Camping on the Carrizo Plain
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Currently, the Carrizo Plain National Monument has two designated campgrounds, the KCL and the Selby camping areas. Camping is on a first come, first served basis and no reservations are required or taken. ( Note: Groups of 20 or more must obtain authorization from the Bakersfield BLM office as well as groups that are charging a fee. Please contact Ryan Cooper at 661-391-6048 for authorization or information). Both campgrounds are primitive, containing picnic tables, fire pits and portable restroom facilities. Electricity and drinking water are not available. The CPNM does not have garbage pickup service. Please act responsibly and pack out any refuse you might have. Hunters, please do not leave gut piles or other animal parts in the campgrounds.
At certain times of the year, campfire permits are required and special fire restrictions may be in effect. Contact the BLM office for an update on current restrictions. There is no fee for campfire permits and they may be obtained at the Goodwin Education Center, the Bakersfield BLM office and from any BLM Ranger in the area.
The KCL campground is equipped with eight picnic tables and eight fire pits. It has some of the few shade trees found on the CPNM. Formerly owned by the Kern County Land Company, the KCL still has a few of the original barn structures as well as some of the corrals. Some of these structures are in disrepair; please be careful if you go exploring inside. Also, please bear with us as we work on improvements for this camping area. You may use the corrals for your horses and there is generally enough space in the campground to park horse trailers.
The Selby campground is equipped with five picnic tables and four fire pits. It is nestled at the base of the Caliente Mountains. There are no shade trees but this campground is more secluded and the camper is only steps away from unlimited hiking in the Wilderness Study Area that 
lies outside the campground boundaries. The oak/juniper woodland is a haven for many birds and other wildlife and the beautiful Selby Rocks are a site not to be missed. (You may explore around the rocks but please do not climb on the fragile sandstone. Watch out for natural dangers such as rattlesnakes.) A new addition to this campsite is the availability of water for non-potable use only at the campground.
Car camping is also an option within certain areas of the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Please refer to the Visitor Resources Map . This map indicates areas where car camping is allowed. Generally, car camping is permitted in the foothills and mountainous areas. Car camping is not permitted in the valleys (both Carrizo and Elkhorn), nor at Soda Lake and adjacent areas. This map is available at the Goodwin Education Center and the BLM Bakersfield Office for purchase and is posted in kiosks located at the North and South entrances into the Monument.
When car camping, please remember the following:
- A good campsite is found, not made. Place kitchen areas, tents and stock on areas where obvious signs of prior use exist.
- Leave vehicles along the edge of roadway; do not drive to your chosen camp site.
- If you alter an area in any way, restore its natural appearance before leaving.
- Camping or overnight parking is not allowed within 200 yards of any natural or artificial water source to allow wildlife unrestricted access to available water.
- Pack out everything you brought in with you: spent brass, shotgun shells, cigarette butts, etc. The Carrizo can be very windy; bag trash immediately to prevent it from blowing away.
- Use toilet facilities located in different areas throughout the Monument. If necessary, dig small holes (cat holes), 4" - 8" deep, to bury human waste, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cat hole. Use a minimal amount of tissue and don't leave toilet tissue on the ground.
- Protect your food from animals by storing rations securely.
- Keep the wild in wildlife; don't bury food or leave it behind.
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