Fossil Falls Campground

We really didn't know what to expect when we added this stop to our road trip but I'm really glad we did. Beautiful, stunning formation.

The entrance to the falls is a few miles north of where the Roadtrippers marker is showing. You won’t miss it it’s well marked and even though the road is not paved its graded so any vehicle can access this area. Bathrooms are pretty dirty and full of flies so use at your own risk.

We stayed here since it was close to Death Valley National Park and cheap, but it offers way more than that. The scenery is beautiful, with snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains on one side and lava rocks on the other. There is some kind of an active mine right next to it and you see trucks entering and leaving, but nothing that would be bothersome. No noise disturbance whatsoever.

There are a few hikes, but we only hiked to the top of the fossil falls (something I've never seen before). For the kids just wandering around the campground was adventure enough, with tons of wildflowers, lava rocks and even some petrified wood. It's within 45 minutes of Ridgecrest (Walmart, Albertsons) or Lone Pine (Alabama Hills).

The nightly rate is okayish, you get a nice big and private spot with fire ring. However, the water pump doesn't really work that well (takes about 20 minutes and a good workout to fill a canister). We didn't try the public restrooms.

If you end up staying in sites 5 or 8 (perfect if traveling in pairs) be prepared for people randomly pulling up into your campsite because the street is kinda confusing. Also, if traveling in a big RV consider driving in the wrong way and take one of the last sites to avoid the bumpy campground road.

We came to Fossil Falls just wanting to try out some BLM land in California. We first thought we'd stay for 3 days but ended up staying for 8. That's when we needed to dump, or else we may have stayed longer and there is no dump station.

It's a really simple campground. The sites are just open areas between the mounds of lava rocks with a picnic table and a fire ring. There's one vault toilet that was quite clean. And there is a water pump, though good luck to you trying to utilize it. It is an old-fashioned hand pump, so you get a workout. The wind also tends to blow the water that comes out so that little of it ends up in your water jug. If they would just put up a windbreak wall just to the west of it, it might work better.

But, the reason we liked it was the environment. The lava rocks everywhere are just so cool. The campsites are fairly private. Our kids got to run around and climb on the rocks. One of the days we took the hike down to the falls that starts at the day-use parking lot. It's a short hike to the dry riverbed where the falls used to be in the last ice age. Then it drops down into a deep gorge. From there you can hike either side. The far side will take you up a ridge where you have quite a view over the lava bed. On the near side you can find a path down to where the gorge is shallower all the way down to the dry river itself. It's a great hike with lots of great views and photo chances.

There's also a drive back to a high viewpoint over Little Lake, with a view information signs about the lake, the lava flows, and petroglyphs that can be found in the area.

The wind can get strong here if there's a storm. Also, be careful about the trails. They are BUMPY and could cause some tire problems if you're not careful. And not all the campsites are for RVs. There's a board by the fee station that lists which sites are for tents and which for RVs.

We loved staying here and we'll stay again. The Eastern Sierras are great for camping, and Fossil Falls makes a great start if you want to make your way north from there. Ridgecrest is about 30 minutes south for groceries and laundry. There is a rest stop about 5 miles north with dumpsters, so you don't have to cart your trash all the way to Ridgecrest.

The road in is very rocky, but not really a problem if you take it slow. To avoid some rocks, take the second left off of Fossil Falls Access Road. It will take you to sites 4-8. Our site 5 was a pull through and we were lucky enough to be level both front to back and side to side. The advantage of this campground is that we didn’t have to unhook to explore the lava fall. And we had great ATT service.

As we read previous reviews, we acknowledged that camping at Fossil Falls during certain times of the year and the size of your rig will definitely impact the quality of your stay. But to say this campground is are hardly worth $6.00 per night is extreme...come on...you pay that for a Latte at Starbucks and the small amount of funds received supports BLM's efforts to maintain it. We paid only $3.00 per night with our National Pass.

We were here in late March in a 25' motorhome and there were only two other campers sharing this unique campground. The road in is indeed rocky, but should not present a problem with the ground clearance of any vehicle. We saw a Prius drive through the campground with no problem. You will be fine if you are conscious, drive slow and avoid any rocks.

There are two Loops within the campground, A and B. Although it is indicated on Loop B "No RV or Trailer Access", if you have a small Class B or C, you can fit in any sites. Site 1 was our favorite for the expansive views of the lava fields and access to the trail to the falls. Sites 4, 5, 6 and 8 can easily accommodate a larger motorhome or fifth wheel and if you take the second left on the access road, you don't have to drive all the way around the campground. Spacing is good between each of the 11 campsites, with many being divided by mounds of lava rock.

Each campsite was very clean, hardly any broken glass on the ground and featured a picnic table and fire pit, which were also free of cans and bottles. The one vault toilet was clean and stocked full of toilet paper. There is a water pump located near the pay station, but we did not even try it out as we came prepared for 10 days of boondocking and had plenty of water with us. We did experience heavy wind each day, but parked with our nose into it and had no problems. The wind died down in the evening, enabling us to grill, dine and have a campfire. But just as the wind can be a downer to some, it is the awe of nature to others. We love it!

The views from Fossil Falls are awesome. You have the Eastern Sierra peaks to the west, Red Hill cinder cone to the north and the lava fields dotted with green sagebrush and wildflowers everywhere else. And than you have Fossil Falls itself, you can spend hours hiking down the around those beautiful lava rocks. A very worthwhile stop for a night or two for those heading up Highway 395.

We stopped to just check out the Fossil Falls and decided to stay. We have a class a 35 ft with a tow vehicle and we carefully made it down the road. So beautiful that we decided to stay the night before heading to Lone Pine. We stayed in site 4 which is large enough to turn around in without unhooking our vehicle. Got a bit windy and hi temp was 85 but it was tolerable and didn’t turn on AC. Fun and picturesque hiking. Beautiful clouds and sunset. We have a senior pass so only cost $3. We saw only hikers and one other camper on April 10, 2018. Great Verizon signal of 3 bars LTE and ATT 2 bars LTE.

I really wanted to love Fossil Falls campground, but I can’t say our experience was that pleasant. I’d give this campground only 2 stars for big rigs and 3 for smaller units. Other reviewers had warned of the sharp rocks and they weren’t lying. There are only a few spaces that will easily accommodate larger rigs (say anything over 25 feet). As we tried to maneuver into a tight space, one of those sharp volcanic rocks the area is known for snagged our right rear dual and punctured the sidewall. We opted to limp into the more accessible space #8 and gave Coachnet a call. Huge props to them, within a few hours we had a service person on site with a shiny new shoe for the short bus. While Coachnet covered the service call, we still ended up paying about 100 times the $6 fee. Ouch.

Each site has a picnic table and firepit. Some of the spaces are tucked up next to the rocks, others are more out in the open. There are pit toilets and a hand pump for water. The short hike to the Fossil Falls is interesting and well worth doing.

What really clinched it for us was the noise. The nearby gravel pit was in full operation and at 4:30 in the morning huge trucks were rattling right past the campground. Not a pleasant wake-up call. We would most likely look for other accommodations in the future.

We had 2 bars of Verizon 4G.

This campground is just about a mile or so off Route 395 in California. Easy access and was not crowded at all when I was there. There are large sites for larger RVs and an area for vans, truck campers or cars. A hike to the falls is a definite must - it's amazing how nature formed volcanic rocks into smooth sculptures.

Was headed to the boondocking site near here since we are in a 33’ 5th Wheel. Stopped in here to get a closer look at the maps another reviewer posted and top up our water for showers, which a reviewer mentioned there was water. The road in was flat but badly jutted which made towing slow and bumpy. When we got to the camping area turnoff, a sign said, “No oversized vehicles.” We went in anyway to get water and found an old fashioned pump with no way to hook up our modern hose. The maps were gone. The roads into the campsites had super ragged, sharp volcanic rock imbedded in the “road.” We backed out. Sponge bath tonight. :)
The boondocking spots were better.
BYO water. Haha