Desert camping near Lake Mathews

Bring the tent, RV, or horse trailer to Lake Mathews for waterfront mountain camping year-round.

88% (1236 reviews)
  1. Lake Mathews
88% (1236 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Lake Mathews

Camper favorites near Lake Mathews

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Public campgrounds near Lake Mathews

Stories from the community

Available this weekend

12 top desert campgrounds near Lake Mathews

89%
(105)

Bowen Ranch Deep Creek Hot Springs

17 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents200 acres · Lake Arrowhead, CA
Peaceful Off-the-Grid Property in the Mountains of the Mojave Desert, Hot Springs and Numerous Hiking and Off-Roading Trails Nearby... Surrounded by 1,000s of Acres of Undeveloped BLM and US Forestry Land, With Endless Views of the San Bernardino Mountains and High Desert Scenery. Bring Your Tent, Trailer, RV or Camp in your Car . Picnic Tables and Fire Pits (grills available). Flushing Toilets, Pits Toilets, Potable Water, and Showers On-Site. Breakfast Lunch Dinner Served on the Weekends *Warning! The hike to the Deep Creek Hot Springs is fairly steep and can be difficult for some people, especially in warm weather, so everyone’s physical fitness needs to be considered when deciding to hike to the hot springs with pets, children, elderly people, or out-of-shape/over-weight people in your group. Even though Deep Creek has never had any known cases of amoeba outbreaks, be advised that the warm waters around hot springs can carry a sometimes fatal amoeba. *Although children are permitted at most sites on the property (children are not permitted at the cabin or spring pool sites), we do not recommend bringing them due to occasional nudity that may be seen in the area and the degree of difficulty for the hike. In order to be prepared with the correct gear to make the hike to the hot springs and know the USFS rules that apply to the area, please educate yourself before coming by visiting the USFS website page for the Deep Creek area. Know before you go! The Deep Creek Hot Springs Campground is part of the historic Bowen Ranch property that was homesteaded in 1924 and has been the camping and parking area for the Deep Creek Hot Springs for nearly a century. The Bowen Ranch property is under new ownership as of 2020. See our webpage deepcreekhotspringscampground.com for more information and detailed driving directions to our property.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$54.99
 / night
95%
(304)

Saddle Up Camp

21 sites · RVs, Tents6 acres · Aguanga, CA
Saddle Up Ranch is a horse rescue that is ever growing. We have over 180 trees on the property (mostly beautiful flowing California Pepper Trees) and have gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and horse pastures.We offer horseback riding, goat yoga, and goat milking. You can also volunteer and help care for the animals while you are here by feeding, grooming or simply petting them. TJ, our owner, is working her way through the race track. Our campsites are managed by Tony. He works closely with guests to expand our campsites. TJ and many of the guides volunteer hard hours to rehabilitate the horse and give them a good home. You should see how the animals flock to TJ. The ranch also has goats, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. You can support our mission of rescuing horses by booking one of our horseback riding or other services! Thank you for your support! Guests love staying here: "Second stay and looking forward to returning again! <3 We were the only campers during the weekend, it was so serene. It gets very cold at night but the star filled skies are breathtaking. This time during our stay we had 3 kitty visitors and 3 dogs that rolled up to our camp multiple times, it felt like they were checking up on us. It was so cute. The sweet Aussie poked his head in our tent to say "you good?" haha It was so cute and they were extremely friendly and social! The black kitten stayed at our camp all night and cuddled on our laps by the fire. It was such a lovely experience. TJ and her crew have done an amazing job with this place, I don't have enough words to explain. Just see for yourself! You'll love it!! Can't wait to visit again!"
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Trash
from 
$30
 / night
99%
(85)

Idyllwild Camp

2 sites · Tents1 acre · Idyllwild, CA
Join us in beautiful Idyllwild in the mountains of southern California! We are within easy reach of San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs for a peaceful get-away to escape the valley heat and immerse in the pine forests of this peaceful mountain town. Idyllwild is filled with hiking trails and is one of the main stopping points on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Our quaint downtown area is filled with Native American artwork, restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops, an ice cream shop, souvenir and supply shops. Our property is our one acre private home with multiple campsites and facilities for campers. Indoor accommodations will be offered soon! We are located within walking distance of many trailheads, and approximately two miles off of the PCT at the South Ridge Trailhead. Make yourself at home on our friendly family property equipped for tent camping. (Indoor accommodations coming soon! Feel free to inquire for advance bookings.) Access to meticulously cleaned toilets and warm showers inside of the main house or trailer. Additional services available at certain times include laundry service, home-cooked vegan meals, trail pick-up/drop-off. We love supporting hikers and giving travelers a sanctuary in the beautiful forests of Idyllwild. We have two loving big dogs who will be eager to welcome you as well!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Showers
Trash
from 
$45
 / night
99%
(80)

Rock & Tree

19 sites · RVs, Tents36 acres · Perris, CA
It's so nice to "meet you" my name is Taryn and my hubby's name is Anson. We are parents to two-year-old twins, so saying we have our hands full is an understatement. Anson is a folk and blues musician and has traveled all around the U.S. playing his music and I work for a children's book company. One day, we decided that we wanted to live the rest of our lives hosting live music, and events and that's how Rock & Tree began. As the idea grew, we wanted to create an Open Canvas so that the guest could dream up what they wanted on our stage. We moved to the Inland Empire from Santa Monica, in 2017 with the dream of building an open canvas event space out of sustainable, re purposed and natural materials. Our mission is help enrich the culture of Perris, CA by providing a unique venue that takes you away from the hustle and bustle and takes you to a wonderland of nature surrounded by rocks and eucalyptus trees. Anson and I continue to build everything ourselves with the help of our friends and family every now and again. Our process is that we source as much lumber using the dead Eucalyptus trees we have here on the 36 acre property and we are constantly trying to come up with innovative ways to use recycled and donated materials in the venue. During the pandemic, we turned our venue into a campground so we could open up the venue to people who needed to get out into nature. We are now open for daily camping and private events. You can follow our journey on our Instagram.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$200
 / night
100%
(5)

The "Camp-Sight"

3 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Aguanga, CA
"If you got the sight, we got the views." Our property sits on top of a hill on 10 acres of beautiful panoramic views of Cahuilla and, Palomar mountain along with rolling hills of large rock formation and colorful wildflowers in the spring. Nestled up to the wildlife preserve of the government bureau of land management which provides more of a quiet and private setting to enjoy what nature has to offer. You will see Jack rabbits and cotton tail bunnies, roadrunners, quail, owls, different type of birds, hawks, coyote, lizards, snakes and even some toads. On occasion you may see deer, Bob cats, mountain lion along with endangered kangaroo mice, The beautiful night sky is easy to see planets and shooting stars without the interruption of city lights. There are many trails to walk, hike, bike and horse back ride where you can discover large boulders in different shapes and sizes along with hidden caves. A variety of rocks and minerals can be found for those rock hound enthusiasts as well. At the camp site you will find a horseshoe pit ,indoor and outdoor games and treasure hunts for everyone to enjoy. If you want to bring your own set of golf clubs you can even hit some balls! Pets and horses are welcome. We provide Two horse corrals with feed buckets and access to water. There is a outdoor dog kennel. There are off road areas nearby. Bring your motor bike, quad or buggy and throw up some dirt. Not to far there is a Casino, small store and a restaurant and about 30 minutes away from the Temecula wineries. You don’t have to worry about packing up a bunch of camping equipment, our camp provides a 35 foot RV big enough for 6 people if you prefer a roof over your head and a place to sit down for a meal runs off a generator ( you will need to provide your own fuel. it is a 5 gallon capacity). and has indoor and outdoor lights and electrical outlets to plug in a fan or your phone and, there is a to use. We have a cooler for you to use bu you will need to provide your own ice. There are dishes and utensils and a toilet. and water in and outside (You will need to bring your own blankets, sleeping bags and towels). Also provided arepropane b.b.q, propane fire ring, outdoor bench, table and camp chairs. There is enough room on this property to bring your own camper, RV or tent or ? but it must be self contained. There is no electric, water or waste hook up. If you are just looking for a place to set up your own tent, I will consider the cost to be lower. Please contact me if you may have any questions. We aim to please to make your stay enjoyable. Thank you and enjoy your day!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Trash
Cooking equipment
from 
$25
 / night
99%
(137)

Desert Dreamland

2 sites · RVs, Tents20 acres · Aguanga, CA
Our family has owned this property for nearly fifty years. We currently have one site available - “Desert Mountain Scenic Overlook” - at this time. More sites coming soon! Learn more about this site: This campsite is extremely private and serene with beautiful epic views and a wide open feel. The site is located most of the way up a small mountain but at the base of a larger one if you want to hike up to the top for even better views. You can also hike down and around to explore more of the surrounding nature preserve (over 3,000 acres completely engulfing our 20 acre property), which includes a seasonal creek, granite boulders, and miles of hiking trails. You will find wild sage and buckwheat shrubs growing all over the property, as well as vibrant seasonal wildflowers. The campsite is set far back from roads so it is very peaceful and quiet and allows you to feel free to enjoy yourselves without worrying much about noise. The large flat pad is spacious and should be able to accommodate any sized camper/trailer/RV. There is fresh potable mountain spring water and a septic hookup available at the site. There is currently no water hookup for RV’s and there is no restroom facility (we are planning to install a composting or pit toilet soon). Please come fully equipped with a Luggable Loo or something similar. Access to the site is on a maintained dirt road with cutouts for water run off. 4WD is not necessary. Please be prepared though, the road in has some narrow, hilly, curvy stretches. It could appear challenging or intimidating to people with larger rigs. If you have a class A motorhome and are hoping to visit, please message me first and let me know and we can discuss whether the road in will work for you. We are currently in the process of beautifying the area and will post more updated photos soon of the actual site. *Note: Our solar pump went out so the outdoor shower is not currently functional. Also, the site is still a work in progress so there may be some lumber and areas of the site still in the process of being completed.
Pets
Potable water
Trash
from 
$60
 / night
93%
(20)

Cold Creek Estates

5 sites · RVs100 acres · San Bernardino, CA
Cold Creek is a unique 112-acre property in the San Bernardino National Forest. Because of its location in a 3,200 foot elevation, it's colder than the Southern California deserts and warmer than the cold mountains above us. Our temperatures rarely exceed 90F and rarely drop below 40F. We have plenty sun and about two to three days of snow every winter. A year-around creek keeps everything green and fresh around the year. We are the second owners since 1913, and operate a small organic orchard on the property. We are most famous for our honey, peaches and figs, but also grow apples, pears, persimmon, blackberries, greens, bay leaf, white sage and more.For years , we were WWOOF hosts (look it up ;-) and resisted opening up Cold Creek to traffic associated with daily camping arrivals, but we finally found the perfect spots for visitors to park their RVs, spend a quiet night and visit the orchard by foot.We are now excited by the prospect of focusing on expanding our micro-farming and inviting campers to look over our shoulders.
Pets
Toilets
Showers
Trash
Cooking equipment
from 
$36
 / night
95%
(11)

SoCal Double D Farm

1 site · RV1 acre · Calimesa, CA
OUR STORY Our farm story began in 2018, when on a whim and a prayer we purchased a rundown home and land. After years of acquiring many blisters, animals, plants and weird suntans, we eventually created the home and farm of our dreams. Our emphasis in the beginning of this journey was to create a space in which our children (along with ourselves) learned the value of producing our own food, fiber, meat and eggs. We challenged ourselves to learn sustainable and organic farming practices, and the emphasis soon changed to how can we share this journey and all that we have learned with more than just our children. So…..here we are, sharing our hard work and ambition with you. For now, this ambition is in the form of HomeMade Jams, Jellies, Teas, Seasonings and Confections that is procured from our own organically grown gardens and trees along with HandMade fiber creations from our small Alpaca herd. I would like to be able to say that we grew everything that goes into our ingredients, but we are not that good at everything yet! So to keep in the spirit of ethical sustainability along with ensuring a high quality and great tasting product, we purchase ingredients from local organic farmers and shelf products that not only have the USDA Organic seal, but are non-GMO, ethically harvested and in some cases certified Kosher. One day we hope to meet you and share our story with you by introducing you to the fruit trees my father grew from seed and let you feel the soft fiber of our eclectic herd of misfit Alpacas while you watch the glorious Southern California sunset touch the hot desert horizon we call home. Cheers!
Pets
Potable water
Trash
from 
$28
 / night

Under $50

Dog-friendly getaways

Value Prop
Value Prop
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Desert camping near Lake Mathews guide

Overview

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to website for camping in the United States! If you're looking for a desert adventure near Lake Mathews, California, we've got you covered. With over 2,900 options specifically tailored to your preference for desert terrain, you'll have plenty to choose from. Our campsites range in price, with options as low as $5 per night, and an average price of $40 per night. Looking for the top campsites? Check out Down-to-Earth Ecoshire (552 reviews), The Lovelight Ranch (532 reviews), and The Desert Rose Collective (378 reviews). These campsites are highly rated by campers just like you. Popular amenities include potable water, campfires, and pet-friendly options. And if you're up for some adventure, you can enjoy activities like off-roading (OHV), boating, and horseback riding. So get ready to experience the beauty of the desert at Lake Mathews, California. Happy camping!