Free Camping In California: Great Spots To Bed Down Under The Stars

(View of Hernandez Valley Reservoir from Laguna Mountain via BLM)

A camping spot on Yosemite's floor will cost you $26.00 this summer.

A reserved site to pitch the tent at Joshua Tree National Park will put $15 on the card. Of course, it's going to be warm in the desert this weekend.

Joshua Tree's website advises:

An excessive heat warning is in effect for areas of the Southern California desert through Saturday, July 23. Temperatures may soar as high as 112°-118°F (44°-48°C), depending on elevation. Avoid outdoor activity. Carry extra water.

Some like it hot.

And, some like to camp a little less expensively in California.

You can stretch out the legs, and breath in the fresh outdoor morning air, in a cooler place, for the price California explorers paid when they discovered the Golden State: nothing.

According to SFGate, the Bureau of Land Management offers free camping in many of the California areas it has under federal management.

SFGate says you need to follow some rules if you head for BLM land:

• Never litter
• Don't disturb plants, rocks, minerals, etc.
• Supervise fires at all times
• Pack out what you pack in

So, if you swear on Scout's Honor you'll be good, here are three free Bureau of Land Management locations you should check out, as listed on campendium, a national website that aggregates campsite listings:

Alabama Hills Recreation Area/Lone Pine, CA

The outstanding features and environment of the Alabama Hills have attracted movie makers from all over the world. Since the early 1920's, movie stars such as Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry and the Lone Ranger, have been shooting it out with outlaws. Classics such as Gunga Din, Yellow Sky, and How the West was Won, were filmed at sites now known as "Movie Flats".
The 1990 Sci-Fi classic Tremors was filmed almost entirely on location in the Alabama Hills.

Amboy Crater/Amboy, CA

Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973, Amboy Crater was recognized for its visual and geological significance. Although Amboy Crater is not unique, it is an excellent example of a very symmetrical volcanic cinder cone.
The inside of the 250' high crater contains two lava dams behind which has formed small lava lakes. These are now flat in general appearance, covered with light colored clay, creating the impression of miniature "dry lakes." There is a breach on the west side of the crater where basaltic lava poured out over a vast area. Beyond the crater lies 24 square miles of lava flow containing such features as lava lakes, collapsed lava tubes and sinks, spatter cones and massive flows of basalt.

Rocky Point East (Eagle Lake)/Susanville, CA

This is an undeveloped campground on the east shore of Rocky Point. The site is best suited for self-contained camping. There is no potable water or trash removal available but a vault toilet is provided. There is no fee for the use of the campground but a donation is requested to assist with the routine maintenance costs. The surface in the campground is packed earth, gravel or sand. It is possible to launch small boats along the shoreline in the campground area.

You can get information on all Bureau of Land Management/California camping spots here.

-images, embedded text via Bureau of Land Management