Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Eastman Lake

With a pool, petting zoo, a corral where they have a fire and s'mores followed by a movie, this is a great place to camp with the kids.

The showers are free and usually clean although on Saturday evening the campground was full and the bathrooms were dirty and out of TP.

There are tent sites, RV sites and cabins so something for everyone.

There were A LOT of stray cats on the property which kind of drove our dog crazy. But at least the campground is pet friendly.

If you plan to go into Yosemite NP, it's a long drive so plan accordingly. Our family really enjoys Rainbow Pools and Yosemite Pine's proximity to Rainbow Pools is part of why we stay here. The kids can jump and swim there and that's all they really want to do anyway so being close to that is key for us. So many of the places in the park where we used to get in the water do not allow swimming anymore.

Beautiful overall, great access to many back country inlets and lakes. A wonderful place to witness one of the many Yosemite thunder and lighting storms. If you can leave your pet at home you will have a better time, the majority of lakes and trails in the Yosemite area do not allow dogs, some are leash restriction such as campsites. If you're heading up to lake Tenaya the pups can't go.

Absolutely loved it here minus them saying they’re were rats with diseases. Watch out with your pets. Otherwise it was an absolutely gorgeous place

FHU and Electric/water sites. Also has cabins, yurts, covered wagons you can rent. Has pool, playground and petting zoo. Well kept and easy to work with

Not even come here if you don’t have a boat or jet sky... Barely any places to hang out by the water... Not kids or pets friendly

The campground has nice views, but wow, what a scary drive up a curvy mountainous road to get to it. Most of the campground is clay dirt, so it's quite dusty and the RV spots are not paved. They had a pool, but it was filled with rowdy children so we didn't go in. The campground also has a pet wash we wanted to use, but it wasn't working. There is also a random petting zoo, and I felt bad for the animals because it was quite small. Their redeeming factor were the buses to Yosemite. Although it was over an hour each way, we were thankful to have them since we only had our RV.

2 adults and 1 kid in the basic cabin over Easter weekend a few years ago. We really enjoyed our stay and the property. Petting zoo animals were adorable. Nice location to Yosemite. Friendly interactions with staff.

Not located in the Yosemite Park (we made that mistake). 20-30min drive to Yosemite Park.

Very cute and quiet spot.

Trails around camp grounds, petting zoo for kids.

Tent, camper/rv, and cottage camping available.

Would recommend if you don’t mind a drive to get to the park.

Ferral cat problem!!! Dont leave anything out! Deer and cats get into everything! And cats pee on everything!

Sites are moderate sized with bear locker, picnic table and fire pit. Campground has flushing toilets, sinks. Campground is close to curry village where showers, pool, market and pizza are available. Campground is near happy isles, where the trailheads for vernal falls, Nevada falls and half dome begin. Great camping spot to see Yosemite valley! Also is pet friendly.

This camp ground is smaller relative to some of the other camping options in the area, but still well maintained. It is close to the road but still quiet. Each site has a table, fire ring, and a food storage locker. There are two vault toilets. Bring your own water. You cannot reserve sites ahead of time.

If you want to experience the Yosemite area with your dog, camping in the Inyo National Forest is a great option, because dogs are allowed to join you anywhere you go in the area, as long as they are leashed or well trained to verbal commands. Since the Yosemite NPS does not allow dogs on trails, these national forest campgrounds are a better pet-friendly alternative.

If you like fishing, there are great fishing spots at the nearby stream and lake.

Because this campground is actually a part of the national forest, you can stay here for up to two weeks, in addition to the two week maximum enforced for camping within the NPS limits. So in total you could can stay in "Yosemite" for a month by combining camping at this site (or other nearby national forest sites) with camping inside the park, which is why we stayed here for a long rock climbing trip.

Great option for bringing an RV to Yosemite. Calistoga Wagons were plenty warm as lows dipped into the 30s. Staff was very friendly. Cell service was non-existent - but such is life in the mountains. Resort had a surprisingly fun trail hike around the perimeter. Perfect for an outing with young kids. Petting farm was a big hit too with the kids.

Neat spot just outside Yosemite NP. The campground host was very nice and the cold stream nearby was perfect to cool down after hiking in the park.

A park tour bus stop was a mile south of the campground and can take you all through the park or drop you off and pick you up on the way back at the end of the day.

The camp sites were roomy with plenty of green and trees between sites.

Pet friendly.

On the east side of Yosemite Valley, it offers a convenient spot to rest after exploring and enjoying all the activities the area has to offer. Is crowded, but each spot is equipped with fire ring, food storage, picnic table, parking spot and flat, shaded spots for your tent.

Advantages: car camping, good for families, pets are allowed, bathroom and potable water nearby. Shuttle bus is pretty close too.

Disadvantages: Crowded, have to book a lot of time in advanced, distance between campsites is short.

Great first trip for us! 49er was quiet and well-maintained. The staff was very friendly! They met us at the office when we pulled up and helped us get to the site (#45), and back in. Several nice amenities on the site: gravel pads, full hookups, including sewer, cable, water and 30/50A service. Small picnic table. Since we have a smaller trailer, our site was pretty compact. Quiet hours 10p-8a.

The campground has a well-stocked market, a campfire circle (s’mores and stories every evening!), an activities/dining hall, and full bathroom/shower. Free gold-panning lessons on the site. The office has a good-sized bookshelf with plenty of good books and magazines. Pet walking area (lit at night). Cool ‘49 theme throughout the camp site.

Nearby attractions include Columbia state park, which is a preserved miners town, Moaning Caves SHP, Railtown, New Melones lake. We took a trip up to Twain Harte for a craft fair, then stopped at Sonora for shopping.

General: 27-site RV park plus eight-room motel. Restrooms and laundry facility. Pets are allowed and the WiFi signal was decent. 

Site Quality: All sites are gravel, back-in, and appeared level. A few in the rear of the park looked like they might be slightly skewed sideways. All are full hook-up, although we did not use the hookups. Our site (and several others) had nice birdhouses in the trees.

Bathhouse: Small but clean. Two stalls, one sink, and one shower. There is no additional cost to use the shower, but you are asked to keep it short to conserve water. 

Activities: Close to the turn-off to Bodie State Park and also the town of Bridgeport. There is a horseshoe pit and large campfire area which I imagine would be in use during the summers when the park is full. 

Be aware that you will hear road noise as this RV park is located on Highway 395, but it did quiet down later in the night. We normally do not stay in RV parks, but this was just an overnight for us and because there were only a few people there when we were there, our site felt more private. Becky, the owner, was very accommodating for our last-minute stay request.

We had the pleasure of staying with Jason and his family at the Shooting Star Sanctuary. Jason was kind and super helpful since the moment we contacted him.

As far as amenities go: There is Wi-Fi throughout the property which is free to use. The bathroom and shower inside the house are available at all times. Jason has also fitted a full kitchen outside on his porch which happens to have a gorgeous view for watching the sunrise/sunset.

Extras: For starters, the friendliest family you’re ever gonna meet at a campground. There are plenty of farm animals in the sanctuary which Jason lets you feed and play around with. A bunch of friendly cats and kittens.

Basically, come here. It’s a great time and totally worth the money!

These were quite decent campgrounds, kind of close together but decent sized sites. We were lucky to have a spot at the dead center of the top of the mountain looking out at the lake (site 13) with a big shade tree. Since we got there on a Saturday night, we were surprised to see that the campsite directly to our left and directly to our right were empty. By Sunday night, every campsite within sight was vacated so we had a lot of freedom to do what we wanted without having to worry about disturbing other people. Deer are fearless & majestic, several “packs” walked through our campsite all throughout Sunday night when everyone else was gone. They walked up to us to smell our campfire & our food (we were making s’mores). There’s a campfire spot, a water source, a picnic table, & a grill set up at each site (for the most part), with trashes nearby. 

The Lake was nice! We went swimming in the swimming area and there were a surprising amount of people there via Covid. We went in the little shop briefly but from what I could tell they had a lot of useful things campers may need varying from firewood, ice, snacks. fast food, alcohol, & camping/fishing supplies. You can have 2 cars at your campsite but we only had one, the second would be an additional charge. You can bring pets but also for a charge. If you have campsites like 1-20 you’ll have to walk clear across the campgrounds to get to the water or make a quick drive down with your party. We just drove which was better for us after having swam. 

Only complaint is the porta-potties. We went from Saturday to Monday & by the end of Sunday there was no more toilet paper, high-piled waste, & when I called to try to inform them to restock the toilet paper no one answered. I brought my own toilet paper so that wasn’t the worst situation but definitely bring some just in case! Master that sumo squat to hover over that thing!

RANGER REVIEW: Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce at Gladys Lake Backcountry Campsites, Ansel Adams Wilderness, CA

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Gladys Lake Backcountry Campsite, Ansel Adams Wilderness

Backcountry camping often offers great hiking, epic scenery, serene solitude and otherwise missed sights. Depending on location, backcountry campsite locations can offer their own challenges, whether through the permitting process, preparation of gear and meals, logistics, or difficult terrain…but the trade offs can pay out big dividends.

Leaving behind the din of packed campgrounds…getting unplugged from electronic encumbrances…relaxing beside an untouched alpine lake where the only sound you hear is the whir of dragonfly wings as they dart about.

Only a set number of backcountry permits are issued daily, so crowds and impact remain minimal to nonexistent.

Permits are necessary for all backcountry overnight stays in the Inyo National Forest. https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/inyo/passes-permits

Whenever backcountry hiking/camping in California, do yourself a service and go online https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/passes-permits/?cid=stelprdb5139009 and take the California Campfire Permit test to acquire your certificate and possess it when in the backcountry.

Several ways to get to Gladys Lake exist…

1. John Muir Trail (JMT) thru-hike permits NOBO or SOBO

2. John Muir Trail section hike permits

3. Wilderness Permits Day hike permits

You could enter from Reds Meadows and follow the JMT north to Gladys Lake…or better from Agnew Meadows and follow the Shadow Creek Trail (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=21272&actid=51 ) up and around Shadow Lake and then south on the JMT past Rosalie Lake to Gladys Lake. Each access trail has a daily quota…such as Shadow Creek, which has a daily quota of 30…18 secured through reservation and 12 walk-ups. So if you are choosing to walk-up, have some flexibility of starting days.

We had a JMT SOBO permit acquired six months in advance through the NPS permit lottery. But next visit, I will likely enter through Agnew Meadows via day permit.

Most hikers will stop and camp at Rosalie Lake, which is a wonderful option and a much larger lake. Some would suggest a more picturesque lake than Gladys Lake…but that is all in the eye of the beholder.

August of 2018 saw little precipitation and the winter snowfall was below expectations, so lake water levels were lower and surrounding shoreline not marshy or soggy. Which made for dry and mosquito free conditions.

The effects of local forest fires did cover surrounding mountain views during certain times of the day, and brought with it a bit of lung burning and eye stinging. Early morning and late evening hours brought clearer skies.

Be forewarned that seemingly every backcountry campsite brings with it a steep uphill slog, but worth it. Gladys Lake is at 9600 ft elevation.

I believe there was one other camper at Gladys Lake the night we stayed…but we neither heard nor saw them. It was a perfectly peaceful evening!

Amenities? Well, no showers…no toilets…no water spigots…no electricity…no picnic tables…one lonely stone fire ring but open fires are not permitted. No cell service or WiFi…no general store or local grocery store. However, Gladys Lake water was refreshing both to wade and drink (filtered). You are surrounded by fragrant conifers that buffer sound. A perfectly peaceful location to relax and dream.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Mountain House Spaghetti With Meat Sauce

https://www.mountainhouse.com/

As a frequent user of Mountain House freezes dried dinners, and being a creature of habit, I often settle into a couple favorite meals and don’t deviate to new offerings. Mundane and boring?…perhaps.

But…after winning $100 worth of Mountain House meals through an early season TheDyrt.com contest… and with my daughter as my hiking buddy, I selected several different meals to avoid mutiny.

One of these meal pouches was Mountain House’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

I admit, I was a little suspect as to how freeze-dried spaghetti with meat sauce would taste, but we were both very pleased with the sauce flavors, seasoning and the amount of meat in the sauce. The only thing I would add is a couple slices of toasted garlic bread.

If the next rotation of Mountain House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce was easily located in our bear canisters, we would’ve likely had a second helping…but sadly, it was not.

In pairing down weight before our backcountry hike, I removed the contents from Mountain House’s original packaging and utilized a commercial vacuum sealer to make smaller, lighter meal packs as 11 days of food needed to fit in a bear canister. It worked, but the distinct drawback was not being able to prepare the meal in the resealable pouch. A pot was necessary to allow the freeze-dried contents to soak in the boiling water. So clean up was more extensive than it would’ve been by using the Mountain House resealable pouch. It was a trade off and we made it work.

If you are new to Mountain House freeze dried meals, directions are printed plain and simple on the pouch.

•Measure out the prescribed amount of water

•boil water

•open meal pouch and remove moisture packet

•pour boiling water in pouch and stir contents thoroughly

•seal pouch for prescribed time

•open pouch and stir contents

•serve and enjoy

It doesn’t get any easier.

Easy parking & plenty of space to spread out. Dog friendly! Bathrooms are clean. super close to the Half Dome and Vernal waterfall trailheads.

Stayed here with wife, two friends, and dog. Great selection of sites, overlooking pond, lots of farm animals, and very friendly and courteous host. Not too long a drive to Yosemite Valley also!