Everything close to DCHS is high desert camping. If you want to hike in from the north, you can park and 'camp' in a small dirt parking lot below the 100 year old Bowen Ranch shack and pay Mike Castro $10/head/night. When you visited the DCHS Campground, if you didn't notice its picnic tables, pit toilet, potable water and showers, small desert shade trees, lots of room, published phone number or the nice people running it, all for same $10/head/night, then just flip a coin between these two commercial spots. For free you can park and stay overnight at the end of the Freedom Trail road. If you have a 4x4, from this parking lot you can drive down the very steep hill and stay overnight for free - and save your body from having to make the last big climb out of the canyon. If you want to hike in from the south you can park and camp on the side of a dead end asphalt road at the Bradford Ridge trailhead. There are plenty of descriptions of how to get to these and other nearby car camping opportunities in these forums, recommend you spend some time sifting through them.

Bottom line, put a little food, plenty of water and a sleeping bag in your car, along with long sleeves for the evenings. Don't wring your hands over picking the 'best' car camping spot, just try different ones on your next several trips. Then let us know what YOU think :-)

My motto: Live Forever or Die Trying