Best Glamping near Benton, CA

Recent Glamping Reviews near Benton, California

187 Reviews of 31 Benton Campgrounds

• 

  Rachel W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2020

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Sleep with the Cows

  Camped in August. Busy little spot for dispersed camping. Tents and vans were there. Views on one side are mountains. Views on the other are rolling fields / foothills with lots of cutie vocal Moo Moos and Alkali Lake! You can see other hot springs in the distance. No shade. Lots of flies and red ants. Found this spot just driving side roads off of Benton Crossing Rd which is off the 395. Amazing sunsets and sunrises. The crab cooker hot spring was a little confusing to find. Once you find it... it’s TINY. 3 people comfortably. And HOT HOT HOTTTT!

• 

  Roberto R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2016

  Tuolumne Meadows Campground — Yosemite National Park

  Tuolumne

  Tuolumne Meadows Campground is located in Yosemite National Park in the Central California's Sierra Nevada Mountain. Its elevation at 8000 plus feet gives you the chance to see beautiful scenery.

• J

  Jeffrey T.

  Traveler

  

  May. 5, 2021

  Mammoth Mountain RV Park & Campground

  Would have been better w/o the wildfires.

  The staff/owners were awesome even in a semi-crisis. This was during the California wildfires. I would recommend this RV park/campground they have ample space for both. Every site has a bear box. The one night I stayed there were at least 2-3 bear incursions into the grounds.

• 

  Kevin H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2020

  Mono Vista RV Park

  Nice place to spend a few nights

  We stayed here for four nights.  Originally only booked two, but because of the recent fires in the Sierra Mountains, many people had cancelled and the park wasn't very full.  So we added two more nights.  Very cute little town of Lee Vining along Highway 395 in California.  Our views of the mountains and Mono Lake were a bit obscured by the wildfire smoke drifting through the area as it was in much of the west at this time. But we could tell that without the smoke, the views would be awesome.  The spaces are bit close together, but nice lawns and facilities.  Walk to grocery store, Mono Cone burger joint, sporting goods/hardware store, etc.

• 

  Hannah V.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 1, 2018

  Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

  Hike in is Worth It

  Thousand Island Lake is a trek to get to but once you get there, well you don’t really want to leave. This view is absolutely beautiful, and it changes rapidly with the rising and setting sun so make you have your camera ready for it. This is completely back country so you gotta pack it all in. There are some rules you have to follow while camping at this lake, 30 feet off of the trail and then another 100 feet away from the water. This can be hard to do as your camp may be on a slant or in the wide open, however you have plenty of space to choose from at this location. There is another rule about camping past a certain peninsula but from everyone we talked to they had no idea which peninsula the map was actually referring to, so you just walk past a couple of them and hope you’re in the right spot. The water is very cold but still feels great after a long hike all day.

  There are multiple routes to getting to this lake, you can come. The John Muir trail and the PCT lead to this location, also Mammoth California has a trail that leads here as well. We even encountered mule train options on our way in if you prefer that type of transportation. But this is definitely somewhere you want to visit.

• 

  Erin M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 31, 2018

  Twin Lakes Campground

  Absolutely Fantastic Family Camping

  Twin lakes is Located in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains near the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Upper and lower twin lakes are a fantasic place to set up base camp and explore the sierras. This Review is specific to the lower loop which is on the east side of the lake just past the tamarack lodge and store. The store (open 7-7) offered a variety of amenities from clothes to souvenirs. Also available at the store were showers ($6 per person and from 7am to 6pm) and boat rentals($20 per hour) . The restrooms had sinks and flushing toilets that were immaculate!We had an awful bear Problem during our visit with other campers not securing their food in the provided bear boxes but other than that we had a truly enjoyable time! The Campsites are very spacious and shaded. The amount of shade in the campground did keep things on the cooler side all day. There is Plenty to do in the area from a lengthy bike path that covers the entire lake basin to the numerous hiking trails that cover the mountain sides. You’ll want to make sure you check out the visitor center as you come into town for a fascinating history lesson and tips to make the most of your trip! Mammoth mountain itself offers a variety of entertainment during the summer from concert series in the village to zip lining across the mountain. You’ll want to head to Main Lodge for any ticket purchases for mammoth mountain activities. In my pictures you’ll find the transit schedule for the free trolly that runs up around the lake basin and throughout the town of Mammoth along with a map of the campground!

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 7, 2018

  Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

  Solitude, Splendor, Serenity!

  Thousand Island Lake is a backcountry camping area located at 9,839 feet elevation in Ansel Adams Wilderness within the Inyo National Forest, California.

  If you desire 360 degree mountain beauty, a cool lake to fish, float, swim or reflect by, epic sunrises and sunsets, star-filled night skies...or just desire the unearthly quiet of being unplugged and being a speck in rugged vastness...this is for you!

  This incredible dispersed backcountry camping area must:

  1. Be hiked into
  2. Possess a permit
  3. Use approved bear canisters
  4. Leave No Trace

  There are a few methods of getting to Thousand Island Lake...all involve backpacks and hiking. First, if you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will at some point of your journey reach Thousand Island Lake. Second, if you are hiking the John Muir Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will reach Thousand Island Lake during your journey. Third, you can choose a beautifully scenic 14.3 mile out and back from Mammoth, CA...the shortest of the three options. Fourth, there are horseback/mule train options.

  We happened to reach Thousand Island Lake as part of our August 2018 SOBO John Muir Trail attempt.

  Choosing to hike in by any of the options takes planning and preparation. This is beautiful country, but it is also rough and unforgiving. The trails are wonderfully cared for, but not groomed and flat...know this and adequately prepare.

  Every hiking/camping group must possess a permit, which for a short hike directly into Thousand Island Lake is secured through the Inyo National Forest office. PCT and JMT permits are primarily lottery based (although several walk-in permits are granted each day on site...but that's a gamble).Inyo National Forest website page states: "Groups cannot be larger than 15 people (includes day use). Quota of 30 people permitted to start overnight trips each day from May 1 to November 1."

  This is active black bear country, so you must use approved bear canisters for food and odoriferous items (toothpaste, soap, lip balm, insect repellent, etc). Stiff fines by rangers (and they do backcountry patrols) await if you foolishly ignore this law...worse yet, you might receive a catastrophic visit from Yogi or Boo-Boo. We did not see any bear or evidence of their presence but I’m sure they saw us.

  Leave No Trace...pack it in...pack it out. Yes, that means everything. Know the rules and abide by them. Nothing more distasteful and damaging to pristine wilderness are those that believe they are the exception to this rule and leave trash...worse, waste and TP dotting the landscape. Unfortunately, I found myself burying selfish stranger's waste. So bring a small shovel (www.tentlab) and a Ziploc freezer baggie to pack out your TP.

  There is signage at Thousand Island Lake advising where to camp, which is far away from the main JMT trail. Again, abide by the rules and camp at least 40 feet away from the trail and 100 feet from the lake. Read and obey the list of rules on the website.

  We camped on the northwest area of the Lake. Numerous hikers were there, some groups that hiked in for a day or two, others were thru-hikers. I enjoy the "community" of backcountry backpacker's. Day hikers can bring "Fido."

  It is unnecessary to pack in hordes of water, as there seems to be streams and lakes aplenty. I'd recommend a reliable water filter or boiling the water to ensure a parasite free thirst quencher. We used a simple Sawyer Squeeze, which was both lightweight and effective.

  Once camp is set, hike around the trails of this pristine wilderness and soak it all in...or just pull out your sleeping pad and relax.

  I have read and been admonished to use 100% DEET for the mosquitoes on the JMT...particularly June-July, and though prepared, we experienced none in mid-August, nor at this elevation. The elevation should not be bothersome healthwise, as it is not above 10,000 ft. As Floridian Flatlanders, we had no adverse altitude maladies...other than being out of breath while climbing passes. June and early July hikers may experience snow at this elevation depending on the winter accumulations.

  Several notable peaks shadow Thousand Island Lake, Banner Peak being one of them.

  For those securing a day hike permit, search out several websites/blogs for the best starting locations (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/thousand-island-lake-pct).

  If you are looking for the best bang for your buck in backcountry short trips, file this one away as a "must do!" There are others in the eastern Sierra Nevadas...but that's for another post.

• 

  Kuo G.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2017

  Tuff Campground

  A fun park-ish kinda camp

  actually just got back from this campsite, which is pretty well maintained. Has a good nature feel to it. Lots of greens surrounding the area. Good for groups.. if you get neighboring sites. all campers around here were very respectful. Although the camp host lady seemed to be having a bad day and was yellong at quite a bit of people including myself. So apparently the speedlimit is 10mph and is well posted infront of the camp entrance. There is also a little bright yellow stick figure of a kid with a cap holding a flag to the left the drive entering the campgrounds. As i entered the campsite in my car at 10mph, the camp host in her campsite, yelled at me to slow down, and hand aignaled me to slow down. Sure i did.. and moved along to my campsite. Apparently she felt i did not get the message. Down the drive way from her camp, we noticed her speeding down the roads through camp to our camp to talk to us about the speed. Long story short it ended friendly.. and she got back in her golf cart and sped away at a good 20mph, while yelling at a couple of 10 year olds to stop fishing in the creek next to campgrounds in the dark. And the camp hosts says she has a really really good eye for judging speed of vehicles coming through the campsites. Also, your not suppose to fish in the dark. We also learned that the smell of our vanilla scented candles that was left in the vault toilet restroom makes her puke. So she removed the candles from the vaulted toilets next to our site. The campgrounds itself was nice. Campgrounds 14, 15, 16. Just past the drive is a nicely flowing riverish creek. It was about thigh deep and comfortably chilly. Greatfor fishing. We caught a total of about 6 trouts in one day. The near by lake crowely has some amazing formations. The lake was about 20 minutes away from camp via 4x4. Excellent campgrounds, the camp host, I'm pretty sure is a nice person.

• 

  Berton M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 10, 2020

  Tuff Campground

  Hidden 100yrds from US Route 395

  Tuffs is a great little campground located about 200 yards from Route 395. It's located in a small ravine so you don't hear any traffic noise. There are a variety of spot that include non-shade and shaded. The best feature of the park is the little stream that runs thru it. I saw a few people fishing but don't know if there's any fish in it. Tuffs makes a great stop over on your way to Lake Tahoe or Mammoth. Lake Crowley is also a few miles up the road. 

  Water is available along with pit toilets. There are no showers. Firewood is available for $7.

  Cell: Good AT&T

  Sprint: Roaming

• J

  Jayson S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 24, 2021

  Tuff Campground

  Great scenery, Good location

  Very serene bare bones campground. Good location right off the highway, great for a stopover. Has a creek that runs along the campground. Great cell service and toilets available. No hookups

• 

  Marcia M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 25, 2021

  Tuff Campground

  Love it here

  Right by the creek with nice trails along it and if you’re brave a little rock scrambling you can go upward. David the ground manager is the best and so helpful.

• 

  Nana N.

  Scout

  

  May. 31, 2022

  Tuff Campground

  Hidden Gem

  This is one of those campsites I keep on the downlow because so many do not know about it. It has saved our butts during last minute trips. Came this memorial and everywhere was full on a Tuesday, but not here.

  Right between bishop and mammoth, perfect little base camp. In a little gorge type area so it blocks some of the wind and right next to a creek which sometimes has small trout and hiking trails. Host is very friendly, if it is the older gentlemen, he’s been around the forest for a while so if you’re new to stuff feel free to ask him and I’m sure he would love to help you. He is very nice and friendly.

• 

  Candice M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 19, 2022

  Tuff Campground

  Short getaway

  Really enjoyed this campsite, it’s near rock creek lake, Crowley lake and mammoth. I stayed in site # 27 which was in the back corner. There’s a creek ( lower rock creek) that runs through the campground. Some people were fishing and we took a small hike on the rock formals east of the creek. It was quiet however it’s near the highway so you do hear the occasional traffic that runs up the 395. The camp host seemed nice but I didn’t really talk to him much. They do have pit toilets but we’re really clean.

• I

  Issac V.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 20, 2022

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Absolute bliss

  Decided to camp out for a couple days after work, didn’t get there til 3am and apparently missed a huge rainstorm by a couple hours. Needless to say we had the hot springs to ourselves the majority of the trip, parking at the edge of the dirt road with only one other car in sight , which I was told was super lucky. Woke up to the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my life. The moon was bright but still being able to sit back and watch the stars in a hot spring in the middle of the night was unreal. Not to mention the friendly cows who came to say hello and decided to hang out.

• A

  Amanda

  Traveler

  

  May. 22, 2021

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Beautiful Spot

  The sunrise was absolutely stunning!

• 

  Alyssa L.

  Guide

  

  May. 22, 2021

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Great vibes, great views

  Super cool spot. We set up our tents with a view of the hot springs. The hot spring was kind of broken when we were there so that was a bummer, but you could hike out to the slightly muddy creek for some hot water. Beautiful area, and hopefully the other guys staying there fixed the hot spring by now, they were working on it:)

• 

  Dana W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 26, 2021

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Great spot!

  I camped here in October and there was only a small handful of people here. Nice open area with views of the mountains. Watch out if it's windy because there isn't much covering.

• C

  Cindy L.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 30, 2024

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Great spot

  We didn’t want to take our camper and trailer combo down the side road to the hot springs but it was only a short bike ride.  We camped in a wide spot on the road, but only 2 cars went by.  It was late March and we woke up to snow. There are many nooks to camp in, but some of the side roads are narrow and rutted.

• 

  Carrie

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2023

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Easy to find

  Was able to easily find this spot using directions from this app. We came on Labor Day weekend, Sunday and easily found a spot. It was right off the main road so not the best spot but it was perfect for the night. The hot spring was awesome and so many stars at night!

• 

  Thomas K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Hot spring with Mountain View’s!

  Rocking road coming in but worth it for the view. About 8 spots at the end of the dirt road. Only one bar of service. It would be hard to access with anything thing over 22ft.

• 

  Thomas K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2020

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Private hotspring with mountain views

  4x4 or high clearance coming in. Long dirt road with dips and rocks. Water only flowing in winter months. Lots of tent camping spots along with 8 back in spots. Really amazing views 360 degrees. No service with Verizon.

• 

  Tucker B.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 16, 2021

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Super Cool, But Too Hot To Handle!

  Got here early in the afternoon to find a group of friendly folks repairing the pipe that fills the man-made tub.

  Apparently it had recently broken and caused the pool to cool down so much that it was growing all sort of funky stuff.

  They repaired the pipe and cleaned up the pool, but informed me it would need at least one overnight cycle to cool off enough to be enjoyable.

  Sure enough, I went down and could barely leave my fingers in for much more than five seconds.

  So, I gave it a quick stir (see video) and moved on over to Shepherd's Hot Spring just over the hill!

• A

  Alicia

  Guide

  

  Jun. 30, 2021

  Crab Cooker Hotsprings - Dispersed Camping

  Amazing views

  I went here solo camping with my dog in may 2021. Great little spot. Pretty busy on the weekends though. It was also crazy windy which I think cooled off the hot spring a bit.

• 

  Isaac R.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Crowley Lake RV Park

  Very quiet and peaceful

  Place was very quiet, very dark at night. The stars were amazing. Campsites were a lil small but very clean and maintained.

• K

  Keith S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2022

  Mammoth Mountain RV Park & Campground

  Location Location

  Great location but very pricey

• 

  Dan H.

  Guide

  

  May. 24, 2022

  Mammoth Mountain RV Park & Campground

  Good spot! Close to east end of Mammoth and plenty to do on-site!

  Stayed here for a week. Great spot for the family while I worked. Plenty for the kids and family to do and a great location close enough to bike/walk to most stores on the east end of town. 

  Our reservation said 50 amp partial hookups. But only the full-hookup sites have 50 amp. Partial hookups are 30amp with water, but the water access depends on the weather/season you're there in. We had to fill up with Fresh Water before we got to our site but it's in a convenient spot so not too big of a deal. 

  It is a parking lot but there was plenty of space for us and our SUV. Pool and Laundry Mat/Showers were close as well which made things nice. Starbucks is a short walk away too if that's your jam. 

  Great spot just make sure to call so there's no surprises with water/hookups etc. 

  Amenities: Pool & Jacuzzi / Laundry Mat / Showers & Bathrooms / Dump Station / Playground.

• B

  Bruce S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 3, 2020

  Mammoth Mountain RV Park & Campground

  Good place to stay

  Helpful staff, find a spot under trees, nice proximity to lots of activities and scenic highlights ... left our surge protector and they called us within 20 minutes to let us know.