Best Tent Camping near Tahoe National Forest, CA

There is no space between tent sites and no dividing trees or bushes. Bathroom and showers are clean.

It's free but donations are welcome. It's more for boondocking your trailer or RV. Spots are huge. Great for motorcycle/snowmobile. I was the only person in a tent. Not great if you're looking for tent camping atmosphere. But close to Mammoth and June Lake Loop. Had a bear visitor. Better for RV camping.

Stayed three nights here tent camping , facilities were very clean and the foreman was very friendly guy. the area is great fishing and hiking though small game hunting in the Owens Valley was unproductive . Overall a great place to stay and country store has everything you need for your stay I will come back

Been camping here for years, very nice and really clean. Nice family owned rv park and tent camping. Make sure if you come since it’s right next to the mountains be prepared for wind and rain, but usually passes pretty quick. About a two hour drive into Yosemite valley and only like 20 mins from Yosemite east entrance.

Owned and operated by a family. Great customer service and always willing to help! Over 44 campsites between RV and tent sites. Very small and close together. FHU, quiet and close to Towns of Murphy for wine tasting and dining, Columbia, Angels Camp and other State Parks for camping. Paid showers $.25, pool and event center to rent.

We usually stay in the Mammoth Lakes area but changed it up and we are so happy we did. The tent sites are small with little to no shade but the beauty of Convict Lake was worth it. The only wildlife we dealt with were deer which is much better than bears (so many in Mammoth).

We enjoyed paddle boarding, fishing, and hiking around the lake.

RV tents camp store with homemade pies with ice cream

showers toilets and the best customer service in town!

I've been camping here for 20 years

This campground is clean and quiet. There are spaces for travel trailers and motor homes with or without electricity and water and there are spaces for tent camping as well. The restrooms are clean and have showers,a small stream runs through the campground and fires are allowed. The campground is near a county park with a small lake . This is a great home base to explore the area, Toms place,Rock creek,Convict Lake, Mammoth and the June Lake loop are within 45 min. Definitely worth checking out we stay two times a year and we love it.

We are currently spending a few nights at New Shady Rest Campground, and have really enjoyed the spacious sites among the pines. We had spent a few nights at the Mammoth RV Park, but we weren't happy with confined and noisy space. After riding our bikes through New Shady and talking to the friendly camp host, we decided to abandon the RV park and move. So glad we did.

Most of the sites are widely spaced out, so you're not too close to your neighbors. But, if you're in an RV or towing a trailer, pay close attention to the max length or your site. Some of the smaller sites are only suitable for tent camping.

We liked this place so much, we're coming back in August!

We loved this cute family owned and operated RV Park! They have tent sites as well as full and partial hookup sites for RVs. Showers, restrooms and laundry were Immaculate. Property is beautiful and well manicured. This is a fantastic campground if you plan on visiting Yosemite as it is only 12 miles from the main entrance and about 1 mike from HWY 120. Staff were very helpful and friendly and make you feel so welcome. Thank you Beaver Family! So fun to see all of the travelers come in on foot or in their RVs from all over the World. The only reason this gets a 4 star review is site size and no wood fires. You are very close together with minimal room outside your trailer.

My husband and I have been camping at Convict Lake for many years. He and his family have gone to opening day of fishing in the freezing cold for MANY years. Tucked away in the mountains of the Inyo National Forest it is just a few skips North of Bishop and an easy drive up to Mammoth from here. Choosing the best site takes some know-how and I cant give you my sweet spots just yet however I will share some details about fishing here on this little lake . It is decent fishing from almost any point- shore or from small boat. I have caught several fish myself- even out-fishing my husband on our honeymoon. The little store is great- friendly people. The little restaurant is fine- though there are places a short distance away as well.

While we have either tent-camped or had a motorhome this campground offers various rental cabins, inexpensive showers that are decent (comparatively speaking). Good hiking. great hot springs, cold springs, picturesque views, plenty of small museums just south in Bishop (Railroad museum etc) and small casino in the North End of Bishop on the southbound side.

Its a great little escape- as long as people continue to keep it nice and clean

Stay at Rock Creek Lake Campground in mid June. The drive up from Hwy 395 was easy for a mountain road. There were about 7 campgrounds along this corridor. Rock Creek Lake is at the top. The campground is at about 9,500 feet so be aware for altitude. 

Campsites are very close to the water. The walk in tent sites are next to the creek. We were in site 24. This site was located in a small clearing that gets midday sun so it can heat up. Other than site 25, the other sites had better shade coverage. The walk in sites had a dirt pad for your tent, picnic table and bear locker. Your site has assigned parking. 

It was about a 50 to 75 yard walk from the parking, water spout, and bathrooms. Camp host was pleasant and had wheelbarrows to help move your stuff. The bathrooms were flush toilets and sink. The sink faucets were variable.  

The weather was still quite chilly especially at night. The campground in general was very quiet. We didn't hear loud music or groups over 4 days. There were lots of mosquitos the whole time. Rock Creek Lake Resort just down the road has a store and restaurant serving pie. During the weekend, there are lots of day use visitors but they cleared out in the evening. 

I would definitely be back

I stayed 2 nights here Sept 29 & 30, 2020 and I’m glad I did. First off, the price was great which was $28/night throw in a 7 minute hot shower for $2 more(you buy the tokens at the onsite general store) but the cold showers are free. Number 2, Bishop is a nice little town with AMAZING food spots, so you will want a little time to check those out. The staff is friendly all around from check in to grabbing a hot dog and a beer to the hardworking grounds crew. Every tent site has a fire pit, picnic table, and good grass as the grounds crew are watering the sites when not in use. The bathrooms are clean, kept up, and not cramped. The showers are nice and clean too with each shower having it’s own door with lock unlike the showers at the local gym. Right by a golf course and directly off 395 which wasn’t loud during the evening. There are hiking trails about a 30 minute drive away on Pine Creek Rd. They weren’t open when I was there due to the wildfires on the other side of the ridge. Great campground to stay for a couple days to see what Bishop has to offer.

Great Campground and location between Mammoth and June Lake. Once you drive in Glass Creek Rd, the campground splits in two sections. On the right you will have half the campground spots (25+), both shaded and sunny, near the creek and also out in the open. Cross a small bridge over the creek and you're in the other half of the campground on your left. Same situation, lots of campsites with plenty in sun and the outer ones with more shade. Plenty of RV spots and plenty that work for car-camping or tent camping. We have a 38' RV and there were plenty of options. No water in the campground but you can get as much as you need a mile or two down the road at the rest area along with dumpsters. For RVs: plenty of dump stations around. We used the Mammoth Community Water District dump station ($10 Donation Requested) and it worked great. Plenty of firewood to pick up around most of the sites. Had decent AT&T reception all around the campground. Had a bear visit our site a few times but we scared it away pretty easily. The camp hosts seem on top of the bear activity and are quick to respond to help scare it away. Had regular sheriff patrol the campground as well. No fees just a $10 donation requested that is optional. Lots of ATV and dirt bike activity but we weren't staying around camp during the day (hiking/climbing/swimming) so it didn't bother us. When it's quiet you'll hear traffic from 395 but we weren't bother by it much. Check out Hartley Cg just north of here if you need to get off the beaten path a bit more. Regulars say to come Monday or Tuesday if you want to have a good pick of sites around. We'll be back for sure!

The Eastern Sierra entrance to Yosemite National Park is short and sweet. From Hwy 395 it is only 12 miles. The turn off to drive to the front gate begins at a little town called Lee Vining. About 4-5 miles in you come to a campground sign and a road called Poole Power Plant just past the Inyo National Forest sign. You can only turn left. In front of you sits the name of two campsites. Moraine to the left and Big Bend to the right. Take a right and the campground sits about two miles up on a partially paved/dirt road. The road takes you past a beautiful meadow where deer come out at early morning and evening. You will pass another campground called Aspen Campground. This is a wonderful place with over 40 sites. However, Big Bend offers the same amenities with only 17 FC/FS sites. As you reached the unpaved section of road, you drive along Lee Vining Creek. It’s wonderful and full of trout. You can fish along the road there any time. You’ll reach Big Bend when you come to a small waterfall. I say small because I visited Yosemite this time, but it is a pretty good size. As you turn left into the campground you will find that 16 of the 17 sites are next to it within 50 ft of the creek. Fishing is so easy from the campground itself. The campground host was one of the nicest people I have ever met. Try to get to know him and he will tell you if the many things located close to the campground, like Beaver Pond within 20 minutes from the CG and a mountain spring creek with some of the best tasting water you’ll ever find within a 1/4 mile from Big Bend. With only 17 sites, the host is able to keep the bathrooms very clean and constantly check for any problems. He resides across to street from BB and checks at least 4 times a day to make sure all is well. If you drive a mile farther up the dirt road, at the end you will find a working power plant owned by SCE. It’s an old building and is in wonderful condition. Along the way you will find more spots to cast your line in. The campground isn’t that big and if it’s full it can feel crowded. However, the sites are well marked out and most are big enough for a 30’ trailer. For tent camping, it’s perfect! With only a few sites that are all FC/FS, you might find it hard to get in. We got there on a Monday and had about half the sites to choose from. When we left 7 days later, we had a line of 3 campers ready for sites to open up. All in all, this is one of the best CG to stay if you’re planning on going to Yosemite, being only 9 miles from the entrance and 6 miles to a place to get coffee and gas. Lee Vining town is a half mile farther. Along the way, there are so many other places to visit.