Looking for the best Big Creek dispersed camping? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your California excursion.
Dispersed Camping is allowed in the National Forest except in the area surrounding Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Bass Lake, Redinger Lake, and the Merced River Canyon. Campfire permits are required at all times whenever you plan to have a fire on public land outside of a developed campground. When building a fire please remember to only pick up down and dead wood that is no larger than wrist size and to never leave a campfire unattended.
You can obtain a campfire permit at any Forest office or online at http://www.prevetnwildfireca.org/. Be sure to check and see if campfire restrictions are in effect, when campfire restrictions are in place you will not be able to make a fire in dispersed camping areas (Developed Designated Campgrounds Only) but, you will be able to operate gas stoves, and lanterns with your permit.
When camping in the Forest proper food storage is also required either using a bear box, or by the proper use of the counter balance method. While camping anywhere in the forest also keep in mind that there are other people in the forest and we advise you to respect them and their space.
You may stay at one campsite for a limit of 14 days and you may stay on each district for a limit of 21 days before we will ask you to vacate. Please follow ENVUM maps for all designated roads and vehicle limitations.
We ask you to always remember to pack out what you pack in. Human waste needs to be buried 6 to 8 inches deep. For any other questions about visiting and camping in the forest and in the wilderness please visit LeaveNoTrace.org.
Regulations governing campfires can change with weather conditions and the seasons. To protect yourself and the forest, before each visit, check with the Forest Service office nearest to your destination for current restrictions.
You can help protect the National Forests from wildfires by knowing and following the rules for the safe use of fire. You must have a California Campfire Permit to use a stove or lantern outside a Developed Recreation Area such as a campground. The permit is your agreement to follow restrictions and regulations in effect.
Your California Campfire Permit is valid until the end of the calendar year; it may be used in any National Forest in California.
Go to any Forest Service, CALFIRE, or Bureau of Land Management office during business hours and a receptionist will issue you a permit. You may also go to this website to get a campfire permit online (please note you will need a printer to print it off).
Campfires - Campfires when permitted, you need to follow five conditions:
Campfire Permits are required. Clear all flammable material away from the fire for a minimum of five feet in all directions to prevent escape of the fire. Have a shovel available at the campfire site for preparing and extinguishing campfires. Have a responsible person in attendance at all times. Extinguish campfire with water, using the drown, stir and feel method. Take Responsibility... It is your responsibility to know the current conditions and restrictions for the area you intend to visit.
Details here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/recreation/ohv/?cid=stelprdb5362150
The 10,500-acre Jennie Lakes Wilderness is a lovely mixture of lakes, meadows, forests, and streams. Mostly above 7,000 feet in elevation, this wilderness contains scenic variations of alpine and sub-alpine forest of White & Red Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Western White Pine, Jeffrey & Ponderosa Pine, with an abundance of wildflowers in the Spring and Summer. The summit of Mitchell Peak is the highest point at 10,365 feet. Four trailheads access 26 miles of trails within the wilderness. Several of these trails also connect to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's enormous backcountry.
Located near Mammoth Lakes, Crab Cooker Hot Springs is one of several hot water springs in the area that are suitable for soaking in. The pool consists of a manmade cement tub with water piped in from a mineral spring about 30 feet away. Though the water at the source is too hot to bathe in, or even to touch, the tub has been outfitted with a valve that allows for the control of hot water.
Crab cooker is located on land that is owned by the LA Department of Water and Power, which forbids camping. However, camping is permitted on nearby public land.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no services, such as trash removal, tables, or toilets. There are extra responsibilites and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
Most of the land in Inyo and Mono counties is publicly owned. Dispersed camping (camping outside of designated campgrounds) is allowed throughout much of the area. If you plan to backpack into a wilderness area to camp, you will need a wilderness permit, issued at Inyo National Forest visitor centers. If you wish to camp outside of developed campgrounds/sites, there are a few things you need to know:
Land Ownership: The three major land-owning agencies in the Eastern Sierra are the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the City of Los Angeles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most Forest Service and BLM land. However, camping is prohibited on land owned by the City of Los Angeles.
Maps: Anyone planning a dispersed camping trip should invest in a copy of the Inyo National Forest map, which depicts land ownership as well as roads, streams, trails and other features. The map also shows “restricted use areas” where dispersed camping is not allowed.
Restricted Use Areas: Certain high-use recreation zones, including those along paved roads leading into the mountains, are not open to dispersed camping (see Inyo National Forest map). Dispersed camping is not allowed in the following areas: Horseshoe Meadow, Onion Valley, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek, Rock Creek, McGee Creek, Convict Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Reds Meadow Valley, June Lakes Loop, Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and any research area.
Owens River: All land along the Owens River is owned by the City of Los Angeles, and is closed to camping.
Length of Stay: On Inyo National Forest land, you may camp up to 28 days per six months on any one ranger district (there are 4 ranger districts on the Inyo –Mt. Whitney, White Mountain, Mammoth, and Mono Lake). Always check with your local ranger station.
Locating a Dispersed Campsite: Look for an area at the end of a spur road or a pullout that is clear of vegetation and has a hard, compacted surface. These sites might have a primitive fire ring. Stay on established roadways; do not drive off-road to camp. Try to select a campsite at least 100 feet from lakes and streams.
Campfires and Fire Permits: If you plan to build a campfire or use a barbeque or camp stove, you must obtain a campfire permit from a Forest Service, BLM, or CalFire office. You must have a shovel and a container of water (for drowning the fire). Clear an area least 5 feet wide all the way around your fire ring down to mineral soil. During times of high fire danger, camp fires are prohibited; always check with the local fire office or ranger station for fire restrictions.
Tips and rules on dispersed camping: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sequoia/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd883625
Dispersed camping is camping outside of a designated campground. It is allowed in many areas of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
There are certain areas where dispersed camping is prohibited and these areas are posted.
Dispersed camping is free but you must have a CAMPFIRE PERMIT. These can be obtained fore free at Readyforwildfire.org. Be aware of fire restrictions, typically enforced by mid-summer, banning open fires outside of designated campgrounds. More on campfire rules here.
The maximum length of time you may camp in dispersed areas is 14 DAYS at a time and 30 DAYS in a year.
Each year the number of people taking advantage of dispersed recreation opportunities has increased, making it more essential that these areas be left clean and undamaged.
The following acts are PROHIBITED on the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument and are subject to a fine:
Driving off designated roads inside the Monument.
Leaving campfire unattended.
Leaving trash buried, stashed or left in campfire ring. Abandoning or leaving personal property. PACK IT IN-PACK IT OUT.
Cutting or otherwise damaging trees for use as a lean-to or a horse corral. Do not leave anything tied to trees.
Destruction of government property such as signs, posters, gates, etc.
Removing forest products without a permit.
Discharging any firearm within 150 yards of any building, occupied area, across forest development roads, or body of water
Here are some tips to appropriate dispersed camping: More information on dispersed camping here.
Protect standing trees from nails and scars from axes, knives and hatchets. Use only dead and down trees for firewood.
Bury human waste at least six inches deep and 200 feet from any waterway or trail. DO NOT bury toilet paper–PACK IT OUT
Wash at least 200 feet away from any water source using biodegradable soap.
Set up camp more than 200 feet from any waterway or trail.
Take a litterbag to carry out all refuse. Do not leave trash in fire rings. Do not bury trash.
A campfire permits is required to have a campfire, charcoal barbeque, or camp stove. Use existig fire grates or fire rings. Gather only dead and down firewood. Firewood may not be transported off of the Forest without a permit.
Avoid leveling or digging trenches around tents. Place tent on bare ground and not on vegetation.
Protect your food from the bears and other animals. Keep your food and anything with a scent stored in an airtight container in your car truck. If your vehicle has no truck, put everything on the floor, cover it well and close the windows. Always, Keep a clean campsite.
LEAVE YOUR CAMPSITE BETTER THAN WHEN YOU ARRIVED!
Mammoth Lakes Ranger District is located in the northern half of Inyo National Forest, and is centered around the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA. While known for winter sports, it is also a mecca for mountain biking and fishing enthusiasts when the snow melts. Hiking and equestrian trails go into wilderness areas of Sierra Nevada.
Guide
We arrived just before dark, it’s quite a small site. Room for 4 vans max, ideal for 3. We used to chocks to level up as it’s pretty uneven in parts. But a great nights sleep, we had the place to ourselves
Guide
We arrived in the dark and met one vehicle who was coming down. We were lucky there was enough room to pass plus in the dark you can see what’s coming as other reviews mention, the road in is narrow in parts and around 1 mile before you get to the camp ground. We had the place to ourselves in our campervan, there was room for a few more vehicles. Great views coming down in the morning
Guide
Quite a large level area, though it was November and not peak season so there were loads of space. We pulled in and there were a couple of trailers with horses and a couple of other vehicles and we parked with loads of space between. When we left early in the morning a handful more of vehicles had joined.
Traveler
I visited both parks and needed a place to sleep in my car, I had seen this spot on this site before so I looked and found it, it’s a dirt road but my matrix did fine driving through. Very close to the Chicago stump! Lots of wood laying around also.
Scout
I was expecting bad conditions because of the previous comments but it was actually a good surprise. It's very close to the entrance of Yosemite, in our case it was very quiet and well isolated. There is no view or wow effect but it's great location and isolated.
Scout
Pulled in here since the sun was setting and we wouldn’t make it to lone pine. Nice off road trail with some scattered sites.
TravelerThis is more of an ATV spot, I arrived on a Sunday evening and the ATV people were set up and essentially taking up most of the spots meant for camping. They were using the many many trails meant for ATVs before I arrived and, when I parked a decent distance away from where they were set up, they opted to ride circles around my RV throwing dust everywhere and revving their engines (likely an attempt to run me off). The open space at the top of the hill where the restrooms are is meant for camping, I would NOT ADVISE taking any of the other roads as they are steep, uneven, and you will struggle to turn around.
There’s one spot at the entrance good for camping (away from most of the ATV action) but it is taken up by a permanent boondocker.
Guide
This is a really nice area for camping on the side of the road here, but we only could've squeezed our 39ft Class A into maybe 2 of these spots. Usually when a dispersed site is marked Big Rig Friendly, we'll find that there is a large paved or gravel area for us to pull into and setup before you get to dirt road or off-road sites. There is a large paved area at this location, but we received a warning citation the next day, stating that we weren't allowed to camp there. It's confusing because this is the exact same setup as any other "snow play" or "sno-park" areas that have allowed camping in the gravel or paved areas area.
The paved area does have a couple of small stakes that say "no camping", but in our past dispersed camping experiences, those were used to mark areas where tents and vehicles couldn't pull off-road to camp. Apparently those stakes refer to the paved area in this case? There wasn't any reasoning provided on our citation, other than "find another area to camp."
Legend
This is our 3rd time staying here and we love it every time. There were only a few other campers here when we stayed the week before Christmas and there were plenty of spots open. Even when it’s busy, it seems like you can always find something. We love it here. So peaceful and absolutely quiet. Lots of rock climbers come in for the day and leave in the afternoon.
Something we hadn’t noticed before were all the goatheads, everywhere. Watch your dog’s paws.
Decent cell reception for ATT and Verizon, not great, but usable. Easy drive to Bishop for supplies, and the free dump & water fill at the Speedway at the other end of town is really nice.
The road in is fairly washboarded, but manageable. The road along the back side of the stone “wall” has gotten worse since we were here last. Parts of it are really rutted and washed out. Hopefully they are fixed at some point, not sure I’d feel comfortable driving our class c on it as it is now. Luckily there are plenty of spots out off the main road so we didn’t need to drive down that road this time.
Saw the rangers go by a couple of times during our 2 night stay here. One stopped and took notes and took a picture of our rig- glad to see that they’re tracking people and enforcing the 14 day limit!
TravelerQuiet place on dirt, not really levelled but fine for a night and easily accessible with any car.
Guide
Plenty of spots either in this area or the one down the road. If you work remote keep searching and you’ll find a spot where starlink isn’t blocked by trees.
10 minutes from town. About 25 minutes the famous mobil gas station. They sure did treat us good. Expensive gas but 2 water spigots, easy to access bathrooms and delicious meatloaf
Travelerthis site has limited turnarounds and would be challenging for motor homes over 24 feet and or trailers. Road is doable with a car but the grade sucks. Surface changes to sand half a mile from the springs, would be a risk for heavy vehicles when wet
TravelerThe road is maintained but requires high clearance.
There are many sites on the way in and then 5 or 6 once at obsidian meadows trail head.
A few rock fire rings, but cannot be used when we were there.
Good AT&T and T-Mobile coverage
Traveler
Great option, plenty options a dirt road
TravelerWhile the road to get up there is a bit nerve wracking (hoping no one comes around those corners the other direction!) It's worth taking it slow and steady. We were the only ones there and enjoyed a very peaceful night bathed in moonlight and the sounds of nature. Great place!
TravelerWe got there at 5pm on a Sunday. Went all the way to the back and In my opinion got the best spot. We had plenty of trees around us for privacy and shade. Highly recommend if you’re trying to camp close to Yosemite without a reservation. Only downside were the mosquitoes were on another level. They turned off once it got dark though.
TravelerNice flat spots along the Scenic Bypass road (not just where the map says). More secluded spots up the hill. The dirt hill road is fairly decent, but no medium+ to large rigs.
5 minutes into Mammoth town. 30 mins to Route 120 west turn, that takes you into Yosemite (tioga pass). I enjoyed a week's stay here. Negatives? Poor and spotty cell. A lot of airborne dirt when dirtbikes, and ATV's are active on weekends.
I would return to this enjoyable spot.
Guide
Booked a last minute permit for the Pohono trail on a recent trip and had Dewey Point as one of my camp sites! Beautiful views of el cap and the valley made for an iconic back country spot !
ScoutEasy to find if you turn on that road leading to Chicago stump. Keep driving down and you’ll see dispersed camping spots. Beautiful views, quiet, peaceful & there are some fire rings already built.
GuideNice spot off the road . Most have fire pits . I found a spot with good sun for my solar panels.
GuideA quiet, large space for setting up.
GuideThis spot is great, right outside the YNP, but the mosquitos will suck ever last drop of blood out of you! This was the very back spot but also a quiet spot.
GuideGot there late at night, around midnight. Had to find a spot but very quiet. Will stay there again!
GuideThis is a good location right near the south entrance of the park, but still about an hour from the valley. It was a little crowded and pretty bumpy road to get into the sites. But it worked well for staying for the night.
TravelerGREAT SPOT. so so close to the mountain. If you want to real dispersed camping you kind of just have to drive off the road there are some obvious adjacent roads to sites and also some not so obvious clearing that people just literally drive off the road into. If you are just looking to spend the night close the resort for parking you are not alone and will probably see everyone parked along the road on the side. Everyone gets up at 5:30 and drives to mountain and goes back to sleep. Great spot so beautiful. Drive the west half of the scenic loop road and keep an eye out. Day light helps for finding road turnoffs !
Traveler
super accessible spot right by the entrance (10 min drive max) to yosemite np !! not sure why some of these reviews are complicated lol but just go up mount raymond road like the directions tell you to then once you get to the end i just went to the turn out on the right ! super lowkey, fire pits, and beautiful scenery 🌱
ScoutVery good spot to camp, there were plenty of spots and most had rings. There was also a bathroom so that was nice. Right off of the main road that goes throughout the whole park
Dispersed camping near Big Creek, California, offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the freedom of camping away from traditional sites. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for adventurers seeking solitude and beauty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Big Creek, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Big Creek, CA is Goat Meadow - Dispersed Camp Site with a 4.4-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Big Creek, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 60 dispersed camping locations near Big Creek, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
