Yosemite Lakes and Lake McSwain Recreation Area house some of the most distinctive glamping accommodations within driving distance of Atwater, California. The region has safari tents, yurts, and glamping cabins spread across multiple campgrounds set against the Sierra Nevada foothills. One guest shared, "Many options to stay! RV, bring your own tent, yurts, safari tents, cabins. RV spaces have many different location styles, secluded, views, groups etc." The fully-furnished accommodations typically feature real beds with linens, electricity, and climate control for year-round comfort. Diamond Gulch offers pre-set glamping tents with essential amenities, while Yosemite Pines RV Resort provides more elaborate yurt accommodations with kitchenettes and private outdoor areas. These sites balance rustic charm with modern conveniences, situated between 30 and 60 minutes from Atwater.
Situated near Yosemite National Park's western entrance, several glamping resorts provide convenient access to world-class hiking trails and natural attractions. Lake McSwain Recreation Area combines waterfront activities with premium canvas accommodations, allowing visitors to enjoy fishing, swimming, and boating just steps from their glamping tents. A visitor noted, "We stayed in the cabin that sleeps 6. Super nice, close to the bathrooms. There's a community outdoors kitchen with stove and sink." Families appreciate the swimming pools, playgrounds, and on-site petting zoos found at locations like Yosemite Pines. Most glamping sites in the region operate year-round, though winter visitors should verify specific amenities and access. Reservations are essential during peak summer months when Yosemite visitation is highest, particularly for premium accommodations with enhanced features like private decks, outdoor fire pits, and scenic views of surrounding forests or waterways.
$30 - $200 / night
"over night & day sites, hot showers and indoor restrooms surrounded by beautiful nature."
$30 - $40 / night
"My family and I stayed at Lake McSwain Campgrounds for a weekend during a mountain bike race at Exchequer."
"There are free warm showers and the bathrooms are fairly clean. If you are staying in a tent make sure to layer up and bring lots of blankets because nights can get very cold."
"Really beautiful park, stream running through, campfires allowed. Friendly helpful staff. Somewhat difficult drive up the 120 especially if you are in a large rig."
"Whip out your wallet and empty on it on the check-in desk of this thousand trails (or whatever) park."
$24 - $439 / night
"Bathrooms were very unclean but the park gets the job done as a place to sleep while visiting Yosemite. No Verizon or T-Mobile coverage. Wifi available for purchase."
"With a pool, petting zoo, a corral where they have a fire and s'mores followed by a movie, this is a great place to camp with the kids."
"Close to hwy but far enough that road noise isn't onerous. Train passes through once at night time, bring earplugs. Clean, tidy, well kept campground."
$20 - $100 / night
"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."
"Located a short 20 miles east of 99, just north of Fresno, this Army Corps of Engineers campground is stunning."
"We were lucky to have a spot at the dead center of the top of the mountain looking out at the lake (site 13) with a big shade tree."
"There are sites on the lake with shade provided over the tables. It was mid week and was not crowded at all. The lake is gorgeous and at night there were several deer walking thru the site."
$30 - $289 / night
"Good selection of sites, for RV's tents etc. cheap, fire pits, clean toilets and showers, level sites, free use of neighboring property's swimming pool, friendly staff, and a really quick drive into Yosemite"
"In winter check-in/drive up bookings are in the lodge reception in the main village which is great as they're open all through the night. Power was good, showers were okay - hot but lacked pressure."
$30 - $89 / night
"We arrived in the dark. We had reserved a site with a small two person tent already set up for us."
"Has water, portable toilets and heated showers. Campsite has Some shade from the sun. Also has a couple glamping tents aswell."
RangerMany options to stay! Rv, bring your own tent, yurts, safari tents,, cabins. RV spaces have many different location styles, secluded, views, groups etc.
Large clean pool with a shallow lounging section. Playground. Bathrooms/showers were freshly renovated and clean. Laundry on site. Clubhouse and small provisions.
Easy access to Bass Lake and Yosemite entrance as well as local Town food and markets.
ScoutWe 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.
ScoutGreat campground accessible for most campers but large RVs might struggle. Has water, portable toilets and heated showers. Campsite has Some shade from the sun. Also has a couple glamping tents aswell.
GuideFirst time up and it's so nice and peaceful. Stayed in the cabin that sleeps 6. Super nice, close to the bathrooms. There's a community outdoors kitchen with stove and sink. Small hiking trail that had some horse nearby that cam and said hi to us. Will definitely be coming back. Love that this place is open all year long
TravelerGreat option if your looking for full rv hookups. If you’re tent camping, this might not be the best place. Bathrooms were very unclean but the park gets the job done as a place to sleep while visiting Yosemite. No Verizon or T-Mobile coverage. Wifi available for purchase.
GuideSummary as of late June 2020:
-Super nice, helpful manager -Great location for Yosemite/Hetch Hetchy -Large, clean restrooms -Inconsistent electricity -Bear Lot is right next to Hwy 120 -Coyote Lot is literally a new gravel parking lot, 4x4 required -No wi-fi in Bear Lot or Coyote Lot
First of all, I have to say that the manager (owner? I never caught his name) was very kind and tried his best to accommodate everyone there. The location is great for trips to Yosemite, and if you’re lucky enough to reserve a spot in the ‘main loop’ (I don’t see this ability online), you’ll probably love it. The bathrooms are large and clean and there is laundry, a small playground, a small pool (closed during our stay), and a privately run store on-site.
We brought our 28’ toy hauler here at the end of June 2020. We had reserved a spot in Coyote Lot, which we were told over the phone would be no problem. Upon arrival, the manager had his doubts but told us to “put the truck in 4x4 and give it a go!” Coyote Lot looks like a newly, semi-leveled gravel parking lot with full hook-ups… no trees or shade. There were some longer spots, but there was no way our trailer would fit in the one we reserved. The lot also exits through a run-down residential grouping of trailers, some occupied and some abandoned.
The manager put us in Bear Lot, no question, after it was determined Coyote Lot would not work. This lot is a little more established than Coyote, but still a gravel parking lot with electricity (inconsistently for many) and water hook-ups. The lot is pretty level and separated from Hwy 120 by a wooden fence. There are some picnic tables and fire pits, but not enough for each spot. We didn’t end up having to use our generator like others did. There were tent campers and rv/trailers in this lot.
Side note: the Rainbow Pools swimming hole that is recommended on the website was WAY overcrowded and I do not suggest going unless maybe you go in the early morning. There were tons of people, tons of litter, and no respect for nature… very sad to see.
Photo are of Bear Lot
ScoutReally beautiful park, stream running through, campfires allowed. Friendly helpful staff. Somewhat difficult drive up the 120 especially if you are in a large rig. No cell reception at all so you need to drive to the top of a Hill or into Groveland
TravelerThese were quite decent campgrounds, kind of close together but decent sized sites. We were lucky to have a spot at the dead center of the top of the mountain looking out at the lake (site 13) with a big shade tree. Since we got there on a Saturday night, we were surprised to see that the campsite directly to our left and directly to our right were empty. By Sunday night, every campsite within sight was vacated so we had a lot of freedom to do what we wanted without having to worry about disturbing other people. Deer are fearless & majestic, several “packs” walked through our campsite all throughout Sunday night when everyone else was gone. They walked up to us to smell our campfire & our food (we were making s’mores). There’s a campfire spot, a water source, a picnic table, & a grill set up at each site (for the most part), with trashes nearby.
The Lake was nice! We went swimming in the swimming area and there were a surprising amount of people there via Covid. We went in the little shop briefly but from what I could tell they had a lot of useful things campers may need varying from firewood, ice, snacks. fast food, alcohol, & camping/fishing supplies. You can have 2 cars at your campsite but we only had one, the second would be an additional charge. You can bring pets but also for a charge. If you have campsites like 1-20 you’ll have to walk clear across the campgrounds to get to the water or make a quick drive down with your party. We just drove which was better for us after having swam.
Only complaint is the porta-potties. We went from Saturday to Monday & by the end of Sunday there was no more toilet paper, high-piled waste, & when I called to try to inform them to restock the toilet paper no one answered. I brought my own toilet paper so that wasn’t the worst situation but definitely bring some just in case! Master that sumo squat to hover over that thing!
ScoutMy family and I stayed at Lake McSwain Campgrounds for a weekend during a mountain bike race at Exchequer. We showed up with our 24' trailer on Friday, and even though it was February, they brought on staff to get us all checked in since it was so busy because of the race. There was a short line to get in to the campground, but we didn't wait long and the staff was helpful and friendly. The site was a good size for two trucks and the trailer. The site was not too close to the water, not too far. The bathrooms had showers which we used since our site didn't have a sewer hookup. The site did have water and power though. The marina isn't normally open in February, but they opened due to the volume of campers that weekend. They stocked up on the basics and even had hot coffee and breakfast burritos in the morning and sandwiches at lunch. On Sunday, we moved over to a full hookup site and it was level and felt private. We camped next to some friends and stayed up around the campfire and made smores. The kids rode their bikes around the campgrounds alllll day. They had a blast! Thanks, MID!
McConnell State Recreation Area offers convenient camping options within 30 miles of Atwater, California. This area combines Central Valley farmland with foothill terrain at elevations ranging from 200-2,000 feet. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F while winter nights can drop below freezing, making spring and fall the most comfortable camping seasons.
Swimming in natural settings: McConnell State Recreation Area provides swimming access along the Merced River. A camper noted, "The river is very high at the moment, so swimming is currently prohibited," indicating water conditions vary seasonally.
Fishing opportunities: Lake McSwain Recreation Area offers productive fishing spots for all skill levels. "Nice lake to relax at. Plan on going back again," reports one visitor who enjoyed the angling opportunities.
Stargazing sessions: Diamond Gulch provides excellent night sky viewing with minimal light pollution. A camper recommends, "Bring some marshmallows with you! Can only recommend lighting up a little campfire and stargazing at night!"
Wildlife observation: The foothill campgrounds host diverse wildlife. "We were greeted by cows outside the fence!" writes one camper, while others report seeing deer, coyotes, and various bird species throughout their stays.
Hot showers: Many campgrounds offer shower facilities that campers appreciate. At McConnell State Recreation Area, one visitor mentioned, "Showers are terrible, standing water and hot water is limited. Staff are great though."
Clean facilities: Lake Tulloch RV Campground maintains its facilities well according to campers. "These were quite decent campgrounds, kind of close together but decent sized sites. We were lucky to have a spot at the dead center of the top of the mountain looking out at the lake."
Proximity to attractions: Indian Flat RV Park provides convenient access to popular destinations. "Ten minutes from Yosemite. The staff was very nice," reports a visitor, highlighting its strategic location.
Swimming pools: Several campgrounds supplement natural water features with pool access. At Indian Flat RV Park, "After a long day of hiking in Yosemite it was nice to relax at the pool next door," according to one satisfied camper.
Seasonal water levels: Lake levels fluctuate significantly throughout the year. At COE Eastman Lake Codorniz Campground, "This COE is on a small lake that is used for irrigation during the summer resulting in a much lower water level than in the spring."
Cell service limitations: Coverage varies widely between campgrounds. At Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes, a camper warns, "There is no cell service and the 'pay WIFI' did not work for us."
Road conditions: Access roads to some campgrounds can be challenging. One camper reported about Codorniz Campground, "The road from Chowchilla was incredibly rough. 15 miles of poorly-patched pot holes."
Pest awareness: Be prepared for insects in warmer months. At Lake Tulloch, a camper experienced, "The camp's site was infested with roaches Everywhere, they went in all our grocery bags and under them."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Atwater, CA is McConnell State Recreation Area Campground with a 3.5-star rating from 6 reviews.
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