Camp NadaLotta

Super private! Love that their was a picnic table.

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on March 26th, 2019

thank you, megan! can't wait to have you back :)

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Private and clean with a great view! My dog loved running around chasing birds- I loved the clean compost toilet. It had all the amenities of a public campground (picnic table, fire ring, toilet, parking) with none of the crowds.

I have a subaru outback with good clearance, so I didn't have a problem driving out there. It took about an hour and a half to get there from LA. We stopped at the Saddleback market for firewood and supplies and got a great deal!

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on March 26th, 2019

thanks so much, love the photos. would love to have you back :)

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My review will try to fill the gaps in all the other reviews I read before choosing this campsite. First off, it is very much as described. It's very secluded (well, to be more accurate, it’s totally exposed - there’s just nothing around you). There are a few shabby meth-lab looking plots of land a mile or two away that seemed to be uninhabited when we were there (no lights on at night). Not scary meth labs, just broken down old places that look slightly creepy. But the closest one is about a mile away, (you’ll drive right past it on your way in, it’s the spot with the big red X on the map the host will give you. It’s the only man-made thing you can really ‘see’ from the camp site).
The dirt road to get to the site is drivable with a 2 wheel drive car, but I would only add that it is a fairly harrowing experience if you’ve never been ‘off-roading’. The dirt is soft, and the path is very narrow and has a lot of wavy mini-hills all along it that give you a sort of rolling/swaying feeling as you drive it - which you have do very slowly. Again, it’s doable in a normal car, just take care and go slow.
The camp site is easy to spot when you arrive because the outhouse that holds the compost toilet is easy to see as it’s the only man made structure out there. There are 2 ‘driveways’ off the dirt road that you drove in on that lead you into the camp, where you can park and set up your campsite.
The camp site has 4 items at the time we camped: The outhouse with toilet, the picnic table, a metal fire pit with a cooking grill, and a campfire enclosure made of rocks. I tried to take a couple pictures that show the entire site, since I felt the one thing I didn’t really get a sense of before I got there was the distance between the outhouse and the rest of the camp site.
Outhouse:
This was the first time we’d camped with a compost toilet and we were really impressed. The outhouse is very well constructed and has two solid wood walls and two walls made of mosquito netting w magnetic closures. The roof is metal. The toilet itself is a pretty formidable affair seemly made from an oil drum but well outfitted with a toilet seat that has a foam seal. This looks professionally installed, not some home-made thing. Real talk: the smell was surprising mild. Now obviously, you get in and you get out fast, follow the instructions, but we never once could smell anything coming from it while we were using the campsite. We brought (and left behind) a massive grip clip that we attached to the wall of the outhouse so we could set up our camping shower. It was perfect. (I uploaded a pic of that as well). We felt secluded enough to shower out there in the middle of the afternoon.
Picnic table:
completely typical all in one picnic table w attached benches. Could seat 6 to 8 if you squeeze in. It’s a normal commercial grade wood table, and it’s super useful and you will be glad to have it.
Metal fire pit:
seems to be well made, the gill is large enough to lay across the entire pit, so if you wanted to to a BBQ style cooking set up, you’d have a pretty large cooking surface. We didn’t use it.
Camp Fire Rocks:
a nice sized campfire pit. We used this most nights. You’ll have to bring in your own firewood if you want to make a fire, there is nothing at the campsite. We enjoyed the fire pit quite a bit.
Overall:
we were there in early October, and the one thing I’d say is that the days were HOT and the nights were WINDY. So windy at night that our tent violently flapping all night kept us up most nights. Weather app said it was 10mph wind, but it sure felt like a lot more than that. Other than that, it was really just as everyone else has said in other review. Very pretty, very secluded. And there’s a fair chance some kids will ride past on ATVs. We saw a group of about 10 of them at one point. Amusing. We really enjoyed our stay, and if we ever want to desert camp again, this will be at the top of our list of places to go.
Tips:
Bring a ton of water. There is no water at the site, and while the drive into town is really not that far (maybe 3 miles) it just kills the vibe of being away from things. Unless you’re there during a full moon, bring plenty of lanterns and flashlights. the sky has light contamination, but the site is far enough away from he city that it’s still very dark at night. Be prepared for that.

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on January 12th, 2020

Thanks so much Jenn! We appreciate the thorough and thoughtful response. We look forward to having you back. Take care

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Camp Nada Lotta is alotta magic! I had an incredible overnight stay during the supermoon! The views were incredible, the booking/planning process was a breeze, and the site was impeccable! The site had everything that we needed, perfect firepit with grate to cook on, picnic table and benches to chill, CLEAN toilet, and an awesome new shade dome that helped us stay cool. You can feel the love that the owners have for this place and I, for one, can't wait to come back!

FYI - I have a little electric car (Chevy Bolt) and I was able to easily (but slowly) make it through the "off road" trek to the site. And for anyone who drives electric, I left Los Angeles with 200 miles of charge and returned home with 60 miles left in my charge. Sweet!

Thank you Chrissy & Ian for the amazing stay!!

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on May 14th, 2020

Thank you, Fayna! Oh my gosh, that moon rise photo is amazing!!! We are so happy you enjoyed. come back anytime :)

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For a last minute getaway from busy city life this campsite was amazing. In terms of cleanliness and privacy, this campsite gets a C-. There's trash everywhere. Broken glass, nails, dumped furniture. Not exactly at the site, but all around. The bathroom has no door, so you get a nice once in a lifetime experience. There's a grow operation nearby. Also you can hear thumping music late at night at early in the morning. The road to the campsite is very sandy, my adventure bike got stuck a couple of times, but my friends Tacoma had no problem.

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on December 6th, 2020

Thank for your honesty, Yuri! While we do our best to keep our little slice clean and tidy, we have no control over what gets dumped in the desert, unfortunately. When we started Camp Nadalotta, we were the only ones out there (aside from our neighbor to the west) Now, it looks like some business’ are utilizing the open space (i.e. the grow space) while we would love for it to not be in our view, we have zero say of who does what with their space in the great wide open. Lastly, We purposely didn’t put the door on the bathroom to have a “loo with a view” :) Take Care and stay safe!

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Signage leading to the campsite would be helpful for future campers. Definitely need 4x4 or a high clearance vehicle to navigate throughout the campground. Site was a bit unkept with thrash/junk. Minor details that can be fixed. Beautiful sunset/views!

The site was beautifully secluded and immersed in the desert life. Definitely “camping/nature vibes” for sure. A few of my friends and I went for a quick trip for the weekend to get away and outdoors. It took us longer than expected to find the site once we got on the dirt road. I think having signs along the road to the camp would be VERY helpful instead of the single one on the site. Our 4wd did get stuck in sand at the site and took a good chunk of brain power and time to resolve the issue. Besides that, it was great!! Would definitely go again.

Loved staying here. It was super private and beautiful and the host was very responsive. Ideal weekend getaway.

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on March 26th, 2019

we love that you loved it! you're welcome back anytime

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Great time! Will be hard to go back to a regular campsite after enjoying our complete privacy at nada lotta. It felt like being in africa, like snowcapped mountains in the distance overlooking the serengeti, flowers blooming all around us and not another soul in site.
We’ll be back for sure! Thank you Chrissy and Ian

Response from Chrissy, the Host, on April 3rd, 2019

Thanks Alexandra! What a compliment, we would love to have you guys back. Take care

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