Ballinger Campground in CA -- Campground & RV Camping
Ballinger Campground in CA
CampgroundUSFS
12 mi from Maricopa
Official campground & reservations ↗
Road Access
- Road difficulty 1 of 5: an easy drive in.
- Recorded as maintained for passenger-car comfort, paved, pitching to 6%.
- Overhead clearance here is posted at 14 ft, set by the tightest site.
Rig fit
- Maximum published vehicle length: 70 ft.
- Longest published RV site: 70 ft.
- Longest published trailer site: 70 ft.
- 13 pull-through sites.
- Driveway grade: moderate.
Campground details
Setting
Ballinger Campground is a high-desert facility set among junipers, lupine, and scrub in Ballinger Canyon within the Los Padres National Forest. The year-round area offers 13 barrier-free campsites suitable for trailers and toy haulers of all sizes, each equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. Amenities include two vault toilets and an offloading staging area, though no potable water or dump station is available. The campground serves as a hub for off-highway vehicles, providing direct access to 68 miles of marked 4WD, ATV, and motorcycle trails across varied sand and dirt terrain.
Getting there: From Los Angeles: Take I-5 north to 126 west to Santa Paula Hwy 150 exit. Go north on Hwy 150 for 20 miles to the intersection of highway 33. Go north over the mountain, 55 miles to Ballinger Cyn rd. Turn right and proceed 2 miles to the entrance.
- Limited separation from through roads or other sites here, a 13-site campground with the nearest through road 0.2 miles off.
- Cerro Noroeste stands 5,168 ft above the map pin, 14 miles east.
Climate averages
October normals 51–75°F, 0.5″ precipitation. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.
Starlink Radar
Open sky · Terrain & buildings · Tree canopy
Estimated horizon in eight compass directions, using 10 m USGS elevation. Sky clearance 96 of 100.