Best Tent Camping near Big Pine, CA

I stayed here May 10-12th with my two dogs. I chose a site right along the creek which was wonderful to fall asleep to the sounds of rushing water. Many sites are quite spacious and offer a sandy area for tent set up. Most sites have a picnic table, fire pit, & metal bear box for food storage. Vault toilet available that were surprisingly clean. Camp host was friendly and had firewood on site available for purchase for $8/bundle. The website lists nightly rate as $21/night but when I arrived the sign had been updated to $23/night. This was the perfect basecamp for some day hikes up Big Pine Creek Trail to some beautiful blue lakes.

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.

There are two types of campsites at Upper Sage Flat. The first are lovely shaded sites with the rear of the site adjacent to Big Pine Creek. They have tree cover but are really open to the neighboring sites. Honestly, would have thought they were pretty great if we hadn't stayed at nearby Big Pine Creek Campground (check it out).

The second are the sites on the roadside and they are HOT AS BLAZES. There is almost no shade and they are basically just dirt/sand/rock pads. It's like being in an entirely different campground. Strongly recommend using Google Earth to check the site you're reserving (or first come, first serve if at (lower) Sage Flat campground.

If you're in the river side sites you'll love it. There is a bridge over the river that leads to a trail heading north to the Big Pine Creek Trailhead. You can also walk up the road but the trail is a more interesting option. Plus, it is the narrowest part of the trail you'll run for about 5 miles. That's a good thing because if you make it that first 1/2 mile you'll be fine the rest of the way when it opens up into some pretty incredible trail after passing through Big Pine Creek Campground and Glacier Lodge Cabins & RV park.

Decent pit bathrooms but right in the sun all day so much nicer in the mornings than evenings as far as flies and smell go. Bear boxes, fire pits and picnic tables. ***So basically a 4 if you have river side and a 2 if not. Maybe a 1. Location alone is worth 2. Yep. At least that. But really, try to stay by the river.

This campground seems more fitted to those using campers more so than those tent camping.

I saw very few tent campers and the RV's and tow behind campers were the majority here.

I managed to grab a decent site, I think it was 36.  Tucked in a wooded area not far from the restrooms.  Which are flush toilets and running water.  Clean and well maintained.

Site was a bit muddy and wasn't that easy to find a level spot for a tent.  A bit of garbage was left on site and trash in the bear box.  All sites have a picnic table, fire ring and bear box.

Noise level was higher than I prefer but then again if I'm not just hearing nature, it's too loud for me.

Pretty lakes, waterfalls and a nice area to venture around.

Traffic in Mammoth can get pretty busy.

Great location, centrally located for exploring both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

Nicely shaded spots and the higher elevation is nice for cooler nights during the hot summer months.

Great views of the sunset from the back of the campground.

Grant Grove Village is very close by with market and restaurant.

We stayed in site 32 which was probably the worst spot in the campground. Very hilly spot with one flat spot for a tent right next to neighbors picnic table and fire pit. Both 32 & 34 are tent only spots and right on top of each other. The other sites nearby were much more flat and looked much nicer.

This was a beautiful campground. The only thing negative I could say about this campground is that a lot of the campsites are very close to each other. But if you choose wisely, as my friend and I did, then I have no complaints. Surrounded by trees and wildlife, we were visited by deer and entertained by a family of quails as we sat around our fire. Our campsite had a fire ring with a grill, two picnic tables and a bear box. The restrooms, which had flush toilets, were clean and well maintained. There was potable water near our campsite and an additional bear box was nearby if needed. There were also trash bins, including separate waste bins for recycling glass and plastics nearby. There was no cell reception in the campground but there was a pay phone next to the ranger station where you check into camp. Though I do not know if it was in working condition so I would not rely on it. If you were planning on hiking to some of the less traveled spots in the park, this campground was nice because there were several trails that you could access from within the campground.

On our way from Reno to Vegas we drove into a serious thunderstorm, so while we weren’t planning to stop, we were thrilled to find this campground when we did! Close off the Highway and very close (~2 miles) from grocery, gas etc. in town, yet feels secluded and is very quiet. Clean vault toilets. Picnic table, water spigot, fire ring, BBQ pit and bear box at each site. Despite the rain we were happy to find a covered, honor-system firewood stack ($7 in the bucket) so we could still have a fire. Great spot for getting up and heading to hike at the many awesome trails surrounding. Lots of people had their OHVs along too- must be good trails for that too! Gotta pay on rec.gov.. no cash ranger box.