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Established Camping

Dinkey Creek

Dinkey Creek, near Shaver Lake, California, is a fantastic spot for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors with a mix of relaxation and adventure. The campground offers a variety of accommodations, including tent sites, RV spots, and even cabins, making it suitable for different camping styles.

Visitors rave about the beautiful creek nearby, perfect for swimming and wading, with some even mentioning natural water slides that are a hit with families. The campground is well-maintained, featuring clean facilities and a camp store for essentials. As one camper noted, “The hosts were very helpful and friendly,” which adds to the welcoming vibe of the place.

For those who love exploring, Dinkey Creek is surrounded by stunning scenery and plenty of hiking opportunities, including trails that lead to breathtaking views. While some sites can be a bit cramped, the overall atmosphere is friendly and inviting, making it a great choice for a weekend getaway or a longer stay. Whether you're here to relax by the creek or embark on a hiking adventure, Dinkey Creek has something for everyone.

Description

National Forest

Sierra National Forest

Overview

Dinkey Creek is spread out along the banks of its namesake creek in a thick forest of Ponderosa pines and cedars. The facility's high country setting with trees, streams and open space, make it a scenic destination for all types of visitors.

Recreation

Dinkey Creek has 2 swimming areas: The Slicks and Honeymoon Pool, both of which contain pools carved out of granite. Anglers can fish Dinkey Creek for brown and rainbow trout. Hikers can walk the Dinkey Creek Trail. Mountain bikers also have trail access in this area.

Natural Features

The Sierra National Forest, located on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, is known for its spectacular mountain scenery and abundant natural resources. The terrain includes rolling, oak-covered foothills, heavily forested middle elevation slopes and the starkly beautiful alpine landscape of the High Sierra.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (559) 841-2705.

Nearby Attractions

McKinley Grove is 6 miles away. Famous for its giant Redwoods, the area offers leisurely hikes and picnicking opportunities.

Charges & Cancellations

Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations. Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies. Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July

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Location

Dinkey Creek is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Clovis, California, travel east on Highway 168 to Shaver Lake. Turn southeast onto Dinkey Creek Road and travel 13 miles to the campground.

Address

SIERRA 53001 DINKEY CREEK RD
Shaver lake, CA 93664

Coordinates

37.068093 N
119.157025 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

14 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 3, 2024

very expensive and crowded campground

plus's

  • high altitude, cool temps (70's-80's in peak of summer)
  • close to water
  • camp showers, vault toilets, and decent camp store
  • close to shaver lake and lot's of places to explore

minus's

  • many sites not flat
  • sites are too small and close together
  • very expensive (this was much cheaper when we stayed there in 2021)
Sitesection H site 99
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by paul B., July 3, 2024
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by paul B., July 3, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2022

Dinkey creek campground

Great campground wit lots to offer. Swimming holes , the slicks , old historic logging mill Store across the way

Site13 and 15
Month of VisitJuly
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  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Robert S., August 9, 2022
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Robert S., August 9, 2022
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Sep. 28, 2021

Great weekend getaway spot

Let me start off by saying there was a fairly big issue with 2 of the 3 spots we reserved. The paved lots were so far from level that we didn't have enough leveling blocks. I am confident that these unlevel spots , G80 and G81, are the exception and not the norm.

With that bit out of the way, this is such a great campground! The hosts were very helpful and friendly, the creek, while low, was beautiful, and the guests were courteous and friendly. While there were many trees on the ground, there was still abundant shade. This will become a regular weekender for my family.

SiteG79, G80, G81
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Doug , September 28, 2021
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Doug , September 28, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 31, 2021

Dinkey Creek Site 41

Booked this site at the last minute. Given more time I'd choose a different site as this challenging to back into with our 26 foot travel trailer, site was right next to the bathroom, and sites in this section are pretty close together. On the plus side it was clean and well tended by camp hosts, and close proximity to gorgeous scenery.

Site41
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Judy Q., July 31, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 8, 2021

Lovely place to relax!

We arrived Friday afternoon and were expecting it to be cold but we’re not expecting snow. It was a wonderful time between the 3 campsites although we all wound up staying in one RV but the grounds are well taken care of and we absolutely have no complaints!

SiteI 110 & I 111
Month of VisitMay
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Reviewed Feb. 14, 2021

Quiet and Secluded

Great place to relax and enjoy the water. Pretty cold in the off season, and pretty swift for littles. Hot and isolated, bring water or a filter. No cell service, so check in on your needs around Pine Flat lake.

  • The nice thing about this bridge is that if you camp nearby, you know when new people are showing up.
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Kate A., February 14, 2021
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Kate A., February 14, 2021
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2020

Okay. Awesome creek but horrible stinging bugs.

Stayed in site 66F for two nights in late August. My 7 year old daughter, my husband, and I stayed in a large tent. Because of the slopes, rocks, and trees, we had to set up on the parking pad (still had plenty of room for the truck so no problems). Each loop was a little different; the ones near the creek were more on a slope with tighter sites while the other side was more open, less shade, and lots of sawed trees. Each loop had two bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks (no soap) and a spigot with non-potable water. BRING DRINKING WATER (though if you forget you can buy some at the camp store).

We could walk down to the creek from our site, which was nice. There were plenty of small pools for wading and swimming. Problem was there was no public access points nearby so everyone walked thru our campsite to get to the creek. My other gripe was that it was a location campground, by which I mean people would come and hang out at their sites all day, playing music and partying at night. So if quiet nature is what you are looking for, this is not the best match.

The other thing I have to mention - the yellow jackets. The hosts said it was quite unusual so I tried not to let it color the overall review, but damn! You would be sitting down trying to read and a few would fly around your head or land on your hands. As soon as the food came out, they would swarm. After having 10 land on the cutting board while cutting up cheese, I just finished as quick as possible and we dove into the tent to eat. It wasn’t just us, we watched all the neighbors do a similar dance. They would die down at night and early morning but any other time they were horrible. We bought a trap in town and easily caught over 50 in 24 hours. It was because of this we left a day early.

We enjoyed swimming in the creek, hiking Bald Mtn, and walking around Shaver Lake. Glad I went but probably will not go again.

A few other bits of info: Dumpsters on each loop. No cell service with Verizon. No hook-ups. Firewood for sale (8 pieces for $8 - don't bother and just gather). Showers for sale at store. Store has a deli and small selection of odds and ends (food and souvenirs).

Site66F
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Erin S., August 31, 2020
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Erin S., August 31, 2020
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Erin S., August 31, 2020
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2020

2020 Family Trip

With all that’s gone on in 2020 the boys an I needed this trip. This camp grounds is clean an well maintained. This is our new favorite place.

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2018

Great tent and RV camping. Great facilities and good water access!

1st time camping at Dinkey and we were concerned about not getting a good space, since all spots closest to the water were already booked. Reality is... all water access is through the day use areas, so all camp sites are good! Creek was FUN!!!!

Due to the bark beetle infestation, lots of trees are down, but most spots still have good sun cover from the remaining trees.

There were meat bees, so make sure you bring a screen tent for cooking/eating.

Site113
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jul. 9, 2018

Real camping

Very shady camp sites lots of trees close to Honeymoon pools area . Fishing not bad beware of bears though. All dry camping no hook ups. Little store by campsites no WiFi .

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2018

Hi Sierra paradise

Friendly cc hosts. Due to recent one beetle infestation there are less trees then the past, not really a bad thing, just different. In the last two years the cc has been a mess due to the removal of hazard trees, BIG improvement this year.

SiteB loop
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed May. 16, 2018

Fantastic

I grew up going to Dinkey Creek and to the Girl Scout Camp nearby. This campground is remote and secluded there are good swimming holes, fly fishing and really beautiful area. This area is unchanged over the last 20 years. Shaver Lake is nearby and further up the road is Huntington Lake - a real find.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Sep. 30, 2017

Swimming holes

This was my best camping experience ever. It's location had perfect weather, warm during the day and cool, but not cold, at night. You surrounded by gorgeous tall trees and have access to swimming holes about a mile away. It had nice flushing restrooms and a small country store. There were no bugs or animals to contend with. I am already planning on returning.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Michal S., September 30, 2017
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Michal S., September 30, 2017
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Michal S., September 30, 2017
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2016

Super Solace

This visit was a spur of the moment camping trip with my family. I had recently gotten back from an empowering spiritual camping trip and just had to get my loved ones into the same sacred space. Trying to find a camping trip a week before we wanted to actually go was thought to be an impossible request. But then there was Dinkey Creek.

Dinkey Creek is perhaps my new favorite place to camp. It is not too far from where I live and is majestic. Being amongst the Sierras and embracing the waters as we did was absolutely empowering. I highly reccomend taking the trip (and the dip) into Dinkey Creek. It is not one to be missed.

  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Raei B., August 29, 2016
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Raei B., August 29, 2016
  • Review photo of Dinkey Creek by Raei B., August 29, 2016
  • (17) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Dinkey Creek?

    Dinkey Creek allows vehicles up to 50 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Dinkey Creek?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Dinkey Creek, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Dinkey Creek have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Dinkey Creek does not have wifi.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Dinkey Creek?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Dinkey Creek. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Dinkey Creek, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Dinkey Creek?

    There are 123 campsites at Dinkey Creek and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts