Johnson Valley OHV Area
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 1 in every 10 acres of land in the U.S.
Johnson Valley OHV Area is the ultimate destination for RV travelers who enjoy off-road adventures. Located in Southern California, this BLM recreation area offers over 96,000 acres of open desert to ride ATVs and dirt bikes across dry lake beds, through sandy washes, and around rugged mountains. There's terrain for every skill level. Best of all, there's a wide range of options for dispersed camping, meaning you can park your RV right on-site and stay close to your favorite trails. However, the remote desert location means you'll need to leave the recreation area to restock supplies or refuel your vehicle.
Quick Facts About RVing in Johnson Valley OHV Area
• RV Friendly: Yes • Max RV Length: Varies • Camping Type: Dispersed • Reservations: No • Hookups: None • Dump Station: None on-site • Potable Water: Bring your own • Cell Service: Spotty • Pets: Allowed if under owner's control • Roads: Graded dirt roads and open desert routes • Best Seasons: Fall, winter, and spring
Why RV Travelers Love This BLM Area
• Free dispersed camping with trail access • Large open spaces that accommodate many RV sizes • Excellent boondocking for travelers with self-contained RVs • Plenty of room for toy haulers • Ideal base camp for multiday desert adventures • Easy access to the famous King of the Hammers • Flexible camping for spontaneous RV trips
What to See and Do
Hiking and Biking
Ord Mountain Trail
This hike offers some challenging uphill stretches, and it is a great option for either hiking or mountain biking.
Length: 6.8 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Bell Mountain Trail
Located in nearby Apple Valley, this trail provides a beautiful look at the area’s landscape.
Length: 1.4 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Bass Hill Trail
This trail offers lovely views of Apple Valley and passes by historic landmarks.
Length: 1.9 miles
Intensity: Easy
Arrowhead Pinnacles Trail
Located in the San Bernardino National Forest, this trail is a fantastic option for hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding.
Length: 4.6 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Deep Creek Hot Springs Trail
This trail leads to a beautiful creek, and it is a wonderful option for viewing or photographing wildlife.
Length: 3.6 miles
Intensity: Difficult
Fishing and Boating
One of the best nearby locations for fishing is Lake Gregory, which is an excellent place to catch trout. The lake is regularly stocked. Hesperia Lake also offers great trout fishing. There are also many nearby hiking options for anglers looking to stretch their legs.
Climbing
Sawtooth Canyon is one of the most popular locations near the Johnson Valley OHV Area for rock climbing. Here, climbing enthusiasts can tackle more than 450 sport, traditional, top-rope, and bouldering options. Each route varies in difficulty, so there’s something for beginner and advanced climbers alike.
Wildlife Viewing
Visitors can head to the nearby San Bernardino National Forest or the Harper Dry Lake to view a range of wildlife. Animals such as snakes, coyotes, foxes, sandpipers, marsh wrens, plovers, antelope, tortoises, bobcats, cottontail rabbits, and snakes are common sights.
Picnicking
One of the most scenic spots for a picnic is the Mescal Picnic Area, which offers eight tables, grills, and restrooms. The Mojave Narrows Regional Park also offers grills and shaded picnic tables, and there are open spaces and playgrounds.
Bureau of Land Management Camping
RV Camping 
Visitors to the Johnson Valley OHV Area can enjoy standard and BLM RV camping. The Lone Wolf Colony is a beautiful campground and a designated historical landmark that offers RV camping and six dump stations. The Deep Creek Hot Springs Campground is also an excellent option. This campground offers inexpensive overnight rates, picnic tables, fire pits and grills, restrooms and showers, and potable water. Because it’s so large, reservations are not required and a space is nearly guaranteed. The Horse Springs Campground offers 11 sites and provides a rugged, quiet camping experience. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and campers can stay for up to 14 days.
Dispersed Camping
There's plenty of space throughout the Johnson Valley OHV Area for dispersed camping. It's easy to set up your rig and unload your OHV right next to the trails you want to explore. There's no need for reservations, and extended stays — up to 14 days within a 28-day period — are allowed. You must camp only in places that have already been used and pack out all trash. If you plan to build a campfire or use a portable stove or barbecue, you'll need a free California Campfire Permit. Your OHV must have proper registration, an approved spark arrester, a working muffler, and a safety flag. Always obey the 15-mph speed limit for areas within 50 feet of campsites, pedestrians, and animals. Stay out of closed areas.
Is This BLM Area Good for Your RV?
• Camper Vans: This is an excellent choice because compact dimensions easily handle sandy washes, washboards, and tighter desert access roads. • Travel Trailers: Smaller trailers tow well, but uneven dirt roads favor lengths under 30 feet. • Fifth Wheels: Larger fifth wheels are better suited to flat camping areas near main access roads. • Class A Motorhomes: Large Class A motorhomes struggle with washboards, loose sand, and uneven dispersed campsites. • Class B Motorhomes: These are ideal for exploring thanks to excellent maneuverability and higher clearance on rough desert roads. • Class C Motorhomes: Smaller Class C models comfortably handle maintained dirt roads and spacious dispersed camping areas.
Free Camping 
Bureau of Land Management free camping is available at Sawtooth Canyon Campground. There are 13 campsites, each with a fire pit, barbecue grill, and picnic table. There is also a shade ramada. Free camping is also available at Harper Dry Lake as long as campers set up their dispersed site within 50 feet of a designated open route.
RV Rentals Near Johnson Valley OHV Area Plan your next adventure
Planning your Johnson Valley OHV Area BLM trip
The Johnson Valley OHV Area shares about 53,000 acres with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms. Because of this, some parts of the area may occasionally be closed or blocked off for military training exercises. You can check the training schedule before you head out to make sure all areas are open and accessible.
All ATV riders must wear protective helmets while riding. When passing by a campsite, person, or animal, speed must be kept to 15 miles per hour or less. OHVs must have an approved spark arrester and muffler, and they must be equipped with a flag for visibility. All vehicles used in the area must be registered or permitted to operate in California, and they must display either a license plate or a green sticker.
Obey all signs, and do not enter areas that are marked as sensitive wildlife or plant habitats. Some of the wilderness borders private property. Do not enter these areas without permission. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about BLM camping.
What RV Travelers Should Know Before Arriving
There are two nearby full-service communities for restocking groceries and fuel: Lucerne Valley and Yucca Valley. Both also offer auto parts stores, which may come in handy if you need replacement parts. Always inspect the tires, belts, fluids, and trailer on your OHV before leaving home to determine whether anything needs repairs, and if so, make them before you travel. As this is the desert, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of potable water. Evenings cool off quickly and drop below freezing in the winter. There are multiple major off-road events at Johnson Valley OHV Area throughout the year, with King of the Hammers being the largest and best known. If you want to visit during one of these events, you'll need to plan your arrival and campsite to accommodate heavy traffic and limited camping availability.
Leave No Trace 
Bureau of Land Management campgrounds and wilderness areas require care and protection in order to stay beautiful for generations to come. You can use "Leave No Trace" practices, such as picking up litter and disposing of all trash properly, to guide your actions. In the OHV area, be cautious of other visitors and wild animals while you drive. Try to limit your impact on the landscape around you as much as possible.
Johnson Valley OHV Area Location
From Barstow, travel about 55 miles southeast on Highway 247. Visitors can enter the riding area from Old Woman Springs Road or by traveling north on Camp Rock Road. Most competitive events begin in the staging area at Anderson Dry Lake, which is 10 miles north of Highway 247 and just east of Camp Rock Road.
Ready to visit Johnson Valley OHV Area? 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 exploring, you’ll have your RV to return to for the night where you’ll enjoy 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.
Plan Your Day at Johnson Valley OHV Area
• Morning: Spend the early morning hours sipping coffee as you watch the desert sunrise. It's the perfect way to ease into another day of off-road riding. The rugged landscape provides gorgeous lighting for desert photography in the morning. • Afternoon: Feed your crew a picnic lunch at the RV and then go practice climbing on some of the rocky hills or ride through the sandy washes. Feel free to stick to your favorite trails or explore routes you've never been on before. • Evening: Use evening time for mingling with other OHV enthusiasts and planning the next day's adventure. Once the sun goes down, you'll love gazing at the night sky with its countless stars and minimal light pollution.
Nearby Attractions
Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa • Located in the Sand to Snow National Monument • 30–45 minutes from Johnson Valley access • Scenic drive through volcanic terrain • Chance to photograph ancient black lava rock formations • Joshua trees across the Mojave Desert • Bighorn sheep and soaring hawks • Protected conservation land to explore • Quieter desert experience without the crowds Pappy & Harriet's • 35–45 minutes from Johnson Valley • Classic American fare and barbecue< • Local beer, cocktails, and soft drinks • Live music from touring artists • Spacious outdoor patio • Western-inspired decor • Iconic Mojave Desert venue Pioneertown • 40–45 minutes from Johnson Valley OHV Area • Pioneertown's historic Old-West-style wooden storefronts • Live entertainment on select weekends • Unique local shops and galleries to browse • Scenic desert photography opportunities • Learning about the town's Hollywood movie history • Dining at nearby restaurants
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you camp overnight in an RV at Johnson Valley OHV Area? Yes. Many areas of the Johnson Valley OHV Area are designated for dispersed camping. You can stay for up to 14 days within a consecutive 28-day period. All campsites are first-come, first-served. Are the access roads dirt or paved? The access roads leading to Johnson Valley are paved, making them easy to navigate. However, most of the roads within the actual recreation area are graded dirt. Where is the nearest RV dump station? To find the closest dump station, you'll need to leave the recreation area and travel to Yucca Valley or Lucerne Valley. Are hookups available? No, there are no hookups anywhere within Johnson Valley OHV Area. The nearest campground with full hookups is Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, which is a 35- to 40-minute drive away. Am I allowed to use a generator? Yes, you can use a generator. Most campers avoid running generators late at night to reduce noise and help maintain a peaceful camping atmosphere. Is summer a good time to visit? If you plan to come in the summer, you must take into account that daytime temperatures often exceed 100°F. That's why many travelers plan their trips for spring or fall.
Rent the Right RV for This Trip
When selecting an RV rental for your trip, be sure to consider how much storage room you need for your riding gear, tools, and other OHV equipment. Booking an RV with an attached toy hauler can make your trip much easier. You'll also want to think about the available sleeping space if you're bringing multiple people. Since this part of the Mojave Desert tends to stay hot during the day for much of the year, an RV with reliable air conditioning is a smart way to stay comfortable between rides. Explore the different San Bernardino RV rentals to find the ideal rig for your trip to the Johnson Valley OHV Area.