Campgrounds and RV parks near Lenwood, CA

Calico Ghost Town, part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system, has shops, restaurants, and offers camping, hiking and off-roading. The restored 1880s silver-mining town runs a regular events calendar and sits about 12 miles from Lenwood. Rainbow Basin Natural Area, roughly 20 miles north, offers a scenic loop drive through colorful, folded rock formations and fossil-bearing badlands managed by the BLM. Off-road riders use Stoddard Valley and Mule Canyon OHV areas, both close to town. Route 66 sights add easy day trips, including the Barstow Route 66 Museum, Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch near Oro Grande, and the Mojave National Preserve about 50 miles east, with Kelso Dunes, Joshua tree forests, and volcanic cinder cones. Families often pair a Calico day with a movie at the Skyline Drive-In in Barstow.

Spring and fall are the prime windows for RV travel in this part of the Mojave. The best time to visit is in the spring or fall, with average temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to mid-80s. From March through May and again from late September through November, daytime highs sit in a comfortable range and overnight lows are cool but rarely freezing. Spring also brings desert wildflowers in nearby washes and along the Mojave Preserve roads. Summer is the hardest season on people, pets, and rigs. The high desert climate offers warm summers, with an average daily temperature of 102 degrees, and a rapid cool-down during the summer months in the evening, resulting in very pleasant nights. RVers who travel in summer plan for full-hookup parks so air conditioning runs continuously, schedule outdoor activity for early morning, and carry significantly more drinking water than they would at higher elevations. Winter is mild by day with chilly nights, occasional rain, and rare snow flurries. It is a popular season for OHV users at Stoddard Valley and for snowbirds passing through on I-15, so reserve full-hookup sites in advance around holidays and three-day weekends.

Expect open desert terrain, big sky, and limited natural shade. Full-hookup parks near Lenwood and Barstow generally offer 30 and 50 amp service, water, sewer, Wi-Fi of variable strength, dump stations, laundry, and pet areas. Pull-through sites at the Barstow / Calico KOA can accommodate larger rigs. The Calico RV Park offers sites with full or partial hookups as well as group and tent camping, campsites are available near the OHV area, and amenities include hot showers, restrooms, grills, fire rings, and two dump stations. Temperature swings of 30 degrees Fahrenheit between day and night are common, so pack layers. Stock extra drinking water, run tires at the correct pressure for desert heat, and remember fires are only permitted in fire rings. Confirm current restrictions with the campground or BLM field office before lighting any fire.