Searching for the best camping near Mather, CA? Mather is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Mather, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"There’s enough space for you to distance yourself from others.
No bear boxes or bathrooms but very safe and easy to access."
"We had a lot of space, good amount of tree cover when I rained. There’s a bunch of different spots to choose from, the one by the creek would have been nice."
"The sites were just a quick walk in from the parking lot and featured picnic tables, bear boxes, bathrooms and established fire rings."
"When visiting Yosemite, the camping and lodging options can be overwhelming: from free nearby National Forest land to $500/night hotels, Yosemite provides a little something for everyone."
"We backpacked to Rancheria camp and stayed for 2 nights. It's about 6 miles from the trailhead, and an incredibly gorgeous hike. "
"There are a few backpacking options on the north side of the reservoir, so choose the route that best suits you. Be prepared to climb, but water is abundant."
"Bunk beds, electrical outlets, private patio with awning and round picnic table, even curtains for your shared sleeping quarters. Near by clean restrooms running hot water."
"Some campsites are considered “river-front” but all campsites are pretty close to the river."
$41 - $43 / night
"You’re really out in the middle of nowhere on a side street off of the highway. At night it is pitch black, you can’t even see your hand in front of your face."
"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."
$50 - $150 / night
"I was lucky to find Eagle Point this spring for a simple tent set up, and boy was it perfect."
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.
LegendNorth 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.
RangerWe stayed the night at one of the Hetch Hetchy reservable sites (first come, first served) before our trek through the backcountry of Yosemite. The sites were just a quick walk in from the parking lot and featured picnic tables, bear boxes, bathrooms and established fire rings. A permit is required to stay in the area as well as a $6 per person fee and you're able to check-in with your reservation right at the Hetch Hetchy entrance. The sites are well maintained and do feature scenic vistas, though it appears that the best views offered by Hetch Hetchy are found farther in the backcountry and we wish we had the time to really explore the area. The campground served as an easy spot to hike in, set up and prepare for a long trek ahead, although, if you're not pressed for time or resting up for a big hike, I'd recommend continuing on past the established sites into the more scenic backcountry. One major advantage of Hetch Hetchy is that you'll avoid the major crowds in Yosemite Valley which can't be beat in my book.
TravelerMy brother and I hit the north grove campground for the first time this past weekend. My expectations weren’t high but this place was great.
The campground we chose was kind of close to the road which would have been the only real negative. The campground map makes it seem like the road was further away from the sites but I woke up a couple of times from road noise.
Our campsite had a fire ring, bbq, picnic table and bear box and still had a large flat spot for my huge tent as well as parking for my car.
The weather was great, no bugs to be found and plenty to do. I already want to go back next year but choose a site further from the road.
RangerThis 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.
LegendWonderful 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!
ScoutLocated off highway 50 near Kyburz, CA, this campsite is a first come, first serve campsite. No reservations. Listen to the sounds of the river while sleeping. You can also play & fish in the river during the day. The river is stocked with fish. RV & tent sites which are spacious & most have nice shade coverage. No hookups, vault toilets. Dog friendly on leashes. Camp host has been there for 5 years & is super friendly. we had no problems but we followed the rules. Only 4 stars because you do hear the highway traffic. one of my fav places. $23 per day per site, $8 for extra parking. Lots of extra spaces.
GuideStayed here for one night on my way through Yosemite. Car camped in a Toyota Yaris end of June 2021. Limited number of spaces available. Very budget-friendly. No Reservations needed or required. The sites are close together they come with a picnic table a bear box and a fire ring. There is no usable water on property. No flush toilets. No showers. There is a man in charge of the campground in the very first sight to the left when you drive in look for the American flag. There are two bears that roam this property they come and check the property at night and in the morning and they will investigate every single site so do not leave anything out put everything edible in the bear box! Well I was here the Bears annihilated someone's ice chest that got left out overnight. Great trails Great hiking a lot of nature to look at in this area I like this campsite I wish it had running water at least one well pump would be great I know that the river was closed because I was able to get to it but I don't know how usable that water is. I will probably be back this is a great location! Check out is 2 p.m.!
TravelerTypical campground set up with fire rings and bear lockers at each campsite. Flush toilets, but no showers. There is a dedicated sink to wash dishes at by the bathrooms along with a faucet for drinking water and a water bottle filling station. You can take a shower at Half Dome village right down the road for $5/person. They provide towels, shampoo, and body wash. The campground is conveniently located right next to a shuttle stop which makes it easy to get around the valley, but it’s also very noisy at times if you have a campsite right next to the road so just keep that in mind. Both Half Dome Village and Yosemite Village have large general stores that sell firewood and anything you could possibly need so if you forget something you can most likely find it there. No WiFi and very limited cell service. You can get LTE coverage outside Lower Yosemite Falls if you absolutely need to get ahold of someone or read an email. My only warning is about the pine sap! The pine trees are great for shade but get pine sap all over everything so just be prepared to clean it off your car and camping gear. Also a good idea to bring something to cover the seats of your picnic bench when you sit down, otherwise you stick to them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mather, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mather, CA is Hardin Flat Road with a 4.6-star rating from 15 reviews.
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