The remnants of Ballarat, a 1890s mining boom town, offer atmospheric camping among weathered foundations and the still-operating general store. Multiple dispersed sites spread across the flat desert floor, with room for large rigs and established fire rings. Charlie’s store provides cold drinks and mining history stories when open—usually weekends.
Accessed via 8 miles of good gravel road from Trona-Wildrose Road. Popular with Death Valley overlanders as a quieter alternative to park campgrounds. Extremely hot summer through fall, but winter and spring nights can drop below freezing. Bring all water and supplies.
Ghost town camping with mining history
Place Details
| Type | Dispersed Camping |
|---|---|
| Nearest town | Trona, CA |
| Miles from pavement | 8.2 mi |
| Minimum vehicle | Any vehicle |
| Access road surface | Gravel |
| Cell service | None |
| Capacity (# of rigs) | 15 rigs |
| Cost (USD/night, 0 = free) | Free |
| Reservation required | No |
| Stay limit (nights) | 14 nights |
| Best season | November-March |
| Land manager | BLM |
| Permit required | No |
| Amenities | Fire ring |
| Coordinates | Open directions |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |