Best Tent Camping near Bishop, 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.

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.

Wonderful campground with gorgeous views that won’t disappoint! Plenty of shade and spacious camp sites. Restrooms and water were also available. You can also purchase firewood from the camp host. I had no cell phone service in the Reds meadow valley. There is plenty to do in the area with hikes to the Devils postpile which is a National Monument, and Rainbow falls. You can see them both on a 4 mile loop that leaves from the postpile parking lot. There is also river access In the campground for great fishing. You will need to purchase an adventure pass on your way into the valley either from the mammoth mountain adventure center or the guard station upon entering the park for 10$. Take plenty of water on your hikes and remember to leave no trace on trails. Also remember to properly store food in the provided bear boxes this is very active bear country!

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.

Beautiful small campground at the foot of the mountains, easily accessed from the small town of Independence and about 45 min drive north to Bishop.  

Campground is currently open (March), but in winter operation mode. No water, no host, no firewood, and no fees.  Campground open date is April 25, not sure when winter season starts. Price is $25 when open.

There are toilets but they are closed at this time and there are porta potties instead.

There are trash bins that are unlocked, but the website says that there is no trash service during the winter season so be prepared to pack out your trash if needed.

Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring, and a bear box. Some sites have a cool rock oven/stove.  Each site has a unique configuration, some being more private and surrounded by brush, and some more out in the open.

A really nice small creek runs behind the campground.

We arrived on a Monday in late March and had the entire place to ourselves for a night.  The next day several other campers showed up.

Cell service is very iffy, especially for Verizon and T-Mobile. AT&T mostly had 1-2 bars of 4G.  However, just a few miles down the road on the way to Independence there is excellent service from all carriers. 

Really nice campground. $25 seems a bit high but this would be a great place to stay while exploring the surrounding mountains.