Best Dispersed Camping near Bear Valley, CA

Looking for the best dispersed camping near Bear Valley? The Dyrt provides you with a diverse selection of places to camp, from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Bear Valley, CA (29)

Showing results 1-10 of 29 campgrounds

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Bear Valley

98 Reviews of 29 Bear Valley Campgrounds


  • Chris P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Hardin Flat Road
    Nov. 9, 2024

    Hardin Flat Road

    Dispersed Camping MINUTES from Yosemite NP

    Spent (2) nights here and loved it. Enough T-Mobile service for messaging and lite web browsing. Spacious pull-out with a small rock fire pit. I believe fires are allowed as long as you have a permit.

    ~8min drive to Big Oak Entrance and ~40min drive to Yosemite Valley Welcome Center. Why stay at Hodgdon when you can stay here!

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Oct. 27, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Great 1 night stay

    Came on a Saturday around 4pm, there were 2 other campers other than me so it wasn’t busy at all. No service for at&t. Overall had a good stay here with my 2 dogs

  • Ciara W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Echo Summit Dispersed
    Oct. 25, 2024

    Echo Summit Dispersed

    Not dispersed camping

    This spot is national forest, and overnight camping is not allowed. We had a knock from someone with the forest service the next morning who was very kind and let us know that overnight is not allowed.

    Look up lakes and forest in this area on google — not many places allow dispersed camping

  • Miles L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Evergreen Rd Dispersed camping
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Evergreen Rd Dispersed camping

    A few spots scattered along the road

    Nothing fancy or too expansive, but a handful of spots on either side of the road. Certainly easier to settle in before it’s dark.

  • Stephen B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 30, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Beautiful, popular, treacherous

    I’m motorcycle camping and the ground level was about half full, mostly RVs, so I attempted to head up Scott Lake Road.

    The dirt was manageable but there are sections of large rocks difficult to pass on two wheels. I crossed several but I dropped my bike before the second circle. Defeated and exhausted from a long day’s ride, I headed back down to set up my camp among the RV set.

    No shade to the lifestyle but this is an awfully long drive to watch TV at top volume.

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Leavitt Lake
    Aug. 29, 2024

    Leavitt Lake

    Great lake

    This is a beautiful lake. I like visiting it and geometry dash breeze which is amazing. Upon reaching the lake, you will discover approximately twelve camping spots. These sites are fairly basic, each equipped with uncomplicated stone fire pits, though only around half of them seem to feature picnic tables based on my observation. Upon our arrival, all the Lakeview sites were occupied, prompting us to locate a pleasant spot towards the back to set up our camp. Unfortunately, there is a segment of the camping area that would typically be open for use but was closed off by the Department of Fish and Game(DFG) due to environmental concerns. It's regrettable as there were some appealing campsites situated beyond that wooden barrier.

  • DJ M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Bear Valley Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 20, 2024

    Bear Valley Dispersed Camping

    Crowded

    Wooded campground, cool weather, good phone reception, many spots taken with no activity probably by locals. Lake, hiking, close shopping.

  • DJ M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Hardin Flat Road
    Aug. 11, 2024

    Hardin Flat Road

    Pine and Cedar forest

    All wheel drive, okay. Large grounds, many motorbike and trails, permit required (bikes). Camped upper level. Please pack in, pack out, don't make others clean up after you.

  • Julia H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 8, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Great

    Lots of people ! come early for a spot. nice views around. lots and lots of bugs. i sleep in my car and crack the windows a little bit and i woke up to a shit ton of bugs that got in my car. even more surrounding the cars. very quiet at night, maybe i just got lucky lol.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Echo Summit Dispersed
    Jul. 23, 2024

    Echo Summit Dispersed

    Echo peak free camping

    this location was the site of a fire several years ago, this means that many of the trees have been cleared making it a good site for starlink users like me. There are some power lines and it might be prettier if it had some unburned trees, but it’s great in a pinch and private. Take echo summit road from El dorado and you will see several places to chose from. The road towards the cabins has a very tight turn that will not allow anyone over 25 feet- though i’d recommend smaller.

    most likely impassable after snowfall.

  • Bobby J.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Hardin Flat Road
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Hardin Flat Road

    Really Nice Stay close to Yosemite

    This was a really nice stay close to Yosemite with really spread out spots. Couldn’t even see your neighbor and the vicinity to the park made it perfect. It’s 4 stars because you could hear the traffic from the main road from my spot

  • samuel C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Hardin Flat Road
    Jul. 16, 2024

    Hardin Flat Road

    Great spot

    Awesome spot close to Yosemite, road isn’t too bad and it’s absolutely beautiful. I wasn’t bothered . I recommend arriving a little early, we didn’t have a little trouble finding the right road.

  • Raymond B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
    Jul. 15, 2024

    USFS Silver Fork Dispersed

    Overnight stay

    We recently spent a night at this campsite and found it to be perfect for a quick overnight getaway. The area is spacious and conveniently located not too far off the main road, making it easy to access without feeling too isolated.

    There are plenty of sites to choose from, catering to different preferences. However, we recommend taking some time to survey the land before setting up camp, as some spots are slightly sloped.

    A huge plus is the gas station just about 5 minutes down the road. It’s well-stocked with all the convenient store items you might have forgotten at home, making it easy to grab any last-minute necessities.

    Overall, it was a delightful stay. Just remember, always practice Leave No Trace principles—pack out what you pack in!

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 21, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Burnside lake

    We went just up the road into the wildlife reserve and drove all the way up to burnside lake. Beautiful. Definitely need 4x4 and the road is super bumpy. We had a great spot that looked over the mountains. Would definitely come back. Lots of places to choose from along the way to the lake.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Luther Pass Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 21, 2024

    Luther Pass Dispersed Camping

    Good in a pinch

    This place is beautiful but it’s a designated free camp ground and has minimal spots on one side. The other side was so jammed full. We ended up squeezing in a parking space and asked the ranger for permission to use our pop up there (she was super nice about it). Trash, fire pits, bathrooms are all available there. Single lane road getting in to it was a little harry with other cars. Decent place if you need a safe space to rest.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 21, 2024

    Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping

    It was okay

    Pretty easy to get to and lots of spaces for dispersed sites. There was trash EVERYWHERE. Broken glass, toilet trash, bottles and cans, we were really disappointed. We found a spot pretty hidden which was rad but someone was shooting litteraly all night long which was frustrating. We probably won’t come back.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
    Jun. 21, 2024

    USFS Silver Fork Dispersed

    Great spot

    Not sure if my wife and I found the right spot or went far enough, but we found a great spot about 4 miles before silver fork camp ground. Nice and flat, right next to the stream, already had some stones for a fire ring. Easy road to get out there.

  • Susan L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 17, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    What a beautiful place for our 40 ft 5th wheel

    We are new to dispersed camping and have a 40 ft 5th wheel as well as a GMC Denali 350 dually. We need a large space to fit into. We arrived on a Monday at noon and found that the large area about 1/4 mile in was not at all crowded. We had our choice of several places to set up. It is very quiet here, not hearing any road noise. A forest ranger told us there were more spaces up near the lake, but we didn’t venture up there.

  • Jr A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
    Jun. 9, 2024

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Easy access and lots of spots

    You follow a dirt road and have camping spots along the road. When I was here it was jammed packed RV, vans and tents all set up along the road. To me it was good for a an overnight stay. No At&t service what so ever. Little highway noise.



Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Bear Valley, CA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Bear Valley, CA is Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping with a 3.9-star rating from 14 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Bear Valley, CA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 29 dispersed camping locations near Bear Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.