Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Stanislaus National Forest? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Stanislaus National Forest with tent camping. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
North Grove (sites 27-59)
$25 - $70 / night
Utica Reservoir is set in a granite basin surrounded by red fir and lodgepole pine forest. The reservoir has lots of islands and is kept mostly full. Granite slabs along the shore extend into the water. There are two campgrounds adjacent to each other, Sandy Flat and Rocky Point. Elevation is 6,800 feet.
$16 / night
Eagle Meadow Horse Camp
Campground is closed. Alpine meadow and forest, adjacent to Mokelumne River and near Mosquito Lakes. Good fishing in Pacific Creek and the Mokelumne River, good early season deer hunting. Vault toilets. 19 designated sites. Campground will remain open as long as weather allows.
$10 / night
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no services like trash removal, and few or no facilities such as tables and fire pits, are provided.
Dispersed camping takes a lot more effort than camping in a developed campground, but for those with an adventurous spirit, it can be a lot of fun.
Here are some important points to remember about dispersed camping:
The maximum length of stay in a forest ranger district is 21 days per year. Please practice good outdoor ethics about camping, travel and behavior while visiting. Dispersed campers are allowed to park within one vehicle length (including any tow vehicle) of a National Forest transportation route and walk into camp. Dispersed camping is not permitted in developed campgrounds and day use areas. Other areas closed to dispersed camping include historical and archaeological sites. Also, be certain that you are within the boundaries of the National Forest before setting up camp. To prevent resource damage please keep your campsite within 150 feet from a roadway. Dispersed camping is not allowed in these areas: within one mile of Pinecrest Basin along 7N83, Clark Fork Road along Hwy 108 between Clark Fork Road and Kennedy Meadows Road Leave No Trace Camping – Camp so no one notices you while you are there, and no one even knows you were there after you leave. Please respect nature and other visitors by keeping noise to a minimum. Always pack out whatever you pack in. No permanent structures are to be constructed to an area, such as building rock-lined fire pits, trenches around tents, or carving into trees. Human waste should be deposited in a hole dug 6 - 10 inches deep and then covered with organic soil. Vehicles are not permitted off of roads, but if you can safely park your vehicle adjacent and parallel to the road and are not blocking the roadway, you may park and camp. Most sites will have a parking spot nearby while other sites may not. Because the footprint of a vehicle can have a large impact to soils, please do not create new “parking spot” for a campsite. Please park in designated or already impacted spots. If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that has been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites so using existing ones will minimize your impact in the forest.
Dispersed camping takes a lot more effort than camping in a developed campground, but for those with an adventurous spirit, it can be a lot of fun.
Here are some important points to remember about dispersed camping:
The maximum length of stay in a forest ranger district is 21 days per year. Please practice good outdoor ethics about camping, travel and behavior while visiting. Dispersed campers are allowed to park within one vehicle length (including any tow vehicle) of a National Forest transportation route and walk into camp. Dispersed camping is not permitted in developed campgrounds and day use areas. Other areas closed to dispersed camping include historical and archaeological sites. Also, be certain that you are within the boundaries of the National Forest before setting up camp. To prevent resource damage please keep your campsite within 150 feet from a roadway. Dispersed camping is not allowed in these areas: within one mile of Pinecrest Basin along 7N83, Clark Fork Road along Hwy 108 between Clark Fork Road and Kennedy Meadows Road Leave No Trace Camping – Camp so no one notices you while you are there, and no one even knows you were there after you leave. Please respect nature and other visitors by keeping noise to a minimum. Always pack out whatever you pack in. No permanent structures are to be constructed to an area, such as building rock-lined fire pits, trenches around tents, or carving into trees. Human waste should be deposited in a hole dug 6 - 10 inches deep and then covered with organic soil. Vehicles are not permitted off of roads, but if you can safely park your vehicle adjacent and parallel to the road and are not blocking the roadway, you may park and camp. Most sites will have a parking spot nearby while other sites may not. Because the footprint of a vehicle can have a large impact to soils, please do not create new “parking spot” for a campsite. Please park in designated or already impacted spots. If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that has been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites so using existing ones will minimize your impact in the forest. We want you to learn some of the many reasons to enjoy the quiet and solitude of dispersed camping, it’s up to you to LEAVE NO TRACE.
Campground is located in a timbered setting along the banks of the North Fork Mokelumne River, 2.4 miles west of Ebbetts Pass and four miles north of Highland Lakes. 20 campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and grills.
General Notes: No garbage service or dumpster; Pack it in, Pack it out.
$12 / night
Scout
This was our first time at a KOA and we throughly enjoyed ourselves. We stayed for one night. (Tent Camping) The staff was friendly and helpful and all of the sites and communal areas were clean. The tent sites were a tad smaller than what we imagined, but was able to situate our 10x10 canopy and connecting tent between the hook ups and picnic table. The views are beautiful and it is mostly quiet but you can hear the road at times.
Scout
Wow, let's say we had a nightmare ishhorrible experience. We rented a tent camp site for 2 nights. We were given an RV Slab camping site. It had the tiniest barbecue grill available. The water that was coming out of all the faucets, was red and brown. People weren't allowed to shower that night. Once night fall came, the camp's site was infested with roaches Everywhere, they went in all our grocery bags and under them. Went into and under all our boxes that we had. The roaches hid under our tents also. There also seemed to be a termite infestation. We had to cut our camping trip short after spending over a thousand dollars on supplies, food, the Camping site and parking fees The workers that drove by, especially Travis, were nice and Welcoming. Dogs have to be on a leash at all times. If you want to go into the lake with your dog, You have to walk very far away if you didn't rent one of the tent sites at the lake front area. Had to fumigate my vehicle when I got home with all my stuff in it. I pray none of the bugs will be in my stuff at home. I heard many other guests screeching and shouting, omg theres cockroaches every where. Good to know, we weren't the only ones disappointed. The owner Jake refused to refund me, or my two guests that wasted their 50 dollars in parking fees, although the trip was cut short due to the conditions. Jake offered for us to stay another night. Will never be back. Beware.
Guide
We were tent camping and were nervous about not having a reservation around Yosemite so we reserved a site here for a tent site by the river. The price was high but were willing to pay for a confirmed place to stay during June 2021. When we got there they were under major construction and told us the area by the river was closed. They put us in the area on the hill. The sites were small and full of dirt. We got more dirty there than several of the more remote places we stayed before and after our stay there. The campground was decent though, and everyone we spoke with was nice. Three stars was value for the price. We found several first-come first served campgrounds around there for much less (of course they only had vault toilets).
ScoutWe tent camped on the river here and really enjoyed our stay. We floated on the river in tubes, visited Nearby Rainbow Pools, went into Yosemite Valley a couple of days, the park is about 5-10 mins from the entrance to Yosemite but we didn’t mind we enjoyed the drive into the valley and used it as an opportunity to spot wildlife. We had two young kids (6 &8) and the campground restrooms and showers were perfect after a long day hiking, they were well maintained, good water pressure. These restrooms were located at the ponderosa tent sites, we had some family also camping in RVS along the river and I can’t speak for those restrooms. No cell service & WiFi is unlikely to work so prepare to be unplugged..they do give you printed directions to the closest area to get a signal depending on your carrier. The staff was very friendly and helpful! We will definitely be back one day. Side note: we came during COVID so reservations to Yosemite National park were required, therefore the park and surrounding campgrounds were not as packed as they normally would be. (This was heavenly).
Guide
Great location right in the valley. Amenities were nice (showers, laundry, food). The three-sided cinder block enclosure was a bit rustic and dirty. Would have felt cleaner actually camping in a tent where you can control what comes in and out of your personal space. Hiked several days in the park and took in sunset from Glacier Point (while doing the 4 mile hike earlier in the day from the valley floor up to the point). Beautiful!
Traveler
Our group stayed in a tent campsite for one night in August 2016. This was our first campsite for a 2 week national parks road trip.
My biggest gripe with this campground is that it is not stated anywhere on their site that you cannot park your car in your campsite. At least for us, we had to park down a hill and walk up to our site. We spent our entire evening and the next morning walking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth anytime we needed something from the car. Having the car in the site is so so much better and all the other campgrounds we stayed at were set up that way.
Additionally, the entire campground was incredibly dusty, more so than any other campground we stayed at during our trip. The bathrooms/showers were not very well maintained (quite dirty and dusty) although the stalls did all have toilet paper. It was also quite a walk from our tent site which was located in the back part of the campgrounds.
Staff were generally helpful and they have everything you'd need in their office/general store (ice, firewood, snacks, etc).
Overall, we were happy to have found a campground nearish Yosemite at the last min since most things book up really quickly inside the park, but I'm happy we didn't stay here more than one night.
Guide
We had a nice open camping spot. It was at the edge of Yosemite Valley. The only downside to the spot was everyone else had a RV and had there generators on at 6am. We are not RV people so we don’t know why they need to run them. Next time we will camp in a tent only area. This area had no showers.
Scout
Got to see great big Sequoia trees in Calvaras big trees State Park and then camped for Free in the Stanislaus National Forest. It's right off the road but if you need a place to stay and don't mind no amenities it's great
TravelerDispersed camping, with several campsites available. Historically this was the location of a pack station supplying goods to the silver mines over the pass. Many opportunities for fishing and hiking here. It is rustic, with no freshwater or garbage service. Located in the Stanislaus National Forest.
Scout
This place is barely worth the fee. Overall the grounds are neglected, bathrooms are sketchy, and sites are crammed together. Traffic noise from CA108 is also a bumr. But it is 5500' up in the beautiful Stanislaus National Forest, so it's got that going for it... 2.5/5
Guide
I’ve camped here 4 times- 2 times tent camping and 2 times trailer camping. The lake has a beautiful, and easy to walk to from the campground, especially from the sites in the 40s and 50s. The vault toilets can be a bummer if you are tent camping, and there are no hookups for rvs. But the campground has beautiful trees, and there is a restaurant and camp store for your convenience. Also, across the highway at the Silver Lake East campground is an awesome hidden secret called “Potholes.” Shhhhh!
Ranger
Got one of the furthest sites tent camping. Could see all the stars. They also provide bear boxes for each site.
Traveler
Nice bear boxes and bathrooms. Tent sites were big
Traveler
The man made pond is nice for the kids. It has a slide they can use. Rv areas are clean. Tent camping is okay!
Guide
This is a nice campground on Pinecrest Lake near Sonora Pass in Stanislaus National Forest. There is a great hike around the lake close by, as well as swimming in the lake a marina and a convenience store. This campground is open seasonally during spring, summer and fall due to the snow in winter. It is located in gold country, so there are some great little western towns in the area.
Guide
This is a beautiful campground. At the end of the road. Parking is along a ridge, and tent camping is down the hill. RV camping has no hookups, but plenty of space.
GuideBeautiful tent camping above the Yosemite valley. Close enough to drive into the valley but far enough to not be surrounded by people at all times. Make sure to bring hammocks! Great trees to lounge in!
TravelerPinecrest was an amazing place at the edge of the Stanislaus national forest. The community is great, the campground and bathrooms were very well maintained. It was a 10min walk to the lake. If you’re into fishing, there are trout in the area with some nice fishing spots labeled on the paper map. Even boat rentals to get into the open water. The hike around the lake was beautiful too, roughly 2-3 hr hike with some great views. Amazing place to camp.
Legend
Nice campground with numerous RV and tent sites. Bathroom with flush toilets and showers. Big trees provide ample shade. Quiet area close to the amenities of the Carson Valley.
Scout
Tons of Gold Rush history here, nice rv glamping featuring showers and a boat launch at first camp, more primitive tent camping up the road at second camp (my fave). I've been camping here for years, it's my favorite in the world!
Guide
I would stay here again and again. The tent sites have a large covered area for shade and the park has a pool for a refreshing little swim. Showers are included with the campground fee.
TravelerGreat option if your looking for full rv hookups. If you’re tent camping, this might not be the best place. Bathrooms were very unclean but the park gets the job done as a place to sleep while visiting Yosemite. No Verizon or T-Mobile coverage. Wifi available for purchase.
Guide
Most site are for tent camping. The sites for trailers are not level do be prepared. There is drinking water throughout the park. Trailers longer than 26, it is a tight squeeze. No cell service at all, no where. Very quiet and not far from the lake. Bathrooms are clean.
Guide
Three Links Camp is a private campground just below Stanislaus National Forest on 108. The campground has dorms for families/groups (a building with bunk beds and a bathroom) and tent and full-hookup RV sites. The campground was beautiful and my kids had a blast walking around all the buildings (hall, chapel, cabins/dorms) and on baseball field, disc golf course, and basketball court! There’s also a pool, but it was closed for the season. They’re open year-round, so we might return for a snow visit! The hosts were nice, the rates are affordable, and there is cell service (ATT) and WiFi if you don’t want to unplug completely.
I feel like I should note the owners are new and not the ones who were there for the review below mine. They’ve done a lot of work to better the campsite!
Traveler
At the top of the Sierras, El Dorado national forest, tucked in away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Stunning views, and blue skies, campground is well maintained and accessible. Rvs and tent camping. Shallow lake that warms up a little for kayaking and swimming. Great family lake.
Guide
much busier overall than the majority of the eastern sierras, still a nice get away. not too close to the lake but access is far from difficult. book ahead of time and request 9 for a tent site.
Guide
Campground is setup in a loop. Pay at the post upon entry - fill out the reservation envelope and put your nightly fee into the envelope.
There are spots for tent camping and even or truck spots with a larger parking space.
This is a seasonal campground and will be closed during the winter months.
Tent camping near Stanislaus National Forest in California offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, surrounded by towering trees and stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Stanislaus National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Stanislaus National Forest is North Grove Campground — Calaveras Big Trees State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Stanislaus National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 81 tent camping locations near Stanislaus National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
