About Jawbone Canyon OHV Dispersed Camping

Jawbone Canyon is a BLM off-highway vehicle area reached from State Route 14 north of Mojave. BLM states that the OHV area and surrounding public lands are open to primitive camping, with camping and staging locations inside the area. This page is an area-planning guide, not an official campsite listing or reservation.

Management rules change at the OHV-area boundary. Cross-country motorized use occurs within the designated open area, while the surrounding Jawbone-Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern restricts motor vehicles to its signed designated route network. Current closures, maps, fire orders, resource protections, and posted signs control over this guide.

Campsite Details

Terrain & setup

Terrain can include hard-packed desert, sand, washes, rocks, staging areas, and disturbed camping locations. Site dimensions, surface condition, trailer suitability, level ground, and turnaround space are not certified by the official sources reviewed. Inspect the exact location without damaging vegetation or creating new tracks.

Road access

BLM directs visitors from State Route 14 onto Jawbone Canyon Road and states that most sites inside the OHV area are accessible by 2WD vehicles with trailers. That is not a guarantee for every route, campsite, vehicle, or day. Storm damage, sand, wash conditions, closures, congestion, vehicle dimensions, and driver experience can change what is safely accessible.

Nearby activities

• OHV riding — Extensive designated trail network accessible directly from camp.
• Red Rock Canyon State Park — A separate California State Parks destination south of Jawbone; check its own hours, fees, and rules.
• Trona Pinnacles — A separate BLM destination managed through the Ridgecrest Field Office; verify route and surface conditions.
• Night-sky viewing — Visibility depends on weather, smoke, moonlight, dust, and local activity.

Rules & Regulations

• The Jawbone Canyon BLM page lists a 14-day stay limit. BLM California's general dispersed-camping rule further limits use to 14 days within any 28 consecutive days and requires relocation outside a 25-mile radius after the 14th day unless a location-specific rule states otherwise.
• Pack out all waste — no trash cans on site.
• Campfires are not automatically allowed. As reviewed July 31, 2026, Ridgecrest Field Office Stage I restrictions limit campfires to approved pits or grills at developed sites and require a valid California Campfire Permit. Portable stoves and lanterns with shut-off valves also require the permit. Red Flag Warnings or Fire Weather Watches can suspend campfires. Recheck the current map and orders before any flame use.
• Inside the surrounding Jawbone-Butterbredt ACEC, motorized use is restricted to the signed designated route network; cross-country travel is prohibited even where no red closure sign is visible.
• Non-street-legal OHVs require valid registration or an applicable California non-resident OHV permit. Separate 2026 closures apply to routes in designated desert-tortoise and Lane Mountain milk-vetch critical habitat; check the West Mojave route notice and current map.
• Use existing disturbed camping locations, protect wildlife and water sources, and follow all posted setbacks and resource-protection instructions.

Seasonal Access Guide

How to Get There

Official approach: BLM places the Jawbone Open Area off State Route 14, approximately 20 miles north of the SR-14/SR-58 intersection in Mojave. Travelers approaching from the south turn left onto Jawbone Canyon Road; travelers approaching from the north turn right.

Fuel and supplies: Confirm current operating hours and availability before leaving the Mojave/SR-14 corridor; do not make an emergency plan depend on a single rural business.

Offline maps: Save the current BLM Jawbone map and West Mojave route information. Commercial navigation can supplement but does not replace official route designations or closure notices.