Madera, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Madera is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Madera, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"Bass lake is the perfect campground for young family camping. There are plenty of facilities and even a restaurant."
"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"
"It's a nice place real nice open large camp area pretty cool nice trail to a bridge overlooking the San Joaquin River gorge I really enjoyed it it's much more fun if you have horses to ride"
$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."
$40 - $50 / night
"It gets very busy on the weekends and hot days, so you will have daytime noise from swimming/river activities. During the earlier summer months there are rafters during the day."
"I visited in November, on the first days of rain after a long dry season. I arrived after dark and was unfamiliar with the layout, so I stayed at a pull-out near the McCabe Flat campground."
"There are mostly walk in sites and 2 drive in sites. We got here in off-season and had the whole campground to ourselves. So peaceful listening to the river all night. Not much car traffic either."
"I visited in November, on the first days of rain after a long dry season. I arrived after dark and was unfamiliar with the layout, so I stayed at a pull-out near the McCabe Flat campground."
ScoutI 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.
TravelerWe drove in after a long day of hiking in Yosemite. This campground is right off of Hwy 120 and makes for a super convenient stop the night before or after visiting Yosemite.
At the time we visited (early Nov 2020) there were no water or trash removal services, but the infrastructure is there. Bathrooms were in poor shape, though I'm not sure if this is due it being the winter season.
Campsites were $16 and included a picnic table, campfire ring, and a bear box. There were plenty of spots within our campsite for three 2-person tents.
GuideWe stayed in sites 37 & 38. These two weren’t ideal for group camping as there was quite a bit of brush in between, but 39 is much closer and cleared out so 38 & 39 would have been better. They were still nice campsites though with flat spots for tents. Lots of tall beautiful trees.
I liked that our spots were on the outskirts as we didn’t have anyone else too close to us. Driving through the campground it looked like some of the other spots were right on top of each other.
There was also a 2-stall bathroom with flushing toilets near by. It was well kept and did not smell.
There is no water access close to the campground. You can go across the road and down a small hill but it wasn’t a beach or anything. Kind of a rocky shore. There are of course spots along the lake you can find. You’ll just have to drive and look for something.
We didn’t experience any nighttime wildlife visitors nor did we see any snakes. Our dog had to stay on leash which was best anyways as there were many people walking their dogs throughout the campground. We had the camp host stop by to check in but otherwise wasn’t too bothersome.
ScoutWe had spot 29 which was the first of 4 sites sitting on a roundabout. Had a picnic table, bear box and a fire pit ring. The site itself sat behind our trailer so we didn’t use much of it. The lake is a 5 minute walk and our site was well shaded. Hosts were friendly. The bathrooms weren’t the cleanest but we don’t expect much from vault toilets. Would definitely come back!
LegendGreat location which isn't as heavily used as you'd think. Being so close to the Bull Buck trail. No water, so you'll need to make sure and bring in what you'll need. No Reservation, first come first serve but not a problem usually. Also, does have vault toilets, so at least no digging needed.... Right by the entrance to Yosemite and we had the 7 sites all to ourselves. Not sure why more people don't stop when you have great access to some amazing trails with some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world!
Nice flat sites with great coverage and picnic tables and fire rings.
GuideThe sites were well maintained. We went early in the season (April) so the dust was not bad. I think later in the spring/summer you might find yourself faced with dust and foxtails. Lots of weeds in surrounding areas.
Water was high, but looks like it would be great fishing.
There are many site styles available- private riverside drive up, community river cul-de-sac walk-ins, and three drive in sites tucked up the hill away from everything.
Porta-pottys and vault toilets available- no water.
Lots a options here.
Great beach by the river- tag the shade early in the day to beat the heat.
GuideVisited in May last year. Campground was very empty when we camped. Nice location along the Merced River. Campsites have tree cover but aren’t super private. Bathrooms are primitive, but in good condition. Provides good access to Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point. Use bear boxes, bears were active in the area while we visited.
RangerIt is more of a trek to get there than you would think looknig at the minimal distance on the road. The road in is rough. It looks short on the map but you have to go slowly. Please pack your trash and leave no trace. They’re only open for the summer-fall - forest service road definitely not maintained when it snows. Pretty little spot and mostly undeveloped. Although there are firepits I think there is a burn ban still in effect- please respect the burn bans to protect the epic old growth forests!
LegendDriving 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.
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Nestled in the heart of California, Madera offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Madera, CA is Bass Lake Recreation Area Rudy with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Madera, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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