422 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Sierra National Forest surrounds Mono Hot Springs, California with diverse camping options ranging from developed campgrounds to backcountry sites. Mono Hot Springs Campground serves as a central hub with tent sites, RV spaces, and nearby cabins, operating from late May through early October. Vermillion and Mono Creek campgrounds offer additional established options within a short drive, featuring standard amenities like fire rings, picnic tables, and bear boxes. The area sits at the edge of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, providing access to backcountry camping at higher elevations for those seeking more remote experiences. Most campgrounds in this region maintain a rustic character with vault toilets and limited services, though the small store at Mono Hot Springs provides basic supplies.
Kaiser Pass Road presents a challenging drive that requires careful navigation, particularly for larger vehicles. As one camper noted, "You can't describe enough what a crazy road it is. Do not take the warnings lightly. Your first drive down this road will leave you white knuckled." The narrow, winding mountain road serves as the primary access route to the area. Most campgrounds operate seasonally from late May through mid-September due to snow conditions at the 7,000+ foot elevation. Bear activity is common throughout the region, with multiple campers reporting sightings, making proper food storage essential. Cell service remains limited, with AT&T providing the most reliable coverage. Summer temperatures typically range from cool mornings to mild afternoons, while afternoon thunderstorms occur regularly during monsoon season.
Fishing opportunities rank among the most popular activities, with the San Joaquin River and nearby lakes drawing anglers. "The river runs right close to the campsites and it is amazing fishing," reported one visitor who stayed at Mono Hot Springs. Stargazing receives consistent praise from campers, with minimal light pollution offering exceptional night sky viewing. The natural hot springs provide unique soaking opportunities within walking distance of some campgrounds. Sites tend to be well-spaced compared to more developed recreation areas, offering a sense of privacy despite the area's popularity. Weekends see higher visitation, particularly during July and August, while weekdays typically offer better availability for first-come, first-served sites. Most campgrounds provide bear boxes, though their capacity may be limited for larger groups or extended stays.
"The drive is pretty interesting once you get to the single lane road. We didn’t stay in the campgrounds but we did get to experience the dispersed camping."
"My boyfriend and I recently camped at the mono hot springs campground, and absolutely loved it. As far as the campground, you get a fire pit, bear bin and tent area."
from $37 - $78 / night
Check Availability"There is already so much to do at the lake as well but the other lakes and hikes in the area are some of my favorite! It is also a great place for fishing."
"Lake Access: The lake is a short, easy walk— convenient if you want to get in the water. Getting into the water is the harder part."
from $47 - $121 / night
Check Availability"Thousand Island Lake is a trek to get to but once you get there, well you don’t really want to leave."
"Thousand Island Lake is a backcountry camping area located at 9,839 feet elevation in Ansel Adams Wilderness within the Inyo National Forest, California."
from $5 / night
Check Availability"Wood, minor supplies, and a small restaurant are within a short distance. The lake around cg is dry but a river was running a short walk across the lake bed."
"Being at Lake Edison and Vermillion Campground is like being at the top of the world. It’s a rigorous climb up a one lane bumpy road once you travel past the paved road but it’s worth it."
from $37 - $39 / night
Check Availability"My family and I were in awe of the view the entire drive there. Bring dramamine and roll your windows down if you get motion sickness. I loved how spaced out each site was from each other."
"Nice simple primitive camping with tons of trails nearby. Note: on another trip, we stayed in a campground with this same name on the CA/NV border, double check when you look up info."
from $37 - $81 / night
Check Availability"Great campground along the lake. Lake has great fishing, on the lake and along the shoreline. Camped while sites were all full and wasn’t noisy or heavily populated."
"Campground is right on the lake with walking trails. Added bonus is the campground is next to the boat launch."
from $47 - $96 / night
Check Availability"Great campsite if you want to camp around Shaver Lake in the Sierras of California. Beautify lake, plenty of water sports. The small town has great rustic mountain vibe."
"Easy walk to lakeside and boat ramp. Nice picnic area near lake. Camped with full hookups. Nice store and hospitality center with food, drinks and stock of camp supplies."
from $40 - $105 / night
Check Availability"It’s just a short drive from the highway and Mammoth Airport. The campground is very popular with a mix of reserved and non reserved sites."
"We recently stayed for 3 nights in July at convict lake. The lake is gorgeous and offers fishing, no wake boating sports, mountain biking and hiking trails."
from $35 / night
Check Availability"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."
"When I visited some people had buried human waste next to the campsite and I cleaned it up. Most easily accessed via Kaiser Pass. Be aware that the road is steep, narrow, and has blind corners."
"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."
"Stayed at shaded site 4 next to main road between main lodge and store. Site was a little sloped for 24' RV. Clean flush toilets with sinks. Easy walk to store and main lodge."
from $34 / night
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TravelerNice little campground. Some spots are a bit close together but there were only a few other campers when we stayed. Big enough for small RVs. Drinking water available. All sites right along the creek. Nice and quiet.
Traveler10/26/2026 this campground was closed due to a fire that had gone through the area. None of the signs leading up to it were marked closed but was totally gated up and looked rough.
GuideThe campground is very accessible and therefore can feel busy at times (visited in October). It has flushable toilets and the general store is less than 10 min away by car. The campsites are rather close to each other, so don’t expect a lot of privacy. Our site (88C) was right in front of the restrooms, which have floodlights on all night and would not recommend. Overall, it’s a pretty good campground!
ScoutIt's nice enough and it's free..
TravelerThe campground is going to be starting to do their cleanup of the over growth to make campsites better. But it is a gorgeous place to camp. Veterans free, seniors get discounts and regular camping is very reasonable. Fishing in the river. Day use side and campground side. Camp host is awesome. I've been several times and we love it. Great telephone reception, potable water spigots and restrooms (either portable outhouse or regular flush bathroom). 👍
ScoutPaved forest service road with many sites along the road. We found a pull through site big enough for our 43ft fifth wheel.
GuideLoads of space! Not many people here in October. Park lot had two trailers and the trail to the right is wide open with numerous pullouts. Lots of great trails around for the dogs.
GuideWe loved our visit here so much we extended an extra week. The community welcomed us with open arms to participate in all their daily activities. Chris was especially helpful when we needed to arrive e early due to an issue at the park we were at. The site she gave us was very nice with papers for a patio and beautiful landscaping. We were able to watch the birds(many varieties) landing on our gutters for water from our couch. The only two things that were a little less than perfect was the road noise from 41 behind us and the water had some brown in it that filled our filter so have a spare on hand. There is a business nearby that allows you to ship items to for pickup. Trip into Yosemite via Oakhurst was about an hour (due to winding roads).
GuideOne of many dispersed sites along Big Meadows Rd. There are a few that can accommodate larger rigs, like this one. Plenty of solar and enough room for multiple rigs (we stayed here with 2 rigs, one 33' and the other 27'). Very quiet road and close to both parks!
Camping areas near Mono Hot Springs, California offer sites at elevations between 7,000-9,800 feet, with most campgrounds experiencing daytime temperatures in the 70s during summer months. The San Joaquin River watershed provides numerous creek-side camping options throughout this region of Sierra National Forest. Dispersed camping is available in designated areas outside established campgrounds, particularly along Forest Service roads beyond Ward Lake.
Fish mountain creeks: Campsites around Mono Creek Campground provide excellent creek fishing opportunities. "Beautiful campground, in good shape. The fire pit was newer and great for cooking... I was there for fishing," reports one visitor who camped at Mono Creek.
Explore alpine lakes: Multiple hiking trails connect to stunning alpine destinations from Thousand Island Lake Backcountry camping areas. "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," notes a camper who backpacked into the area.
Visit thermal springs: Natural mineral pools require short hikes from camping areas. "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," explains a camper who stayed at Mono Hot Springs.
Dispersed camping options: Many visitors appreciate finding spots outside designated campgrounds. "If you go up to Mono Hot Spring and don't have a reservation there are plenty of campgrounds both before and after the main mono hot spring campgrounds," notes a camper at Mono Hot Springs Campground.
Wildlife viewing: The remote setting provides opportunities to observe forest animals. "Deer come right into your camp site," reports a camper at Convict Lake Campground, which shares similar wildlife patterns with Mono Hot Springs area campgrounds.
Night sky viewing: The minimal light pollution creates exceptional stargazing conditions. "At night you have the most beautiful view of the star sky," writes a camper who stayed at Ward Lake, highlighting an experience common throughout the region.
Bear activity is constant: All campgrounds require proper food storage. "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)," warns a camper at Thousand Island Lake Backcountry.
One-lane access road: Kaiser Pass Road presents significant driving challenges. "The last 18 miles over Kaiser Pass took 1.5 hours. A sub-par road surface little bigger than one lane in many places made transit interesting," notes a visitor to Sample Meadow Campground.
Early reservations essential: Most campgrounds fill quickly during peak season. "Sites tend to be well spaced compared to more developed recreation areas, offering a sense of privacy despite the area's popularity," notes a regular visitor to Vermillion Campground.
Choose creekside sites: Children enjoy water play opportunities at safe, shallow locations. "The Kaiser Creek provides hours of fun for the kids and you are close enough to trail heads for the adventure seekers in your group," writes a visitor to Sample Meadow Campground.
Pack for temperature fluctuations: Summer days can be warm while nights drop significantly. "The weather is always wonderfully warm during the day and brisk-chilly at night," explains a long-time visitor to Vermillion Campground.
Insect protection is critical: Mosquitoes are abundant near water sources. "I would strongly suggest to bring insect/mosquito repellent because you definitely will get bit up a lot due to the standing water from the lake," advises a camper who stayed at Ward Lake.
Size restrictions apply: Kaiser Pass Road limits the size of vehicles that can safely navigate to campgrounds. "RV usage prohibited and likely not possible over Kaiser Pass... We did take our Eurovan there, and saw a Vanagon. Mostly trucks and jeeps," shares a camper who stayed at Mono Hot Springs.
Level sites limited: Many campsites require significant leveling for larger vehicles. "Approx. 1/2 sites close to level for 24' RV... 1/2 better suited for car/tent camping," notes a visitor to Convict Lake Campground, describing a common situation throughout the area.
Bear boxes save space: Using provided bear containers helps manage limited storage in smaller RVs. "The bear boxes were quiet roomy, fitting both our coolers and all necessary gear," reports a visitor to Rancheria Campground near Huntington Lake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Mono Hot Springs, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Mono Hot Springs, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 422 campgrounds and RV parks near Mono Hot Springs, CA and 85 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Mono Hot Springs, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Mono Hot Springs, CA is Mono Hot Springs with a 5-star rating from 10 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Mono Hot Springs, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 85 free dispersed camping spots near Mono Hot Springs, CA.
What parks are near Mono Hot Springs, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 21 parks near Mono Hot Springs, CA that allow camping, notably Sierra National Forest and Devils Postpile National Monument.
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