Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mono Hot Springs, CA
Mono Hot Springs Campground accommodates pets throughout its 50-site facility, offering bear boxes at each campsite to safely store pet food. The campground is open seasonally from May 25 to October 1, with sites suitable for tent camping, RVs, and cabin stays. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails leading to hot springs across the river from the campgrounds. Vermillion Campground also permits pets with spacious campsites featuring bear-resistant storage containers, picnic tables, and fire rings. The campground host at Vermillion is known to be helpful with pet-related questions and local trail recommendations. Campers should bring plenty of bug spray when bringing pets to riverside sites as mosquitoes can be prevalent around water areas. Bears are active in these areas, making proper pet food storage essential.
The drive to pet-friendly campgrounds near Mono Hot Springs requires careful navigation along Kaiser Pass Road, a narrow one-lane route with steep drop-offs that takes approximately 1.5-2 hours to travel the final 18 miles. Pets are permitted on most hiking trails throughout the area, with access to multiple natural hot springs and alpine lakes. Dog-friendly Mono Creek Campground provides vault toilets and water pumps at the entrance, with Happy Creek running alongside the campsites. Ward Lake Campground offers lake-adjacent sites where dogs can enjoy water access, though visitors should be vigilant about rattlesnake activity reported in the area. Dog owners should pack extra water for pets as temperatures can vary significantly at these high-elevation sites. The general store at Mono Hot Springs Resort stocks essential supplies but charges premium prices for items like water ($4/gallon) and ice ($5/bag), so bringing adequate provisions for pets is recommended.