Best Tent Camping near Lakeshore, CA

Tent campsites near Lakeshore, California offer a diverse range of options in the Sierra Nevada mountains, primarily within the Inyo National Forest and surrounding wilderness areas. Sample Meadow Campground provides tent-friendly sites with picnic tables, fire pits, and bear boxes, while Ward Lake Campground offers lakeside tent camping with views of Ansel Adams Wilderness. Thousand Island Lake Backcountry provides more remote tent camping opportunities for those willing to hike in.

The camping season in this region typically runs from June through October due to high elevation and snow conditions. Most tent campgrounds feature vault toilets but limited or no drinking water, requiring campers to filter from nearby creeks or lakes. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with many sites offering fire pits when restrictions aren't in place. Bear activity is common throughout the area, making proper food storage essential. A visitor commented, "Each site had a picnic table, fire pit, and bear box. Creeks ran through many of the campsites." Sites at Sample Meadow sit alongside Kaiser Creek, while Ward Lake offers direct lake access. Roads to these primitive tent camping areas can be challenging, with Kaiser Pass Road described as "steep, narrow, and with blind corners."

Tent campers in this region experience significant temperature variations, with cold nights even during summer months. The higher elevation tent-only sites provide exceptional stargazing opportunities and relative solitude. According to one visitor, "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...this is for you!" Mosquitoes can be prevalent near lakes and standing water, particularly in early summer. Many tent campsites provide access to hiking trails, with Thousand Island Lake serving as both a destination and starting point for backcountry exploration. Tent camping areas near Florence Lake and Edison Lake offer additional primitive camping experiences with creek-side settings and wilderness access.

Best Tent Sites Near Lakeshore, California (82)

    1. Sample Meadow Campground

    3 Reviews
    Lakeshore, CA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 855-5355

    "It is a beautiful campground located off Kaiser Pass Road. Even in June there was so many wildflowers and vibrate green. There was bathrooms and each site had a picnic table, fire pit, and bear box."

    "There is no water unless you use the creek. Please report any trash or other issues to the Prather Ranger Station."

    2. Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

    5 Reviews
    Mono Hot Springs, CA
    13 miles
    Website

    $5 / night

    "Thousand Island Lake is a backcountry camping area located at 9,839 feet elevation in Ansel Adams Wilderness within the Inyo National Forest, California."

    "This is not an easy location to get to, but if you take the PCT High Trail, it's relatively easy. Still a ~8 mile hike in, but it's SO worth it.

    The lake is beautiful at all times of day."

    3. Sno-Park Huntington Lake Parking

    1 Review
    Lakeshore, CA
    0 miles
    +1 (559) 855-5355

    "Awesome camping on the lake with many activities from fishing and hiking to water sports and boating.

    Cold night and cool days in the summer"

    4. Bolsillo Campground

    1 Review
    Mono Hot Springs, CA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 855-5355

    "Had a bear box. We got one right next to the creek. Had some mosquitoes but nothing some spray and fire couldn’t help. Had some bathrooms with in walking distance all around good spot"

    5. Ward Lake Campground

    3 Reviews
    Mono Hot Springs, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 855-5355

    "Located about 3 miles before Florence lake off of Kaiser Pass Road is this beautiful campground."

    "Great small campground next to a small lake. Nice campsites, pit toilets. Overall pretty good, but we did come across several small rattle snakes."

    6. Bretz Mill Campground

    3 Reviews
    Shaver Lake, CA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 297-0706

    "Good supply of wood clean restrooms clean creek water , definitely going back"

    7. Voyager Rock Campground

    1 Review
    Sierra National Forest, CA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 297-0706

    "4x4 with a lift is highly recommended if you plan on driving into the campsite, but its not so bad that you couldn’t hike if you wanted to."

    9. Little Yosemite Valley Campground

    5 Reviews
    North Fork, CA
    24 miles
    Website

    "We hiked the waterfall trail, which is breathtaking, but full of a lot of people! Once you get passed the 2nd huge waterfall, the crowds start to die down and its just you and the mountains."

    "One of the nicest backpacking campgrounds. Nice bathrooms and right next to a clean blue river perfect for swimming in! Surrounded by granite rocks in one of the most wonderful place Yosemite"

    10. Recreation Point Group Campground

    4 Reviews
    Bass Lake, CA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 642-3212

    $131 - $397 / night

    "These are group sites, but they are the best sites on the whole lake in my opinion. My family has been camping here for 78 years and it’s part of all my family memories."

    "It’s still our favorite spot on the lake for my weekends and the hosts are wonderful. These are group sites, and honestly, I think they’re the best on the entire lake."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lakeshore, CA

1555 Reviews of 82 Lakeshore Campgrounds


  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 16, 2021

    Big Pine Creek Campground

    Creek side paradise

    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.

  • J
    Oct. 13, 2023

    Wawona Campground — Yosemite National Park

    Great campground

    I really recommend this campground. I can come here and play online games with my family. The campground offers both reservable and first-come, first-served campsites. The sites are relatively spacious and provide a mix of shade and sun. Each campsite typically includes a fire ring, picnic table, and food storage locker. It provides basic amenities such as restrooms with flushing toilets and drinking water. However, it does not offer showers or hookups for RVs. There are no electrical or water connections at individual campsites. The campground's location provides access to various outdoor activities. Nearby attractions include the Mariposa Grove, where you can explore giant sequoias, and the Wawona Golf Course. Additionally, there are hiking trails, scenic drives, and opportunities for wildlife viewing in the area.

  • Erin S.
    Nov. 1, 2019

    North Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

    Ranger Review: Wenzel Grand Basin 10 tent at North Pines

    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.

  • Dave V.
    Sep. 7, 2018

    Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

    Solitude, Splendor, Serenity!

    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.

  • Heather P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 14, 2019

    Twin Lakes Campground

    crowded and sites are close together

    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.

  • Erin M.
    Jul. 16, 2018

    Minaret Falls Campground

    Backcountry car camping!

    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!

  • Caroline N.
    Jun. 20, 2021

    Sunset Campground — Kings Canyon National Park

    Wonderful Campground, Avoid 32 &34

    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.

  • Soggy Bottoms Camper G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Lake George Campground

    Love Lake George!

    Lake George was the perfect camp spot for our 4 night stay. It is first come first serve. We stayed in site 14 - the mountain side or tree side is better because it’s not windy at all! All the spots with lake view are very windy and it can be cold even in the summer! The bathrooms are super clean and have real toilets. No showers though! There is lots to do in the area and Lake George isn’t nearly as busy as Lake Mary/ Pine City camp. Although there is day use areas and it can be busy with fishing. Lots of wildlife in the area, so use the Bear box and keep food in containers. Even the chipmunks, birds, and mice will get into your stuff. I saw chipmunks trying to break into tents. This site is small RV/Trailer friendly - we stayed in our truck camper. This is NOT for big rigs or class A RVs. Also no hookups but they have a water spyket. Beware of elevation if you are not used to it - it’s at a whopping 9,250 feet and I was sick for 2 days. It’s $34 a night and quiet hours are 10pm-6am. Generators are aloud just not during quiet hours. Bring your paddle board or kayak and hit the water! It’s so beautiful here.

  • D
    Aug. 1, 2018

    Dorst Creek Campground — Sequoia National Park - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    No complaints!

    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.


Guide to Lakeshore

Lakeshore, California, offers a fantastic array of options for tent camping enthusiasts, surrounded by stunning natural beauty and outdoor activities.

Tent campers should check out Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

  • Experience breathtaking views and tranquility at Thousand Island Lake Backcountry, where the hike in is well worth the stunning scenery.
  • This backcountry site allows for a true escape into nature, with ample space for camping and strict regulations to preserve the pristine environment.
  • Enjoy fishing, swimming, and star-filled night skies at this elevated site, perfect for those seeking solitude and adventure.

Some prices for tent camping range from $23 to $0

  • At Ward Lake Campground, you can enjoy a beautiful lakeside experience for around $23 a night, complete with picnic tables and fire pits.
  • For a free option, consider Voyager Rock Campground, which offers spacious areas and stunning views, ideal for those on a budget.
  • Sample Meadow Campground provides a serene setting with no fees, perfect for families looking to enjoy the great outdoors without breaking the bank.

Local attractions and activities near Lakeshore

  • Explore the scenic trails and wildflower-filled meadows around Sample Meadow Campground, which is close to Kaiser Wilderness and offers great hiking opportunities.
  • The Little Yosemite Valley Campground serves as a gateway for those aiming to summit Half Dome, making it an ideal base for adventurous hikers.
  • Enjoy the nearby fishing and water sports at Sno-Park Huntington Lake Parking, where you can also relax by the lake after a day of activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lakeshore, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lakeshore, CA is Sample Meadow Campground with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lakeshore, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 82 tent camping locations near Lakeshore, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.