Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Fri–Sun 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Sep 1 – Jun 30)
- Entrance fee
- $10 per dayAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(760) 928-2586
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 5,859 acres, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area lies in San Bernardino County, about 56 miles west of Bullhead City.
Things to do include historic sites, ranger programs, wildlife watching, geocaching, and picnicking.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Fri–Sun | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Sep 1 – Jun 30 |
Official wording
Open: September - June, 8 am to 5 pm, Friday-Sunday and Holiday Mondays. Closed: July & August, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Day Use | $10 |
Official wording
Special rates may apply for peak season, high demand holiday periods, and during weekends. Prices are subject to change without notice. • Vehicle Day Use: $10.00
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Camping
- Required
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
Camping will be by reservation only.
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions
Not allowed in or on: mitchell caverns.
Are dogs allowed? Yes: Dogs allowed only in the historic grounds, parking lot, and picnic area of the park. Dogs not allowed inside Mitchell Caverns, the visitor center, or on trails. Dogs can not be left unattended in vehicles or other areas of the park.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Campground
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area has reopened its campground. It has five developed campsites that will be available Friday and Saturday nights. Camping will be by reservation only. Visit www.reservecalifornia.com to make campsite reservations now.
Campground Rules:
Check in time is 2pm, check out time is 12pm
Maximum 2 vehicles and 8 people per campsite
Quiet time is 10pm-6am, generators off 8pm-8am
The front gate will close at 5pm. If you expect to arrive after 5pm, call the park at 760-928-2586 for a gate code.
There is no trash service at the park. Pack it in and pack it out.
Water is scarce at the park. Bring your own water for drinking, washing, and cooking.
Cost: Campsite - $25/night, extra vehicle $10/night
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Historic sites and toursPicnickingRanger and interpretive programsWildlife viewing and birdingGeocachingHiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Picnic areas
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
- Parking
- Drinking water: not available (stated by the park)
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Overview
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located on the east side of the Providence Mountain range at an elevation of 4300 feet, and offers dramatic views of the surrounding Mojave Desert. Other features include Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve. Tours of the caverns are by reservation only. Visit the park’s homepage for tour information or phone (760) 928-2586.
Camping
A small 6-site campground has two campsites (#1 and #2) that are generally accessible in fair weather. An accessible unisex restroom at the west end of the campground serves the campground and the Visitor Center. A drinking fountain and telephone, located at the restroom building, are generally accessible.
Read more from the park
Exhibits/Programs
Visitor Center: Interior design is generally accessible. Parking and path of travel from the lower parking lot to the Visitor Center is generally accessible.
Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve Tour: The tour requires a 1.5-mile round-trip hike from the visitor center and is not fully accessible due to slopes and uneven surface. There is a chain handrail on one side of the trail, and concrete stairs along the trail. However, there are also stairs along the trail that are made of natural rock and are uneven or not uniform. Once inside the caverns, the path is firm and stable, many of the stairs are uniform heights, and there are some handrails. The cavern formations create areas as low as 62 inches and as narrow as 14 inches. For those that cannot make the hike, a video tour of the caverns is available for visitors to watch at the Visitor Center.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 38200 Essex Rd
Essex, CA 92332 - Nearest town
- Bullhead City — about 56 mi west (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 34.9434, -115.5128
- Phone
- (760) 928-2586
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
The recreation area is located in the eastern Mojave Desert, 56 miles from Needles on Interstate 40, 116 miles east of Barstow, and 16 miles northwest of I-40 near Essex Road. Located at an elevation of 4,300 feet, the park is surrounded by one of the newest National Parks, Mojave National Preserve.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology