Ballinger Campground
Ballinger Campground is a national forest campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 34.88390, -119.44520
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Biking, Camping
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 805-434-1996
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Ballinger Campground
Overview Tucked away in the high desert, surrounded by scenic views of the badlands in the Los Padres National Forest, Ballinger Campground and day use area offers the perfect getaway for those looking to access off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails. Explore 11 four-wheel drive roads, 12 all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails, and 14 motorcycle trails, which include loose dirt, hard pack, sand, steep hills, and a few jumps and berms. Recreation The Ballinger Campground and day use areas are best appreciated by OHV enthusiasts. ATVs/Quad Runners/Dual Sports/Single track, will find access to 68 miles of marked and rated trails that range from novice-friendly hard packed trails, twisty sand washes, open play areas to steep and rugged black diamond, all accessed from your scenic high desert camping spot. Facilities Open daily and year-round, the campground includes 13 campsites each with a picnic table and fire ring. Two vault toilets are located near the campsites. You should plan to be completely self-sustainable for the duration of your trip. There is no potable water onsite. To the left of the fee/information boards is a "staging area" to offload gear. There is no dump station. The campsites have no barriers or boulders, so all sizes of toy haulers, trailers and campers do well here. Natural Features Junipers, lupine and tall scrub and brush surround Ballinger Canyon, just inland of California's Central Coast and regionally bound by the Sierra Madre and Caliente Mountain Ranges.
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Thousand Trails · 30 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Don's Gas / Market · 29 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 130 designated routes (158 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinger Canyon Campground | Private campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Valle Vista | National forest campground | 5.9 mi | — | — |
| Valle Vista Campground | Private campground | 5.9 mi | — | — |
| Nettle Spring Campground | Private campground | 10 mi | — | — |
| Nettle Springs | National forest campground | 10 mi | — | — |
| Toad Springs | National forest campground | 12 mi | — | — |
Open Ballinger Campground in DryRig
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Sources. USFS and BLM recreation sites, Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.