East Fork Campground – Inyo National Forest (CA)

The campground was big yet still quite. We came up on a Thursday and got a first come spot. There are plenty of restrooms and water faucets throughout the campground to fill up.

Most of the camp sites seemed pretty uneven so come prepared.

No wildlife sitings during our stay

Most sites here looked to be closed off from eachother, and fairly private but was unpleasantly surprised to find that I had reserved one of the least private sites available (48)

The campground was quiet and reached below freezing temperatures each evening but hit 80-85 by peak sun.

The bathrooms were well stocked and clean, and campers were responsible with bear safety.

Every night around 6-7 pm a UPS truck would come tearing through the campground Atleast double the limit and sometimes driving against traffic on a one way road.

We intended to stay here, but most of the sites have zero shade and no trees. There are a few along the creek but they were all occupied.

East Fork Campground is a large campground in the Rock Creek area down below the road. It looked like the best sites were in the trees along the creek.

Our site, #27, was in some low aspen trees and was not set up well for tent camping. The site with the tent pad, picnic table and bear locker required stepping down on some rocks from the parking area. The tent pad was small and sloped, our four person tent was wedged into the area. The people in the site behind ours has set up there tent right next our only place to fit a tent.

The bathrooms were near by and very clean.

Near Toms Place, Hwy 395, Bishop, Mammoth, Rock Creek Lake and Mosquito Flats trailhead. Sites along Rock Creek. Sites numbered in the 100’s closest to the creek.

I have been camping at East Fork Lamaist every summer since I was a child. Every spot is beautiful and the camp attendants have always been helpful and friendly.

Was here the weekend after Labor Day and it was practically empty. Intended on staying at Rock Creek but since they were full, I swung in here and was pleasantly surprised. Snagged a spot with a great view of the mountains and had the surrounding area and bathroom all to myself. Sites are nice, bathrooms well kept, and it’s an easy location to get to all trailheads.

I had site 61. It was right off the road but next the creek. It was neatly tucked away and was very peaceful.

Decent campground close to everything you could imagine for the outdoors adventure.  Only stayed for one night to stage for a hike up into Little Lakes Valley the next day.  Has the basic essentials (picnic table, bear locker, water and bathrooms) nearby.  The sites are relatively private.  We arrived on a Thursday night and there were plenty of open sites to choose from.  Will definitely keep this place in mind for future visits.

There are some really great campsites at east fork, that are mostly along the rock creek and have shade. But there are a few that are out in the open with NO shade and are quite plain.

It’s a great back up plan for June loop or mammoth if there is nothing available at those elevations.

East Fork Campground is off Rock Creek road, 3 miles below Rock Creek Lake, and about 4 miles below the Mosquito Flat trail head, from which you can access the beautiful Little Lakes Valley, and beyond into the high Sierra backcountry.  
It is a huge campground with 133 sites, and stretches for a mile or so along Rock Creek.  Some sites are in tall pines with good cover, and some are in scrubby aspens, or open meadow with very little cover.  Some sites are well spaced, and some are right on top of each other.  A few sites are right on the creek.  About half of the sites are on a reservation system, and about half are first-come first-served.  In my opinion, most of the best sites are not reservable.   All sites have a sturdy old-school picnic table, and large bear box.  Some sites are suitable for a small RV, but most don't have the space for large vehicles.  The team of camp hosts were all very nice and were doing a great job keeping things clean and organized.  One of them shared with me that the campground was designed in the 40's, before large RV's existed.  Today's rolling condos just don't fit.  (Another plus in my book)
We camped here for 10 days in late June - early July, basically the peak camping window in the Sierras and the campground was only full on July 3 & 4.  Otherwise it was about 1/2 full.  Totally possible to get a site without reserving ahead. 
We drove in on a Thursday morning, with no reservations, after checking out other nearby campgrounds (Rock Creek Lake, Upper and Lower Pine Grove).  Open sites were plentiful, and we happened to snag what is, I think, the best site in the whole place.  Huge, right on the creek, and no close neighbors, yet not terribly far from the restrooms.  SCORE!  The sound of the rushing creek muffled all undesirable campground sounds. 

Bathroom facilities offer flush toilets and running water, a very nice surprise.  
This is a great base camp from which to explore the Eastern Sierras and Owens River Valley.

East Fork Campground is an awesome spot with a lot of campsites. The bathrooms are very clean and probably the nicest I've seen in California (in the Eastern Sierra). Our site was a short walk to the river and it was very quiet. I did notice some Bear Scat in our campground after a long day of hiking, but we hadn't left food out so everything was left untouched. There were a lot of bugs, so bring extra bug spray. This is an awesome spot if you want to explore the nearby Little Lakes Valley. Bring your fly-rod, extra tackle, and your license!

Great bathroom, clean, no strong smell. Nice staff, but very crowded