Campground Review - Barstow / Calico KOA, Yermo, California

Description

The Barstow / Calico KOA is a nice campground with the feel of a desert oasis and sweeping views of sandy plains and rugged hills of the California Mojave Desert. The park is conveniently located just off Interstate I-15, near Barstow, California, and makes for a good stop about half-way between Las Vegas, Nevada, and southern California destinations, such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, or San Diego.

Location

Barstow / Calico KOA
35250 Outer Highway 15 North
Yermo, CA 92398
Park: (760) 904-3069
Latitude: 34.902662 N, Longitude: -116.892444 W, Elevation: ~1,929 ft (588 m)

Details

We stayed for two nights at the Barstow / Calico KOA in early October of 2017, using it as a short break as we traveled through the area. This is a basic, clean, and well-maintained campground with easy access from Interstate I-15. The campground staff was friendly and helpful during our stay.

Cost

For two nights at a 50 amp full hookup pull-thru site, we paid about $46 per night, including tax and our KOA Value Kard Rewards Discount. There were no fees for pets or an extra vehicle.

Ratings (1-5)

Accessibility – 4/5

The campground is easily accessible from Interstate I-15. Lanes in the park are well-maintained gravel. The park has both pull-thru and back-in sites and can accommodate large rigs. The campground facilities have provisions for Universal access.

Facilities/Amenities – 3/5

The campground offers the basic amenities expected from a KOA, including full and partial hookup sites, dry tent sites, rental cabins, RV dump station, propane, restrooms and showers, game room, laundry room, playground, horseshoes, dog run, and swimming pool. The park has a small general store with basic groceries, household goods, camping supplies, souvenirs and tourist info for the local area. The park also a features snack bar, firewood sales, picnic area, bike rentals, safari tent rentals, Calico tour shuttle, archery range and jump pad. Facilities are clean and well maintained. Staff was friendly and helpful.

Site quality – 3/5

Sites have full or partial hookups with 50/30/20 amp electric, cable TV, fire ring and a picnic table. Sites are gravel and have fair separation between sites. Some sites have shade trees. Some premium sites have concrete or paving stone patios.

Scenic Value – 3/5

The campground has the look of a desert oasis, landscaped with drought tolerant shrubbery, trees and palms providing welcome shade. The park has a sweeping view of distant desert hills.

Location/Isolation – 3/5

The campground is on the outskirts of Yermo, next to busy Interstate I-15, but still feels somewhat isolated due to the mature landscaping throughout the park. Despite proximity to the interstate, road noise was not too noticeable.

Paws Friendliness – 4/5

The campground is pet friendly and has a large enclosed pet run with cleanup bags. The campground is large enough for a decent walk with your pet.

Caution – This is a desert environment, so be aware of seasonally high temperatures. Do not leave pets unattended in vehicles, ensure your pet has plenty of water and shade, be careful of hot pavement and surfaces, and be alert for any desert critters or cacti.

Overall Rating – 4/5

Overall, the Barstow / Calico KOA campground is a convenient place to stop for a few nights when passing through the area. We enjoyed our stay here.

Additional info

Internet access

We received a strong 4G Verizon signal at this campground. We did not need to deploy our cellular antenna booster to improve MiFi hot spot internet access. The campground provided free WiFi, but we did not use this during our stay.

Water Quality

The water at this campground tested hard – we added our water softener to the water filtration stack.

Nearby Amenities

Gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants are available near the campground in Yermo. Grocery stores, restaurants, automotive and some RV services are nearby in Barstow (10 miles) or Victorville (40 miles). A larger choice of services and shopping are available in San Bernadino, CA (77 miles).