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Dispersed Camping

Mono Lake South Dispersed

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Mono Lake South Dispersed, near Lee Vining, California, is a fantastic spot for those who crave a bit of solitude and stunning natural beauty. This area offers a unique camping experience with soft, gravel-like ground surrounded by towering pine trees, making it a cozy retreat for tent and RV campers alike.

Visitors rave about the breathtaking views of Mono Lake and the iconic Tufas, especially during sunset. Many campers have enjoyed peaceful nights under the stars, with one reviewer noting, “What a view! Very close to the Tufas... peaceful place, my kind of camping!” Just keep in mind that the area is a bit rustic—there are no toilets or trash services, so be prepared to pack in and pack out.

The access road can be sandy and a bit tricky, so having a vehicle with good clearance is recommended. Campers have shared that a 4WD or AWD vehicle is ideal for navigating the terrain, especially if you want to explore further into the trees for a more secluded spot. As one camper put it, “Great lil spot. Had a really nice campfire with a view of the lake.”

With its serene atmosphere and proximity to the lake, Mono Lake South Dispersed is perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. Whether you’re stargazing, enjoying a campfire, or simply soaking in the views, this location offers a memorable outdoor experience.

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Location

Mono Lake South Dispersed is located in California

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

37.91829919 N
118.99817397 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Connectivity

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Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Dispersed

Features

For Campers

  • Phone Service
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Mono Lake South Dispersed needs a permit.

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Reviews

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out of 5

15 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 7, 2025

Magical place!

Easy to drive in but don’t pass that sign that says “4 wheeled only” with an RV. We have a 24ft and had a perfectly leveled spot underneath a large tree. You can see the lake from there. We took a bicycle ride in to the “south Tufa” which is only 2 miles away. Watched the sunset there, magical!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Leonie D., September 7, 2025
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Leonie D., September 7, 2025
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Leonie D., September 7, 2025
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2025

Remote, dispersed campsite offers solitude, lake views, and wildlife.

I spent a week here, making it worthwhile to unload the electric pop-up camper (w/ electric jacks) from my truck.  My canopy @rear (facing west) was very welcome, as the dead scrub offers absolutely NO shade.  It was charred from a recent burn, making for excellent campfires!  The cab-over cantilever @front (facing east) also gave shade in the late afternoon heat!  I brought two additional tanks of water, allowing for refreshing showers in this arid desert environment.  

From Navy Beach Rd, I drove 3/4 miles east on FS-1N54, until I crossed into Inyo NF territory, @ a juncture.  After another 1/2 mile on E Shore Rd, I found a clearing suitable for my camper, @1/2 mile from the shore.  In another 3 miles, there is a very nice cul-de-sac turn-around, which, @50' x 100', looks large enough to accommodate a half-dozen vehicles.  In another 5 miles, you cross from USFS into a local tract of land.  While BLM territory surrounds the entire lake, it is more than 1 mile away from shore.  Beware of very soft sand I encountered beyond my campsite.  Some sections were like 'quicksand', forcing me to air-down to 15 PSI.  It challenged my 'Limited Slip' Tundra, so an AWD car could get in serious trouble.  The only people I saw were in two jeeps that passed-by my camp, backtracking out 1/2 hour later.  From my bed, I heard (but did not see - new moon) several animal visitors.  They only come out at night...  

In spite of the seclusion, my camp was actually quite close to main roads, so I spent a lot of time out sight-seeing.  I was also close enough to Navy Beach to launch my kayak @sunrise, when the water is dead-calm.  Ocean-type squalls can flare up with no warning, because of the wide-open desert terrain.  I got a permit to camp on Phoe Island from a Ranger @Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center.  However, after he showed me photos of squalls & told of numerous drowned kayakers, I thought better of it...

Site37.94141, -118.99492
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Sep. 23, 2024

Amazing Spot

This was an amazing find, there’s only maybe 1 spot that wouldn’t require AWD it gets to be somewhat deep sandy/gravely roads after that. But otherwise, close to the lake, beautiful, and peaceful.

I have ATT and had plenty of service here.

SiteN/A
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jun. 15, 2024

Over night stay

Stop here after coming over the mountain through Yosemite needed a place to camp on the east side before we headed home. Very different place the ground is very soft with pea gravel like granite pine trees and pine cones had to use four low with the Jeep to pull our teardrop back in to camp spot. The camp spot that's marked on the app was taken so we turned right and left the hill and found one back further in the trees

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by joel G., June 15, 2024
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by joel G., June 15, 2024
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by joel G., June 15, 2024
  • (5) View All
Reviewed May. 29, 2024

Sandy road, bring awd

Great lil spot. Had a really nice campfire with a view of the lake. Recommend having 4wd or AWD since the road gets sandy and there are signs warning you to have 4wd.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Nikolas P., May 29, 2024
Reviewed Dec. 16, 2023

Great one night stand.

It can be challenging in this area to find a spot to camp in winter, but this fits us just fine. Wood-lined paths, lake views, and quiet nights. Just watch out for horse droppings!

Sitestealth
Month of VisitDecember
Reviewed Jul. 4, 2023

Great quiet spot!

Easy to get to the first several potential spots, even with a low clearance vehicle (Prius) and a great view of the lake from a distance. Pretty quiet spot with a few other campers in the area but spread out enough to feel quiet and private. Low but available T-Mobile cell service, enough to text and leave this review

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2022

Cute Spot

Feels secluded but isn't. Great spot. Pack in/out.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Kevin H., September 11, 2022
Reviewed Jul. 10, 2022

Beautiful area, mono lake views

Nice view of Mono Lake and Mountains, lots of shady spots under pines, main entry road hard pack gravel, soft sand gravel mix off road. Mostly sloped some level spots. Lasts years fire burnt to edge of camping area but most trees not burnt. Can be hot and dusty in summer winds.

Sitedispersed in trees
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Steve L., July 10, 2022
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Steve L., July 10, 2022
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Steve L., July 10, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 24, 2022

Wow!!! Gorgeous Views

My first time seeing Tulfas, couldn’t believe this beautiful lake we had all to ourselves. Lots of goose poop by the beach part but such is life. Beautiful everywhere we saw, we followed directions below they worked fantastic, there were only 2 pull out spots we found, we continued past them to a turnout that wasn’t for camping but was great to park while the baby napped and dad and older one followed the trial to the beach. A must stop so gorgeous.

Here are the coordinates of my screenshots where we entered following the super helpful directions below

37.94304° N, 119.10238° W

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Katie T., June 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Katie T., June 24, 2022
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Katie T., June 24, 2022
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2021

Dessert trip

Is hard for tents placement the sand is mixed with ashes … really quiet amazing night sky really far walk from lake , overall something to see what forest fires can do …

SiteMono lake south camp side
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jul. 15, 2021

Beautiful place

What a view! Very close to the Tufas (a must see). Dispersed camping on gravel/sand so we stayed near the road, in the middle of ponderosa trees. Sunset was gorgeous, peaceful place my kind of camping! Camping in nature!!

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Matthew  R., July 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Matthew  R., July 15, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Matthew  R., July 15, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 11, 2021

Beautiful Location!

Great location, with a beautiful sunset! Very private. Directions: turn right off the 395 on to Picnic Grounds Rd. Then hang a right on to Test Station Rd. (You should be heading East.) Drive about two miles and you will see a pull off.

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Anna D., July 11, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Anna D., July 11, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Anna D., July 11, 2021
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jul. 9, 2021

Serene Spot!

We stayed here for a single night while on a road trip, the drive in along CA-120 was beautiful. We drove west along the southern shore on Test Station Road, and then north along Forest Rd 1N44 to get to the site we stayed at, the roads were in good condition and easily manageable in our SUV.

We stayed at the first site we came to, not wanting to cross the stream that feeds the lake since it was running a little high when we arrived.

The site was very nice and nestled in behind some trees, it was close to 1N44, but we only saw one other vehicle (in the morning while we packed up) so it felt more remote than it actually was.

The walk to the lake shore from the site was probably a half mile or so along the road for the boat launch. We watched the sunset there and view of the lake was and surrounding mountains was absolutely stunning.

I would recommend this site and its a great place to stay near Yosemite. Lee Vining is the nearest town and no more than a 10 minute drive.

SiteN/A
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Jared E., July 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Jared E., July 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Jared E., July 9, 2021
Reviewed Apr. 9, 2021

Beautiful view of Mono Lake

All around Mono Lake is USFS and BLM land that is open for dispersed camping, as long as you stay above the 1941 water line (you will see signs marking this line, which is fairly close to the lake). Note there are multiple pull out areas and forest service roads to stay in along Hwy 120 east just be mindful that the entire area is sand, as some vehicles may get stuck.

The road into these spots is quite sandy and narrow in some places, but we did fine in our 26' Class C. There is a very large previously burned area with charred remains of plants and trees but it made for some interesting eerie photos. Very quiet place with amazing views and stunning night sky. There are no amenities so bring water and pack in and pack out all trash. Nearby are various hikes and other roads to the range of craters in the area and the tufas along Mono Lake.

We stayed there on a Monday night and did not see anybody else around, other than a truck that drove past our camp spot in the night.  Very quiet night.

Good cell reception from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

Note that Google Maps said that Hwy 120 is closed Oct through May and would not direct us to this area via that road, but the road was open in April 2021, probably due to the mild winter.  Check Hwy 120 conditions for yourself because without it you miss out on so much beautiful area to explore.

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Laura M., April 9, 2021
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  • Review photo of Mono Lake South Dispersed by Laura M., April 9, 2021
  • (5) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the elevation of Mono Lake South Dispersed?

Mono Lake South Dispersed is located at 6713 feet.

Are fires allowed at Mono Lake South Dispersed?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Mono Lake South Dispersed, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Mono Lake South Dispersed have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Mono Lake South Dispersed does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Mono Lake South Dispersed?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is some coverage for AT&T, no coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.