Horsethief Springs/Cabin

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.

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Horsethief Springs/Cabin

Horsethief Springs is a Bureau of Land Management camping ground in San Bernadino County, California. At an elevation of 4,600 feet, the area is home to a perennial spring that sustains wildlife and birds that migrate from different locations. There are no fees charged when visiting this area. Visitors are only allowed to camp within the area for not more than 30 minutes, which means you might need to find a nearby BLM RV camping site for more extended stays. Other than bird watching and wildlife viewing, you may enjoy activities like photography, hunting, and hiking.

What to See and Do

Hiking and Biking

Amargosa River Trail

The trail follows the course of a river canyon between Tecopa and China Ranch, with part of the trail following the former corridor of the Tidewater Railroad and Tonopah. The ground is mostly level with a gravel surface.

Length: 6 miles

Intensity: Moderate

Goodsprings Trail

This is a loop trail that leads you out of town into the natural arid space offering a chance to explore the history of this area. Along this trail, signs educate visitors on its ecology, plant, and animal life.

Length: 2.2 miles

Intensity: Moderate

Grimshaw Lake Watchable Wildlife Trail

The trail is part of the Amargosa River Natural Area managed by the BLM. Its gravel surface follows a flat route that takes visitors across the Tidewater Railroad and the Tonopah. It also crosses the Tecopa Basin.

Length: 1 mile

Intensity: Easy

Fishing and Boating

Grimshaw Lake is about 22 miles from Horsethief Springs, where you might expect to catch brown trout (fario) and golden trout. You should consider the Laughing Fishing Guide if you want to fish while on a boat. It is 18.8 miles from Needles, CA, and offers plenty of bass fish like the largemouth, striped, and smallmouth bass. Also, there are sunfish and catfish.

Wildlife Viewing

Horsethief Springs is home to quails and doves. It is also possible to spot mule deer grazing in open areas around the springs. If you want to observe more wildlife, visit the Tecopa Ecological Reserve. It is home to bears, deer, elk, wild pigs, and the pronghorn. You might also spot the tree squirrel and the jackrabbit.

Hunting

Hunting is permitted at Horsethief Springs, but you can only find quails, chukars, and doves. A great hunting experience is at Tecopa Ecological Reserve, but you must have a California hunting license and tags. The license will allow you to hunt elk, deer, wild pigs, and birds like the band-tailed pigeons and ring-necked pheasants.

Bureau of Land Management Camping

RV Camping

If you search for "BLM camping near me" online, you should get recommendations for RV camping in San Bernardino County. It gets better if you limit your location to Needles, the hometown of Horsethief Springs. Possible Bureau of Land Management campgrounds in this area include Fender’s River Road Resort, Desert View RV Resort, and Moon River RV Resort. Needles KOA is worth mentioning as it offers 96 campsites for a $36 per night fee. The campsites are large enough to host Class A RVs of up to 42 feet. Visitors will access picnic tables, fire rings, laundry facilities, restrooms with flush toilets, showers, trash bins, Wi-Fi, and firewood.

Fender’s River Road Resort charges $16 for each of its 25 campsites. The maximum recommended RV length is 38 feet, and amenities are Wi-Fi, picnic tables, water, showers, flush restrooms, and laundry facilities. For the Desert View RV Resort, its nightly charges are $50 for each of its 65 campsites. These sites offer Wi-Fi, flush restrooms, laundry facilities, showers, trash bins, and full hookups. Moon River RV Resort allows a maximum RV length of 40 feet and charges $39. It has 84 campsites with amenities that include Wi-Fi, full hookups, a dump station, trash bins, flush restrooms, laundry, and showers. Pets are also allowed on this campsite.

Free Camping

If you prefer Bureau of Land Management free camping, you should check nearby BLM and USFS lands. A standard free RV camping ground in Needles is the Heart of Mojave East area. The area has beautiful mountain views nearby with sandy trails to guide visitors deeper into the land. Another free camping ground is the Snaggletooth Primitive RV camp located in the Mojave Trails National Monument. There are no amenities at either of these campgrounds.

RV Rentals Near Horsethief Springs/Cabin Plan your next adventure

Credit: Vanna Mae, @vannamaeart

Planning your Horsethief Springs/Cabin BLM trip

Familiarize yourself with the area surrounding your selected campground using online maps, especially if you reside outside that state or country. For example, you may need to know the closest town to your campsite in case of an emergency or if you need supplies. In this case, Needles is the nearest city to Horsethief Springs. Also, before choosing a campsite, read the reviews of previous visitors. Get to know their experience and recommendations. These will help you understand what is essential for the trip and which areas to avoid for your safety. Before leaving for your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.

Leave No Trace

When camping on BLM land, it is essential to keep the area clean by avoiding littering. Some campgrounds have trash bins and dump stations. Horsethief Springs offers none, so you should come prepared with trash disposal options. Also, you may take a few minutes to check your campsite for any trash you might have missed before leaving. Respect the wildlife inhabiting this area by limiting noise while watching them or hiking on trails. You must also keep your distance when you come across wildlife.

Horsethief Springs/Cabin Location

If you are coming from Needles, California, drive 10 miles using the I-40 west to get to the exit on US Highway 95 north. Take the exit and drive for 45 miles on US Highway 95 until you reach NV State Route 164. Take a left turn on SR 164 and keep going for another 20 miles. It should take you to the CA/NV state line, where it becomes Nipton Road. Drive for 15 miles until you get to I-15 and head west for 15 miles. Once you get to Cima Road, take a right turn and exit. You should see the Excelsior Mine/Kingston Road north after 10 miles. Keep driving on this road for 18 miles until you reach a BLM gate. There is parking along the roadway and an informational kiosk at the site.

Address: Bureau of Land Management Needles Field Office, Needles, CA 92363

Ready to visit Horsethief Springs? An RV rental is a great way to experience your destination. Not only will you be close to all the action, but at the end of a long day of exploring, you'll have your RV to return to for the night, enjoying a full kitchen, bathroom, and nice soft bed. Not sure about renting an RV? Here's a step-by-step guide to renting an RV with RVshare.