Tumey Hills BLM | Informal Campsite

March 5th, 2024 by Delica_girl

Closure is only during fire season, open in fall, winter and spring!
Amazing flowers right now, super private if you 4x4 up the first right onto the hill. Super views. Good 5G cell signal on the hill.

April 20th, 2021 by DWP is cool with me

Came to stay for a night during the week. We drove in a bit further, hoping to have a spot to ourselves. We heard no gun shots which was nice. At dusk a wrecked sedan drove in and stopped less than 100 ft from us and a guy got out with a bucket and started picking things out of the dirt and yelling. There was another guy in the car that looked like he was doing hard drugs. We packed up and drove out. No cell service past the entrance with Google Fi. Beware

December 13th, 2020 by piedraloca

This spot is really just a series of areas where people shoot. It looks like BLM put up fencing at some point which blocks much of the flat areas, so you sort of have to be in a shooting area.

I stayed on a rainy Sunday night in December. Some folks came and did donuts further down the road for a while at night, and then there was a lone shooter at about 10am. Based on that, I'm betting it's nonstop shooting on weekends and during the summer. The shot-up door to the pit toilet does not give one a sense of security.

I usually prefer the outdoors, but in this case I think I'd just as well be behind the McDonald's or down at Harris Ranch for a night.

There may be areas more suitable to camping a little further up. It was too muddy for me to want to go to very far past the day use area.

Best Verizon reception is either at the entrance or the day use area.

April 21st, 2020 by yelloideas

quiet. beautiful. flat. some verizon and tmobile. happy.

January 16th, 2020 by toriperez94

We could not make it up the 2 mile unpaved dirt road portion after a decent rain in our 2wd Promaster. Would have been no problem in a 4x4 but our wheels just kept spinning out.

December 12th, 2019 by kelly42viss

Gorgeous and private. As described. Great for an overnight. Arrived late and left by 8 am. Saw one other vehicle.

April 6th, 2019 by Shannon

2 miles from I5, this is a BLM recreation area that provides for a free, serene overnight stop. The first mile is paved, the second is a good dirt road, suitable for any rig (unless there have been heavy rains). The area is open during the non-fire hazard months, closing from mid-April to the end of November, typically. Check for details here: https://www.blm.gov/visit/tumey-hills. Shooting is allowed so if you arrive before sundown, expect folks to be target shooting throughout the area. There is room in the first parking lot after the sign on the left side of the road to park overnight. One can also drive in further and park/camp pretty much anywhere, provided your vehicle is no more than 15 ft from a road and you're easily visible so you don't inadvertently get fired at. There is a pit toilet at a day use parking lot up from the entry parking lot about 500 yards. 2 bars of Verizon 4G, 10.5 down/4.3 up.

For us, this spot is great as an alternative to Harris Ranch on our way back north from the desert/eastern Sierra. Harris is perfect for pulling in & sleeping in a safe, albeit bright, place. Tumey Hills is more fun to arrive late afternoon, shoot some stuff (or not, not a requirement), & enjoy the solitude once darkness falls & the shooters are gone for the night.