Best Equestrian Camping near June Lake, CA

Great location right in the middle of Yosemite Valley. Great access to beautiful hikes and scenery. The camp sites are spacious. Because it's an equestrian campground, you will smell the horses and stables....be prepared. The river is close to the campgrounds and are refreshing on a hot day.

I am a tent camper and I was there in Oct/Nov when I came through to look at the fall colors.  This was a good staging site to go up and down the June Lake Loop for the colors.  I am a tent camper and at this time of the year it is COLD.  Most of the folks were in RVs.  I was right across from the lake and this is a pretty site.

Good place to fish and kayak and there is a rental of all things water down the road.

You need to pick your site here as a tent camper.  Many of the sites are really for RVs but there are good sheltered tent sites as well. The southern lopop has the best tent ites. A majority of the sites are in the open meant for RVs.  Sites have your table and fire ring and restrooms are close by.

Access to a boart launch as well.

    I agree the road out is pretty scary I don't advise trailers but I have seen them while driving in. It is one lane and you must pull out for opposing traffic. But definitely one of my most favorite places in the Sierras. The views are amazing, I recommend giving yourself extra time to stop and get out for the views a few times on the way in. 

   Once in the campground/resort area there are two separate loops to camp in as well as cabins to rent and a small dispersed camping area there is also a general store, bath house, and small Cafe that are all seasonal since the road is closed most of the year. So open and close dates vary depending on snow. You can get firewood, drinking water at the store but it can be a little pricey, so I recommend bringing your own. The baths/showers are usually included for anyone paying for a campsite, but this may have changed. It is very cheap for day use persons to use the showers though. The sites are all very nice and surprisingly private though some are pretty close together. All provide a firepit, table, bear box, and parking space. I love that there are bear boxes at such a remote place! There are vault tiolets and dumpsters for trash. The river runs along one side of the campsites so about half of the sites are on the river. Bring extra bugspray for these sites as you are close to the water. 

     Most important if you made it this far reading 😅😂 there are multiple NATURAL HOT SPRINGS!! There are several different pools located across the river from the campgrounds. They are all over the hillside and range in temperature from lukewarm to bath water to Hot. They also pump the natural mineral water to the bathhouse for the showers! The springs are the main reason to come out and camp. There are also tons of hiking trails and other lakes in the area including 2 thermal lakes and tons of breathtaking views. I highly recommend this place. 🏞🏕

Also: I have not personally stayed in the cabins or dispersed camping area only the paid sites along the river, but I have been here several times and have seen them. There is also a corral area for horses so I'm not sure if that qualifies it as an equestrian camp but there is a spot for the horses.

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.

Been here many times with my son and my horses over the years. Still quiet and not over ran. Close to fishing streams, high mountain lakes, hiking trails, off roading and don't forget that trip into Bridgeport and Bodie.

Obsidian took a beating two cleaned up and they are still fixing some things. I would vonsider Obsidian more of a primitive campground, not dispersed but minimal.

Outhouse is clean, bring your own water, can get 5G/LTE here.

Tables, campfire rings, park at your site, tent, small camp trailer. At the end of the campground there is a bigger spot for groups.

Horsetrailer parking/camping across from campground in a turn around spot.

$12/Night for single unit $6/Night for extra vehicle

It is hard to get a Camping spot in Yosemite but well worth it if you do. I got up early many a morning to try and get a day here or there for our summer trips out west. You can always try the daily lottery in the village office which we did one day. So Any campground in the valley is good and in close proximity to everything going on. This campground is located on the Merced river and is primitive. The horse stables are in this loop as well.There is a water station by entrance to fill up. No electric, sewer or shower. There are bathrooms with an outlet (Yea- can charge your Phone but get in line) You can bathe in river like I do or go to curry village and pay for a shower at housekeeping. You get a fire ring and a bear box at each site. Generator hours are limited so plan accordingly.

North Pines is one of three campgrounds on the floor of Yosemite Valley. Across the Merced River from the other two campgrounds and adjacent to the horse stables, it is relatively isolated with no major roads running by it. Nevertheless, it is well connected to the rest of the valley amenities, with a quick walk to the bus station, a longer walk (1 mi) to the visitor center via the Valley Loop Trail, or a drive (if you don't mind braving traffic and searching for parking spaces). 

The sites are not well defined. You have a place to park and besides that, it is a little of a free-for-all with the adjacent sites as to where you set up your gear. Despite that, we had plenty of room to set up our large 10 person tent, without feeling crowded or that we were overspilling our space. We were there the last weekend it was open (Oct 26/27) and all sites were booked. There are no hook-ups, and the comfort stations only have toliets and sinks (no showers), a fresh water faucet, and a disposal "toliet" for dish water. All dishes must be washed at camp. The facilities were fairly clean, though the disposal toilet often backed up.  Being late October, I was expecting very cold conditions. But the weather was great! 70s during the day and 40s at night. Clear skies. Absolutely beautiful. 

Our site was located right next to the comfort station, and in hindsight I wish we had found a place a little farther away. But besides the proximity, our site was nice with a fire pit and picnic table. Quiet hours are from 1000-0600, and we had to remind our neighbor campers who came back drunk at midnight to shut it, but that seems to be more the normal than abnormal these days. There were mostly tents in the campground, with a few small RVs and trailers. Generators are allowed during limited hours, but the noise wasn't overwhelming, since they were few and far between.

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. This weekend I got to test the Wenzel Great Basin 10 tent (https://wenzelco.com/great-basin-10/). Overall, my impression of this tent is that it is a solid and reliable tent. Yes, it has a few design items that could be improved for ease of use, but overall it served us well and I look forward to using it again. The tent is a domed center-opening design, with two side "rooms" that can be separated by zipped curtains, making three interior spaces total. My husband and I filled up on room with two large cots facing length wise (we had them oriented along center line and still had enough room to move along the sides). The other side has more than ample room for my daughter's small cot, which ran the width of the tent along the side window. Very comfortable for three people. 

Yes, this is a huge tent. Can it be set up by one person? Probably, if that person is patient and tenacious. Two people work much better. A few design items we found annoying were the pole connections, which would frequently catch on the tent pole sleeves and center strap. Also, the zipper flap on the tent's door would frequently get caught in the zipper, making it almost a necessity to use two hands to open and close the tent. Besides these two small inconveniences, the tent worked great. The rain fly fits snug against the tent roof. The construction felt sturdy and we liked the design of the three interior rooms. 

Overall, we had a fun two nights in Yosemite. We might make a tradition out of going for the closing weekend each year.

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.

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!

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.

Driving from the West toward Yosemite this location is one which will allow you to find a camping option before getting into the big crowds. 

The location is relatively dry throughout the later months of the year but offers some great hiking just beyond your camp in the mountainous regions. 

I found this campsite while driving down 120 and was completely surprised by it. At this point I had no cell signal and wasn’t really sure what to expect ahead of me until I reached the park. I was on a discovery mission and there it was off to the left hand side of the road with a few small campers nestled closer to the restrooms. I pulled in and was excited to see how large the sites were and how the unique dry area reminded me of camping in Utah and Nevada(though in early Spring this area is much more green and lush). 

While there is a campground host at the location the fees for campsites are collected in a check in box a the entrance of the campground. Single sites are$24 with additional vehicles$8 per. This is a bit higher than other forest camps I had stayed at, however in this area in comparison to some of the Yosemite pricing this is a fair pricing. 

The camp is pretty basic with fire rings and tables at each site and a vault toilet located centrally at the camp. I did notice spigots throughout camp with signage that these were common use and not for connections for individuals. Dumpsters and trash cans were also available at camp which was somewhat surprising with the animal warnings of the area. 

One of the most important sections of the camp to me was the information kiosk. The kiosk warned not only of bears but also snakes in this area and had a few pointers for what to do and how to prepare. There are no bear boxes at this campsite so make sure you are prepared if you come here to stay. 

This area is a portion of of the area which in recent years experienced forest fires so there are lots of downed limbs in the area, however these are not supposed to be picked up for firewood so bring whatever you will need at camp. There also are no stores nearby for several miles so bringing your supplies is very important. 

TIPS: 

• Before you visit this area of California familiarize yourself with Bear Safety and learn not only what to do but how to make sure you are safe at your camp when you are away. 
• Make sure you always put your fire out completely before going to bed or leaving camp, this area has been damaged time and time again due to human error and negligence.

This campsite is gorgeous - it is located within a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains. The host was wonderful and helpful and the campsites are very well spaced.

This location does not have hook ups, I could not find showers, and the bathrooms were not the greatest (no hand soap, very cold... not the worst though:).

I did get two bars on my phone (T-Mobile). This is a perfect place to stay if you like a little more seclusion and less bells and whistles! The best part was the view!

You should stay here for several days.

I had my first camping trip here and was completely hooked on camping afterwards. Good space and access to Gem Lake trail that I want to go back and backpack.

Love this place. Close to lake. Kayaked every day. Clean.... camp hosts are great. Good base camp to go other places. Highly recommend Parker lake trail!!!

Amazing views all around. Flush toilets, asphalt pads. Showers were out of service.

It’s worth it to grab a fishing license up the road at Ernie’s. It was much windier than we anticipated, so definitely stale your tent down. We woke to a neighbors tent in the trees! Showers were closed because of covid, so check the site for those details. Make sure you grab a bite at the Whoa Nellie Deli down the road!

This app easy to navigate through.

I really enjoyed this camp site! It was FREEZING but worth the clear night sky. We were close to the water and just a short drive from the ski resort and hit springs.

Visited in Fall, beautiful time, All the trees were changing, it was beautiful.  The campground was nice, the spaces were separated, we tent camped.  Store a few minute walk down the road, along with place to rent boats for the lake.  Very calm and peaceful area.  Because of the beauty and seclusion, wonderful time. one of the best campgrounds/locations I've ever been to.

Pros: Spacious sites, plenty of space for parking at least 2 vehicles, hosts were kind & helpful, we'll maintained bathrooms, beautifully scenery, close to stream/lake. Cons: neighbors generator was on way past "quiet hours" which no one seemed to be monitoring, but honestly was a small inconvenience.

This campground was pretty much perfect. It was far enough off the main road to lead to a feeling of seclusion. The nearby lake was beautiful, especially in early morning, and it provided an entry and exit point to the quieter side of the CA wilderness, such as Ansel Adams Wilderness (for when you don't want to fight the crowds in Yosemite). Bear lockers provided at each site; bathrooms were respectable; the nuts and bolts were all there. Campsites didn't feel too crowded between sites, though there isn't much in the way of trees, etc. to create a barrier, so you could pretty much see all your neighbors.

Amazing star gazing! Hiked up a rock face and laid out for hours watching the stars. Awesome waterfall hike also!

The fishing at silver lake was awesome,