Best Campgrounds near Seven Pines, CA

California's Seven Pines area has several camping options spread throughout the eastern Sierra region. Tuttle Creek Campground sits in the Alabama Hills with good views of unique rock formations and the mountains behind them. Watch out for deer mice there - you'll need to keep food locked up tight. Big Pine Creek Campground puts you close to Sierra Nevada hiking trails that are worth checking out. You should make reservations for both places, especially from June through August when they fill quickly. Most sites open their booking windows 3-6 months ahead. During dry seasons, fire bans are common, so check if you can have a campfire before counting on one. Most campgrounds enforce a two-week maximum stay. If you plan to fish, get your license and permits beforehand. The night skies are incredibly dark here - perfect for seeing stars. Many campgrounds lack amenities like running water or showers, so bring everything you need. Some access roads get pretty rough after storms, making high-clearance vehicles helpful. Bears and coyotes roam the area, making proper food storage critical for everyone's safety. Seven Pines camping works well whether you want to hike, fish, or just relax away from crowds.

Best Camping Sites Near Seven Pines, California (224)

    1. Alabama Hills Recreation Area

    87 Reviews
    Lone Pine, CA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 872-5000

    "You can see Mount Whitney in the distance. 4 wheel drive isn’t required but definitely recommend. No bathrooms or water around. A lot of old movies were filmed in the hills."

    "Alabama Hills California presents a varied landscape. From the picture above you can plainly see the desert floor to MT. Whitney, snow capped in March of 2018."

    2. Whitney Portal

    30 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $34 - $95 / night

    "Really secluded surrounded by trees, close to bathroom and water faucet. The bathrooms are clean and have toilet paper. Right next to a river, where the sound relaxes you."

    "Lone Pine Lake is your first option, about 2.8 miles from the trailhead at Whitney Portal. This is a beautiful little lake, surrounded by pines and imposing granite walls."

    3. Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    43 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    18 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Near Lone Pine, just off Whitney Portal Road, adjacent to Alabama Hills, so lots of exploring opportunities! Great dark skies for stargazing and photography."

    "Right in the middle of many trails and sites to see, not to mention a quick skip away from Lone Pine."

    4. Onion Valley

    8 Reviews
    Seven Pines, CA
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $31 / night

    "Onion Valley is a beautiful spot tucked into the eastern Sierra above Independence. It’s a windy but not long drive back down to town. The sites were comfortable."

    "There are pull in sites and walk in sites. All pull in sites seem to be surround by low growing shrubs and they have so many mosquitoes. The walk in site are under the conifers and are gorgeous."

    5. Grays Meadows

    8 Reviews
    Seven Pines, CA
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $34 / night

    "Very private with large growth around us. We soon realized we were missing the gorgeous valley view and incoming thunder storm so we packed up and moved our RV up the hill to the upper campground."

    "The campground has a variety of spots that range from shaded areas near the creek to areas that are little more exposed and more towards the meadows surrounding the campground."

    6. Lone Pine

    14 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $34 - $81 / night

    "It is also very close to the town of Lone Pine, which has a little market and several restaurants in case you accidentally forget anything or don’t bring enough food. The views of Mt."

    "We camped at one of the walk-in sites. Enough space for the 4 of us, 2 tents, and the family pup. The parking spots are only 50 yds away and next to the restrooms."

    7. Inyo / Lower Grays Meadow Campground

    4 Reviews
    Seven Pines, CA
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (760) 876-6200

    $25 / night

    "Beautiful small campground at the foot of the mountains, easily accessed from the small town of Independence and about 45 min drive north to Bishop.  "

    "Both of which have some sites located right along Independence Creek and beneath the canopy of the riparian corridor. There other sites are located within the sagebrush."

    8. Lodgepole Campground — Sequoia National Park

    44 Reviews
    Hartland, CA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (559) 565-3341

    $32 / night

    "If you’re looking to camp in California, Sequoia National Park should be one of your top destinations. They have cabin and tent camping. I have stayed in both."

    "Amazing views all around the campgrounds. If you want to get of away from the city this is the place to be...Love it."

    9. Goodale Creek Campground

    7 Reviews
    Independence, CA
    14 miles
    Website

    $5 / night

    "Some have water dripping on trees and there were many wasps around them (16,18). Site 12 is primo. The campers at the sites near the entrance were noisy but it was much quieter on the east end."

    "Over all such a perfect spot to stay away from a crowded campsite & for a fraction of the cost."

    10. Symmes Creek

    2 Reviews
    Seven Pines, CA
    4 miles
    Website

    "Not that busy only had some construction vehicles driving by in the morning they are doing some construction up here currently"

    "The dirt road dead ends at a large spot with easy turn around. There are off shoots of the main road to other camp spots, but we didn’t venture down to any of those."

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Recent Reviews near Seven Pines, CA

1018 Reviews of 224 Seven Pines Campgrounds


  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 10, 2025

    Django Free Dispersed

    Nice location but diffucult to find a spot

    It’s a beautiful spot, but if you come late it’s incredibly difficult to find a spot in the area due to camping restrictions. For many spots, 4x4 is recommended.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2025

    Inyo / Lower Grays Meadow Campground

    Upper gray meadows

    Has 38 sights mix of rv and tent sights very narrow sights longest trailer 24 feet beautiful view trees and a creek

  • Michelle R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2025

    Volcanic Tableland BLM Dispersed Camping

    Few spots with fire rings

    The road in is very rutted. I noticed a few campsites that had fire rings but those were taken. I kept driving until I found a pull off. I’m only staying overnight.

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2025

    Forest Rd 14S29

    Alright place

    We actually didn’t stay primarily because this spot absolutely did not have any cell coverage whatsoever (this app said it had some coverage for Verizon. It did 100% not. We couldn’t find a suitable place for tent and some of it looked like private property and/or reserved camping areas. Definitely more suitable if you have a RV or a built out van.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Big Trees Campground

    Secluded clean

    Worth the road in,paved roads narrow in spots plenty of pull outs to let people by , on the creek camping clean and flat rv sights can handle big rigs

  • Sandie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 28, 2025

    McGee Creek

    Good spot but crowded

    Seemed like everyone came to tuck into this spot and I got here very late so it was not fun. Beautiful spot with beautiful views

  • andrew The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Three Rivers Hideaway

    Like a glove

    This campground is super comfortable. I’m not sure why but it just feels right. Park staff very friendly. We had a nice site and plenty of campside room. I felt like I was in my neighbors site when I had to dump my tanks. The sewage hookup was right in front of his steps. The laundry is your standard $2 per load but the is only one washer and one dryer. Sequoia entrance is about 4 miles, but the trees are an hour up into the hills. Kings canyon is 2.5 hours. But it’s worth it. A bunch of restaurants nearby and the Village Market is a real grocery store. Great location.

  • Aaron S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Potwisha Campground — Sequoia National Park

    Happy Campers

    This campground is at the base of the park on the south end.  It can get warm there in summer months.  Rangers were nice.  Wildlife came through camp.  We saw deer and quail each day.

    Full campsite each night.  Busy place.

    www.hitched4fun.com crew was happy here.


Guide to Seven Pines

Seven Pines camping areas sit at elevations between 6,500-9,000 feet in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. Nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing even in summer months, with temperature swings of 30-40 degrees common between day and night. This high desert region receives minimal rainfall during camping season, creating particularly dry conditions from July through September.

What to do

Hike to alpine lakes: From Onion Valley Campground, several day hikes lead to stunning high-altitude lakes. "The campground is nestled in an idyllic eastern Sierra cañon with excellent star gazing," notes Justice F., who stayed at Onion Valley before a John Muir Trail trip.

Explore rock formations: The Alabama Hills Recreation Area offers unique geological features perfect for climbing and photography. "There are a ton of sites so drive around until you find one you like. Lots of premade fire pits to use. Sites are pretty spread out so you won't really see/hear neighbors," recommends Megan S. who visited Alabama Hills Recreation Area.

Photograph night skies: The region offers exceptional night sky viewing opportunities. "The stars and the Milky Way are insane! So many constellations and shooting stars and satellites," reports Rachel W. about her Alabama Hills experience. Some campsites provide unobstructed views of the entire night sky.

What campers like

Creek-side camping: Several campgrounds feature running water nearby. At Grays Meadow Campground, "Upper Section is covered by oak trees with willow lined trout filled Independence Creek right through campground," notes Randall G., making it perfect for anglers.

Varied terrain options: The region offers sites from high alpine to desert. "The terrain is a little different it was a nice change up from the desert, sandy, rock... There were more trees, a little snow on the ground, and more wooded areas that brought a new look to our campsite," explains Alejandro L. about Lone Pine Campground.

Established facilities: Some campgrounds provide more amenities than others. At Goodale Creek Campground, "The campground is located fairly conveniently off the highway, though far enough away that you don't hear traffic. Self check-in was easy arriving late. $5 cash or check. There are plenty of spots- each is numbered and had their own picnic bench and fire pit," according to Margaret M.

What you should know

Wildlife precautions: Proper food storage is essential. At Tuttle Creek Campground, camper Deb H. warns, "We were invaded by deer mice. They got in our campervan. We killed more than 10 of them... There was a poster on the vault toilets warning about hantavirus in the area."

Seasonal resource limitations: Services vary throughout the year. "In winter operation mode. No water, no host, no firewood, and no fees," explains Laura M. about Grays Meadow in March, adding "There are toilets but they are closed at this time and there are porta potties instead."

Limited cell service: Connectivity is spotty throughout the region. Laura mentions, "Cell service is very iffy, especially for Verizon and T-Mobile. AT&T mostly had 1-2 bars of 4G. However, just a few miles down the road on the way to Independence there is excellent service from all carriers."

Tips for camping with families

Choose shaded sites: "If you have kids, definitely choose lower campground with shade, larger sites and creek close by," advises Val R. about Grays Meadow Campground, noting the temperature differences between upper and lower sections.

Look for natural play features: Some sites offer built-in entertainment. "There are a couple big boulders the kids can climb on and around," shares Mark G. from his experience at Lone Pine Campground, making it ideal for families with active children.

Select beginner-friendly locations: Some campgrounds work well for first-time campers. "An excellent place to go for your first foray into overnight camping or for someone who wants a low maintenance camping trip!" explains Madeline B. about Whitney Portal, citing its convenient facilities.

Tips from RVers

Check site dimensions: Many campgrounds have specific length limitations. "Sites are close together and some are directly across from a very busy market... Spot 198 is the best for RV's in my opinion, but it only accommodates up to 22ft," advises Alma L. about staying at Lodgepole Campground.

Consider road conditions: Access can be challenging. Whitney Portal camper Jeff V. notes, "The Whitney Portal's position at the end of the road means you'll need to ascend/descend a mile in elevation over 13 steep and twisting curves every time you leave or return."

Look for dump stations: Not all campgrounds provide this amenity. At Tuttle Creek Campground, Rick L. points out, "Both water and dump station are closed 80+ sites and all have great views."

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Seven Pines, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, Seven Pines, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 224 campgrounds and RV parks near Seven Pines, CA and 56 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Seven Pines, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Seven Pines, CA is Alabama Hills Recreation Area with a 4.7-star rating from 87 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Seven Pines, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 56 free dispersed camping spots near Seven Pines, CA.

What parks are near Seven Pines, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Seven Pines, CA that allow camping, notably Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.