving on even after a heavy rain.
This campground can be hard to find. If you reach the pass on highway 247 southbound from Barstow, go back north about 2 miles. The road is at milepost 63. The pipeline work should be complete by now. There was no work being done in the campground & minimal pipeline work across the road from the entrance.
There's so much to love about this campground. The camp hosts & Barstow BLM have created an amazing gem at Sawtooth Canyon.
Dawn would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Current Pipeline Construction - Nov 2014”
Reviewed 11/16/2014
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 0 |
| RV Length: | 21' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Stopped through there today, pretty nicely maintained campground and a spotty but good when its on Verizon 4G connection. However, there is a large pipeline being installed just outside the CG, all along the entry road. Didn't stay since we knew there would be lots of early morning noise
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 7 of 7
1 review not included in the overall rating
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“if you love hipsters this is your spot”
Reviewed 4/15/2018
| Days stayed: | 0 |
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Overall Rating
Aggravating washboard road leads to limited awesome looking sites full of hipsters and tourists that don’t want to pay to visit. Oh, and also pretend rock climbers. Yucky.
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
196 reviews
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Land Cruising Adventure: Sawtooth Canyon Campground | BLM | Barstow | California
Sawtooth Canyon Campground | BLM | Barstow | California This was my campsite at Sawtooth Campground, a BLM camp as well as a destinatio...
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Recreation
- picnic area
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- restrooms: vault
Pets
- pets
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