Are you in need of a campground near Atwater, CA? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Atwater. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Atwater. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$30 - $40 / night
Group Camping Area
$30 - $200 / night
Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging offers some of the best lodging near Yosemite National Park, with many types of cabins, plus yurts and RV and tent sites. While here, enjoy our large swimming pool, volleyball court, deli and Petting Farm! Spend your days at Yosemite and the surrounding Gold Country towns and return to stay with us, where peace and quiet is plentiful! Relax and recharge in a family-friendly setting, ready for your next day’s adventure!
Yosemite Lakes RV Resort is located 80 miles east of Modesto, and just 5 miles west of Yosemite National Park’s Big Oak Flat entrance station. This large, year-round resort offers nearly 400 sites for RV and tent campers along the banks of the South Fork Tuolumne River. RV campers can choose from open, grassy spaces, or shady, wooded spaces with full hookups; tent campers can set up under mostly shady pine woods. Sites are equipped with picnic tables and fire pits, and restrooms and shower facilities are conveniently located throughout the resort. The resort also offers a variety of cottages, cabins, yurts and bunkhouses. Onsite amenities include a country store, laundry room, Wifi and satellite TV service, trash receptacles, gas station, and propane depot. Dogs are permitted. Reservations are recommended, however many tent sites are first-come, first-served. Seasonal campsite rates are $41–$75/night; other accommodations range from $86–$305/night. For campers looking for a little rest and relaxation time outside of the busy national park, the resort offers a variety of amenities and activities. There’s a playground for the kids, and mini golf, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and basketball for kids of all ages. Swimming, floating, fishing, and gold panning can be enjoyed on the South Fork Tuolumne River, which flows right through the resort area. The resort also hosts group activities, movies and weekend events. Nearby activities include swimming, fishing, boating and water skiing on Don Pedro Reservoir and New Melones Lake, as well as touring the old mining towns of Sonora, Angels Camp and Murphys. When it’s time to visit Yosemite National Park: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is 45 minutes away; Yosemite Valley is 1 hour away; Tuolumne Meadows is 80 minutes away; and Mariposa Grove is 90 minutes away. In the busy summer season, it’s good to allow extra time to get to these destinations, and have patience looking for parking. Yosemite National Park, located in the heart of California’s spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains, is, justifiably, one of America’s most popular national parks. Visitors flock to Yosemite every summer to marvel at its towering granite walls, domes and pinnacles, as well as its spectacular meadows, waterfalls and wildlife. No trip to Yosemite is complete without taking at least a short walk or hike to soak in the majesty of this glacier-carved landscape, away from the park’s busy roads and villages. Yet, with its limited camping and lodging options, it can be challenging to visit the park during its busy summer season. Fortunately, there are several campgrounds and resorts located just short distances outside of the park that make suitable alternatives to the often congested and overcrowded park facilities, while still allowing easy access to the park’s sights, attractions, and trails.
At Lake Tulloch RV Campground and Marina you can enjoy your choice of 110 sites on over ten acres including shoreline for Lake Tulloch camping. These include lakefront hookups with space to keep your boat right at your site, lakefront cabins with your own dock and full hookup sites with 50 amp service, water and sewer. Many tent sites with water, picnic table and firepits are also available.
Our General Store, Restaurant, 21 slip marina and gas dock, boat rentals at Lake Tulloch Boat Rentals, modern restrooms, hot showers and laundromat all contribute to making Lake Tulloch RV Campground and Marina one of the best spots for family camping, boating and fishing in California!
Codorniz Campground on Eastman Lake is a perfect launchpad for activities like canoeing, birding and hiking. Tucked in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the area attracts abundant wildlife like bobcats, golden eagles, mountain lions, hawks and wood ducks.
Eastman Lake is the first designated Trophy Bass Fishery, by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Both young and old anglers will find fishing on Eastman lake a satisfying challenge. At the campground, visitors can try their hand at disc golf or challenge a group of friends to a game of volleyball. Horseshoe pits are also available for a little friendly competition.
Eastman Lake is the first designated Trophy Bass Fishery, by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Both young and old anglers will find fishing on Eastman lake a satisfying challenge. At the campground, visitors can try their hand at disc golf or challenge a group of friends to a game of volleyball. Horseshoe pits are also available for a little friendly competition.
The rolling hills around Eastman Lake are surrounded by tall grasses and scattered oak trees, giving way to stunning mountain views. The lake features 1,780 surface acres, fed by the cool waters of the Chowchilla River.
The Sierra National Forest is a short drive to the east of the campground.
$20 / night
In Groveland CA and right next to Pine Mountain Lake and 30 miles to Yosemite !
We are new to The Dyrt but please read our incredible reviews at the Hipcamp:
We have 824 acres on a beautiful ranch with two small ponds. On our property you'll find frogs, turtles, lots of oak trees, pine trees and stunning views of Yosemite. We're 30 miles from the main gate of Yosemite National Park and there’s a golf course less than a mile away. We're not far from town either -- in just a few minutes you can drive to our local grocery store and pizza parlor. When you come to the ranch it feels like you are hundreds of miles away from civilization and it's real quiet.
This is a great place for someone who wants to escape city life and enjoy the tranquility of nature. Much of the ranch is open wilderness for you to explore, and it's not uncommon to see deer, frogs, turtles, quail, turkeys, or the other countless species of birds. Diamond Gulch Camp is the perfect place to relax if you’re a photographer, artist, family or a group of friends looking for a place to camp near Yosemite. A small portion of the property was used as a gold mine years ago, and you may find remnants of old home sites if you go exploring. We're not far from Wards Ferry Road, Groveland, Lake Don Pedro and other interesting places.
$30 - $89 / night
Wide sites on cement pads
Free Wi-Fi and Cable
$50 / night
$30 - $289 / night
Was a wonderful experience! The host was super helpful even at night when we didn’t find our designated spot (even though it had super obvious signs - our fault) Super lovely host and a beautiful ranch. A lot of fireplaces with wood. Can only recommend lighting up a little campfire and stargazing at night! Bring some marshmallows with you !
It wasn’t as nice as the photos depicted. Water shortage? The grasses were long and dried up, there appears to have been a wooden bridge as a shortcut to the pool/restroom/laundry room/Deli, but no longer. The restrooms were barely tolerable and the woman’s had a bad odor. There’s a dishwashing station that is no longer serviceable, just a stainless sink set in a covered table with no water or even plumbing to include drains. You have to pay for WiFi and sometimes the signal drops. For the cost of the campground the WiFi should be free! Lesser known campgrounds even have free WiFi. There are Conestoga Wagons, Cabins and Yurts. None were occupied. Reason?
We used Diamond Gulch as our base while exploring Yosemite for 5 days. Overall, it was a great experience with a great host! We visited in mid to late July, so it was very hot, and this means the campground was a little dusty, but manageable. As others have stated, there is free firewood at your site, but we were a little scared to light a wood fire given how everything was so dry. Also, as others have mentioned the showers were great, but we did have issues with getting them to heat up.
One thing to keep in mind is that while Groveland is only ~30 minutes from Yosemite, the drive within the park can take up 45-60 minutes. So, plan accordingly and be prepared. Our experience was that if we left camp around 7:30 we'd be through the gate with no line at 8am, and be at a parking lot around 9am. This always worked for us to get a parking spot without any hassle. After a long day of hiking and exploring the drive back to the campground felt a little long.
Something we did not expect was how little there is in Groveland itself. We tried to spend a couple of hours there one afternoon, and ended up just grabbing coffee and going back to camp. There just isn't much to do in town. This isn't to discourage anyone, but keep that in mind.
The good:
* Good host
* Beautiful scenery from camp
* Clean, well serviced bathrooms (porta potties)
* Water available in camp
* Excellent showers (especially when you can get them to heat up)
* Very relaxed atmosphere
The okay:
* The sites have wood chips spread to keep down dust, but those get tracked everywhere.
* A bit of a drive from the sights in Yosemite
* On busy weekends it can get a bit crowded
We spent one night right in front of the water, amazing view for the sunset. It’s true that bathroom / toilets / showers aren’t clean, they are quite old.
But we didn’t care, the view worth it. We went swimming in the lake : what a pleasure. We saw some squirrels and dears, they didn’t bothered us.
It was super calm. The crew was nice with us and let us spend only one night here for 50$ (the minimum should be 2 nights)
I recommend this place!
(Also, it’s right halfway between Yosemite and San Francisco: which was perfect for us)
This place is closed, it seems to be longer. 06/26/24
No wifi, bathrooms did not have hot water.
Cool park with extremely friendly and helpful staff. Cannot say enough about the great park rangers and camp hosts.
There were people close by to us with several tents and campers in one spot, not sure how this is monitored.
Spotty T Mobile Service $32 per night
Underrated for sure - we stayed 2 nights while exploring Yosemite because we could not find a campground closer with spots. Big grassy area close to Mineral Museum, water and electric hookups. We basically had the fairgrounds to ourselves. They have additional spots in more of a parking lot setting, well marked.
$55 per night Wifi worked great
I Van Camped at Mercey Hot Springs for 5 days. When I arrived the nights were hot so I decided to take an AC Cabin #10 where I could park right next to the cabin and slept comfortably. I moved to a RV camp site #5 when the temps at night were a more comfortable mid 60s. I love that the hot tubs are available all night long. It allows for long soaks while star gazing. The therapeutic water is magical some of the best I have found. As soon as you enter the pool or hot tubs you feel the smooth water on your skin. The hot tubs are all oversized privet bath tubs that you fill with mineral water of your desired temperature. This is a completely off the grid resorts that has good energy and tranquil atmosphere. It is very clean with clean bath rooms and showers. When I was there in June 2024 they did not have the restaurant open yet but one looks like it is in the near future. They do have snacks, cold drinks, coffee, ice cream and Ice in the front office for purchase. I took the short hike up the hill to see the solar array, while up there I discovered a most amazing triple Labyrinth circle walk that was very mindful experience. I have never seen such a neat labyrinth as this. Truly an amazing stay, I will be back.
This place itself is just one star worth. But the near proximity to Yosemite is good. Sites are cramped, toilets and showers were unhygienic. Was the most expensive camping we had with the worst service and accommodation.
Wow, let's say we had a nightmare ishhorrible experience. We rented a tent camp site for 2 nights. We were given an RV Slab camping site. It had the tiniest barbecue grill available. The water that was coming out of all the faucets, was red and brown. People weren't allowed to shower that night. Once night fall came, the camp's site was infested with roaches Everywhere, they went in all our grocery bags and under them. Went into and under all our boxes that we had. The roaches hid under our tents also. There also seemed to be a termite infestation. We had to cut our camping trip short after spending over a thousand dollars on supplies, food, the Camping site and parking fees The workers that drove by, especially Travis, were nice and Welcoming. Dogs have to be on a leash at all times. If you want to go into the lake with your dog, You have to walk very far away if you didn't rent one of the tent sites at the lake front area. Had to fumigate my vehicle when I got home with all my stuff in it. I pray none of the bugs will be in my stuff at home. I heard many other guests screeching and shouting, omg theres cockroaches every where. Good to know, we weren't the only ones disappointed. The owner Jake refused to refund me, or my two guests that wasted their 50 dollars in parking fees, although the trip was cut short due to the conditions. Jake offered for us to stay another night. Will never be back. Beware.
Booked a reservation through The Dyrt app for this place. Reservation says I booked for a “tent”, meaning a tent will be ready already and should have a bed inside. We wanted a place to sleep before heading to Yosemite the next day, without having to unpack our stuff.After booking on 5/18, I emailed the owner of the campground to make sure my reservation went through and I mentioned that I booked it through the dyrt app and it was a reservation for a tent. The owner replied with “it did”. Upon getting to the site, the owner was not there and we didn’t know where we needed to go. Some of his family members were camping there as well and helped us get a hold of him. When we finally spoke with the owner, he said that the dyrt app is not supposed to do reservation for the tent. We were put in an empty campsite because all the tents were occupied. This was around 9 pm, we don’t have time to set up tent so we took everything out of the back the car and slept in the back of the car. I emailed the dyrt app to get a refund, I paid for the tent but got a camp site instead so I should be refunded for the difference plus not to mention the inconvenience. It was not my fault the reservation was incorrect, I also did my due diligence to make sure the booking was done correctly. It is not my fault the owner did not read my email properly when I asked. The dyrt app will not issue a refund because the owner said he will not issue a refund. Although the amount is not a lot, I would rather only pay for what I got. The owner was nice and his family was nice but we are really disappointed with our experience.
Spots are unlevel, but not horribly. Firewood already at the site for your use. Wonderful outdoor showers! The scenery is beautiful! Wish we had more time to stay here longer. Favorite site of our trip so far
Huge but peaceful camping 15 mins from the entrance and 45 mins from the Yosemite visitor center. General store equipped in nicer gifts than the visitor center. First come first served, but after a check in you can reserve your site for when you are leaving. We didn’t bother looking for a place by the river as it was already packed, but found a nice spot in the third row. Spotted a skunk twice:) Bathrooms are rarely cleaned - three nights in there were still dirty. WiFi poor and limited to the front desk and laundry room. For this price would’ve been nice for it to work throughout the whole place though. Coin machine in laundry room out of order, you can exchange money at the front desk.
We visit this site (and tried the other next to it) may 2024. Don't now it was illegal. But we parked before the sign: no camping. Everything is closed. So you have to take your litter and toilet with you. 25feet could turn around. Bigger not suggested. Is already closed for 14 months. Doesn't look like it will open again very soon.
We absolutely loved our monthly stay at Yosemite Lakes TT. We arrived early April and where the first ones to take a spot by the river - basically on our own for a week or so before others started trickling in. Towards the end of April the weekends were packed and buzzing but as soon as Monday's came around it was quite again. We ended up moving spots to have more space and better Starlink reception. Great activities at the lodge, clean and friendly and super close to the NP. We are in a 45 ft toy hauler and taking 120 up here was an ok drive. Would definitely come back again!
There are few gems along the Hwy 99 route between Sacramento and Bakersfield but this is definitely one of them! Located a short 20 miles east of 99, just north of Fresno, this Army Corps of Engineers campground is stunning. Situated among rolling hills that are luscious green in the spring, this campsite is quiet and packed full of things to do. Whether you want to bike, hike, fish, boat or just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet, this is the site for you!
We're dry camping at the Wildcat site which the ranger said is rarely used. There is no one else in the whole campground!
Coyotes howled in the distance last night and it was dead quiet. Going to take the road bike out today and explore some of the roads around the Lake. Lake is full after the 2023 season.
Such an amzing site with clean amenities. (Showers, bathrooms, washing rooms.) people that work here are also super kind and welcoming. Definitely recommend 13/10
It’s a quiet campground on a hill. You are at least 30 minutes from any stores. The lake is beautiful but the campsites with power and water do not give a view of the lake at all with the exception of 42. AT&T cell signal from 45 was non existent but T-mobile worked well enough to stream Netflix. I enjoyed my stay. Clean and the camp hosts were great.
Sites are packed in tight. Def geared for tent camping although I was lucky enough to be here when it was dead empty and picked a good site for my 27’ toy hauler. Fire pits and picnic tables at every site. No idea where the water is at but didn’t really look. There is a nice dump station ($8 fee recommended.. pay station is at park entrance). Lots of deer and raccoons. Gas station with firewood not too far away (Lakeridge Inn Gas), and they have diesel. Boat launch and day use area only a short drive away. Just would not want to be here if it was busy.
We stayed here for the night prior to a Hetch Hetchy backpacking trip. We arrived in the dark. We had reserved a site with a small two person tent already set up for us. It was a bit hard to find in the dark, but the camping area is fenced in under an oak grove so eventually we found the stump with our name on it next to the tent. In the future, I think I’ll just bring my own tent and deal with the small hassle of setting it up—the tent provided was fine, but definitely would not have been a good choice if there had been rain. And you could tell it is essentially set up 24/7—some tiny insects living inside etc. The campsites themselves were sufficiently spacious and the host has nice fire pits with fire wood provided for each site, plus picnic tables. Basic portapotties plus some running water for bathrooms. Fellow campers were an interesting mix of folks from all over, though I wish the owner had quiet hours posted and communicated—our immediate tent neighbors sat out chatting and laughing until nearly 1am which was annoying. The coyotes and owls at night were lovely.
We enjoyed our stay here while on a three week trip from our home in PA to the West Coast. There was a high volume of campers and it seemed they struggled a bit to keep up with the bathrooms but place more blame on people's poor manners in cleaning up after themselves. Definitely recommend!
Great stay at Diamond Gulch! Host was responsive and available. The bonus of free firewood and hot showers were next level. The sites were clean. Overall a great stay! It’s a little misleading as you think you are booking a specific site, when in actuality all sites are first come first serve. We pulled up in the evening and it was unclear how the process worked to pick a site, especially when we thought we had “site 1”. We had a lot of room because only a handful of campers there. Everyone was quiet and respectful. But if all sites are booked it may have been a different vibe.
I would give Yosemite Pines RV Park a zero-star rating if I could, following the disastrous and wholly dissatisfactory experience my fiancée and I had during our recent stay. We booked a 10-day stay at this RV campsite, expecting a relaxing, enjoyable vacation. Instead, we encountered an unprofessional and discourteous staff, led by a manager, Carmella Hoeft, who was as unaccommodating as she was rude. From day one, we felt dismissed and looked down upon, with our concerns and requests met with dispassion and disinterest. The situation worsened when the entire campground lost power during a period of triple-digit heat. The staff provided no resolution or contingency plan. Their lack of compassion and their refusal to offer a refund for our prematurely terminated stay were both shocking and unacceptable. We were also left severely disappointed by their substandard amenities. Their on-site washing machines, in a sorry state of disrepair, ruined over$200 worth of my fiancée's clothing. To add insult to injury, not only did the staff refuse to refund us for the damage, they also didn't offer to refund the cost of using the faulty machines. Frustrated, we paid out of pocket to relocate due to the unbearable heat and lack of power. The management promised a follow-up communication after supposedly"discussing with corporate," but this communication never materialized. Our final grievance occurred after we had left the campsite due to the unfavorable conditions. A package that was delivered after our departure became the subject of an outrageous demand from the manager, Carmella. She requested a$50 Venmo transfer plus the postage fees to simply forward the package to us. In conclusion, Yosemite Pines RV Park demonstrated a lack of basic human humility, compassion, and hospitality during our ill-fated stay. Despite the exorbitant fees charged for the stay, we found the park to be ill-maintained and malfunctioning, the staff unprofessional, and the overall experience thoroughly regrettable. We strongly advise potential visitors to think twice before booking their stay here. Yours in disappointment,
The sites were large and the scenery beautiful. It was the first full hookup campground outside the park, so pretty convenient. The road going in was washed out—the alternate route was extremely steep, but we managed with our 5 Cylinder motorhome. It is first come, first serve, so we chose a quiet place and were happy with it. No privacy between sites, and many were not functional due to sewer issues; I assume, due to the same storm that washed the road out. The shower heads were broken in one of the shower houses, both men’s and women’s. The other showers in our section worked great. Toilets and sinks were very clean. Overall, a good place.
Nice place to camp and relax
Nice location along Merced river...was quite surprised. Most sites have shade. The river is very high at the moment, so swimming is currently prohibited.
Unfortunately it was a mess Fri-Sun mid-June 6/23 with loud Norteño music being blasted from multiple campsites and the day/group area in particular. Very loud and non-stop. Lots of large families having fun, but was seldom a peaceful moment, even late into the evening.
Bring earplugs, or maybe try weekdays? if you prefer R&R without the noise pollution - SP employees don't bother to deal with the problem.
We rented sites #10 & #11 for the weekend of 6/2-6/4/23. Sites #9-11 make up the cul-de-sac so it was great for our kids to ride their bikes and scooters. It would make the perfect group site as they were a bit tucked back from the other sites. Site #12 could easily be connected to site #11 as the brush is well-cleared between the two.
These are the closest sites to the water in the campground, but unfortunately water access is pretty limited (there’s a small trail that leads down to a rocky edge, but wouldn’t be great for small children). We drove to a beach area found about a mile up the road. There is also a day-use area across the lake with some good swimming sites.
The campground was very clean and had rangers and a sheriff patrolling regularly (but not bothersome).
There is a small pit toilet right next to site #12, but there are larger bathrooms up the road with flushing toilets and showers. There is also a nice playground for the kids too.
Unfortunately site #10 does not have a shade structure but #9 does, and #11 is well shaded by trees.
We had one raccoon visitor the first night (came out of the drainage pipe under site #12) but otherwise no other wildlife. We were warned that rattle snakes are out, but we were fortunate not to see any ourselves. There is also quite a bit of brush around the campsites so be aware if you bring dogs. They are supposed to be kept on leash at all times, but our lab just brushed by some of the weeds and was littered with foxtails. So just something to be cautious of.
Although we were disappointed with not having better water access, it really is a nice campsite overall if you’re okay with driving up the road to swim.
Camping near Atwater, California, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor fun. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a place to park your RV, there are several campgrounds to check out.
Camping around Atwater, CA, offers a variety of experiences, from family-friendly campgrounds to more rustic options. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Atwater, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Atwater, CA is Lake McSwain Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Atwater, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 glamping camping locations near Atwater, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
