Big Pine Creek Campground

We were planning to stay at Sage Flat campground on the road up from Big Pine, but didn’t like it so we continued on to Big Pine Creek CG and we were so pleased! They had 4 FCFS sites (sites 2-5) and we got site 4. It’s a nice site, but site 5 is really close. Someone took that site on our second night but they were quiet, fortunately. The creek is really pretty and the hike up to the lakes (lakes 1-5) is gorgeous. There are 2 beautiful waterfalls on the hike. The vault toilets were overfull and very stinky. There is a camp store at Glacier Point Lodge just a short walk up the road from the campground. You can get a 5 minute shower there for $7. No cell service but at the lodge you can get 24 hours of WiFi for $10. We stayed 3 nights and enjoyed it.

Crowded but awesome location, close to all of the iconic sites in Yosemite Valley.

I stayed here May 10-12th with my two dogs. I chose a site right along the creek which was wonderful to fall asleep to the sounds of rushing water. Many sites are quite spacious and offer a sandy area for tent set up. Most sites have a picnic table, fire pit, & metal bear box for food storage. Vault toilet available that were surprisingly clean. Camp host was friendly and had firewood on site available for purchase for $8/bundle. The website lists nightly rate as $21/night but when I arrived the sign had been updated to $23/night. This was the perfect basecamp for some day hikes up Big Pine Creek Trail to some beautiful blue lakes.

Big Pine Creek Canpground is located by the trailhead of the north fork trail. The campground is not very big, most people use it to spend the night prior to trekking up the mountains. The campground is improving and we took advantage of the convenient store for some victory sodas after our long hike.

The campground also has a small fishing pond for kids. We stayed here for the night before backpacking through the north fork trail and we enjoyed our time here.

This is a very nice and clean campground. It was nice to fall asleep listening to big pine creek and this campground gives you access to some great hiking trails. The campground was full with lots of families and people fishing in the creek.

I really enjoyed my stay here, we camped here before hiking to the palisades. The hosts were extremely helpful and informative. Campgrounds are fairly close to each other but I didn’t mind :)

I've been to BPC twice and both times I went alone.  Some of the sites are usually available and you'll know why when you get there.  They are shadeless, small or not level.  Other sites are okay but to me, it seems to lack privacy.  For example, I had site 25 and although other sites were not visible, I could definitely hear voices from other nearby sites hidden by the plants and at other prime sites, you can see other sites in plain view.  It's not a show stopper, because I've met some really nice folks there.  I met a couple there and the man, Tim was really nice.  When he left, he wanted to give me his leftover firewood and I said he could give it to someone else, but he said no and that he wanted me to have it.  How nice is that?   What I use this campground for is car camping the eastern Sierras and mixing in some backpacking.  Setting  up my car camping stuff,  leaving it at camp and then wandering off for a night  with a permit works out very well as I can return for another night knowing I have a few cold brews waiting for me.

Try to get a spot along the creek! Nice and quiet. Great fishing and hiking! Don’t miss hiking up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek to the upper lakes! Beautiful!!!!

For what this campground lacks in bathhouses it makes up for in one of the most spectacular hikes I have ever been on. This is a pretty remote campground tucked away in the Muir Wilderness, you will not have service and will want to bring in all the supplies you will need. Aside from that it is a great little oasis. Campsites vary with privacy and you will notice that the ones that have the most privacy are usually reserved for as long as possible. They only have pit toilets and a water spigot. There is a little camp shop where you can buy a hot shower for $6, a bit steep and not all that great but if you are in need of a shower that’s the place to go. The deer roam all around the camp ground so be on the lookup for them strolling through your camp. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, and bear box.

The Big Pine Lakes or as the locals call them “Lake 1, Lake 2, Emerald Lake, Lake 4 etc.” But these lakes deserve a name because they are absolutely breath taking. While we stopped at Lake 2 believing this was actually “Emerald Lake”, we were still not disappointed with the unreal colors that these glacier lakes have. The hike up was a bit strenuous and you are in the open hot sun for a while so wear sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses to protect yourself but take this hike because it is 100% worth it.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Big Pine Creek Campground, CA

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20312&actid=31

As we traveled up Rt 395, along the Eastern Sierras, we searched for a campground offering trails into the wilderness…but also one with a shower, as they seem to be a rare commodity…and our last campground was primitive.

Reviews stated Big Pine Creek had showers and modern restrooms, so we drove through the night arriving at 7:00 Sunday morning…hoping for an available site. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Turns out, the camper at site 2, beside the Host site, was packing up…so we claim jumped the site. Also turns out…after we paid $22 for the night…Big Pine Creek Campground does not have showers, nor modern restrooms.

So, to set the record straight…there are vault latrines and a river of cold glacier runoff of roughly 40F degrees. However, next to Big Pine Creek Campground is Glacier Lodge (they share the same entrance road and is privately owned)…and they will rent you a shower for $5/5 minutes. For that $5 shower, you can use the modern toilet.

Don’t let that run you off, though. We loved Big Pine Creek Campground. The sites are spacious and the backdrop is gorgeous. Not many campgrounds offer stellar trails into the Inyo John Muir Wilderness…more on that later. Mule deer roam between campsites, ground squirrels and magpies are everywhere. We also noted a resident lizard.

Most sites are somewhat tiered because of the sloped terrain. Site 2 parking pad was large enough for our SUV, but little else. You have a large bear resistant locker in front of a large fixed picnic table, situated on a large, raised, leveled pad that also has the fire pit. Up a few steps is the raised timber tent pad. Numerous large pines and smaller hardwoods populate the sites. Our neighboring site was visible with little obstruction, but was occupied by a delightful French family on holiday, that we enjoyed.

Big Pine Creek Campground is often filled with campers from all over the world and makes for interesting conversations.

Drinking water was a little walk. Last year’s winter had an avalanche destroy their water lines, so others were rerouted. No electric. Also, no cell service. Perfect for unplugging, relaxing and meeting your fellow campers.

There is a trout pond near the entrance that folks were capitalizing on. They were also fishing the creek. The glacier fed creek is cold…like 38 degrees cold. The trails…in a word…Epic!

The North Trail was incredible. We started late and only went to the first and second of seven alpine glacier lakes. The water is so emerald green, it’s surreal. We hiked out and back in 6.5 hours, taking an hour respite for a polar bear plunge in the near freezing lake. I was advised we missed the most beautiful third lake…also referred to as Emerald Lake. The North Fork Trail into The John Muir Wilderness does require permits for backcountry camping…an easy process and well worth it…https://www.recreation.gov/permits/John_Muir_Trail_North_Of_Devils_Postpile_Aa10/r/entranceEntryExitDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72203&entranceId=315543&permitTypeId=1009473747&entryType=1

Of note, along the way is Lon Chaney’s (of Frankenstein, Werewolf and Hunchback of Notre Dame movie fame) backcountry cabin. Lon Chaney would bring guests back by horse and mule train. Upon his passing, it was gifted to the parks.

One horse/mule train passed us on the trail, returning after they deposited their riders and goods out into the wilderness.

The host couple were very helpful and a joy to glean local and trail information from.

A wonderful campground to visit.

primitive sites, no drinking water, terrible roads...good fishing, great views, teeming with deer, birds small animals

We stayed at Big Pine Creek Campground the second weekend of August. Weather was great, not nearly as hot as we'd expected. Arrived at the campgrounds on Saturday in the late afternoon about 2 hours after the check in time with no issues.

The campground is very well kept. Bathrooms are in good condition, plenty of toilet paper, no horrible smells or messes. The site we stayed in (9) was really unique with a huge stone fireplace in the middle. There is one designated area for tents which we fit one 2 person and one 4 person tent in. A third tent could have gone in the stone area and/or by the parking spot. Not much room for a second car in the site. Only major downside was minimal trees on this particular site for setting up hammocks.

Everyone was super friendly. The guy who runs the campgrounds invited us over to the main campfire area where they had bbq, karaoke and smores. We came by for some smores and it was a fun time. Oh also there is a small trout pond where a lot of people were fishing during the day so plenty to do on the campgrounds.

10/10

BPC is a classic spot that has access to some amazing hikes with stunning views. The bathrooms are solid, but unfortunately running water was knocked out by an avalanche last winter. They are working on repairs but there was no timeline for when that will be fixed. Be sure to bring bug spray as this spot does get quite a few mosquitoes. There’s a small store nearby that offers the essentials and some tasty tri-tip sandwiches if you’re lucky to snag one. There’s also a fun fishing pond for the kids!

A nice 6.5 mike hike in but so worth it for the peaceful views and gorgeous scenery. Close to the glaciers, this is a great easy backpacking trip!

Great spot to start out for Big Pine Lakes. Wasn't too noisy, parking was easy and roads were easy to follow. Rangers were helpful.

Basic campsites. Try to get a site along the creek.

This was our first time at BPCC and it was a great experience. The facilities were very well kept, clean bathrooms and excellent service from the hosts Steve and Annie. Our campsite (017) was well taken care of and we really appreciated the compact, unique feel of the site. Even more so because it felt separate from other sites. We could see that there was room for additional sites, but appreciated that it was kept more private. Wood was about $1-2 per bundle more expensive than other National Forest sites we've been in & the nearby town. The adjacent camp/rv park Glacier Lodge wasn't quite as well cared for really helped set the quality of BPCC apart.

There was a trout stream/river running right through the camp (and a trout pond in Glacier Lodge at the entrance of the park. The water was continually rushing and made for some great sleeping noise. The campsite is literally teeming with wildlife. We had deer, birds, small animals and fish all around us. It is bear country but according to the hosts no bear have been spotted this season much less in camp causing a ruckus.

The draw to Big Pine Creek Campground is the hike to glacial lakes 1-7. We hiked to lakes 1 & 2 and it was EPIC. The hike is uphill and hardish but the trail very well maintained and worth it. We were advised that it would take about an hour per mile (4.5 miles to the 1st two lakes) on the way there and about half that on the way back, but we made it out in about 2.5 hours of consistent hiking. The estimates were fairly conservative assuming you'd be stopping often. The hike back was accurate.

You can also apply for a backcountry camping overnight pass which we plan to do next time. They only offer 25 per night so definitely check into it, but you can camp near the first lakes and hike further. The entire loop (all 7 lakes) hike is estimated at 12 hours. We will be visiting again soon.