Best Campgrounds near Topaz, CA

Five couples took over the far end of Obsidian Campground to celebrate my wife's birthday for a couple nights.  The elevation in this part of the Sierra's is a great way to beat the August heat.  We were at sites 12, 13 and 14 with our custom van, a Sportsmobile, trailer, fifth wheel, and a tent.  Campground had one other campsite occupied, so basically just us.  Easy access two miles off US 395 by gravel road.   It is know as an infrequently utilized destination.

The trailhead for Molybdenite Creek is just past site 14.  One day we took this trail about 2-1/2 miles up a canyon that leads into the Hoover Wilderness on the North East boundary of Yosemite National Park.  The next day we did the 1 mile hike to Emma Lake, also in the Hoover Wilderness.  Take a vehicle from the campground up the road another 2 miles to the Emma Lake trailhead.  See photos.

Right off the main road with minimal traffic noise. So beautiful, open, and feels safe. Late March is hot in the day and a little cool at night. Family friendly.

We came for an overnight after a run of wet weather and it was a little bit muddy. We were prepared for it and the host and helped us pick a good spot so ended up not making any difference. The alpacas were plentiful, the views were good and it made for a good night.

Found this on iOverland. The toad leading up, cuts through a nice neighborhood, has many inverse speed bumps, so take it slow. Once you get to the area you’re navigation tells you you have to walk from there, keep driving through, in between the water tanks and it’ll start to get a little rough, but manageable, even for a small fwd vehicle (saw one in the morning). The sign says closed during the winter, but there were people still coming to hike and explore. Very quiet night, just the water from for the fenced off collection pool system going all the time. Just stayed one night. Arrived at dusk and left after breakfast.

Came on a Saturday around 4pm, there were 2 other campers other than me so it wasn’t busy at all. No service for at&t. Overall had a good stay here with my 2 dogs

Camped here for what we thought would be a couple of nights for an event. However, event was canceled due to massive wild fire (air quality index was horrible, so stayed 1 night and left ASAP next morning). Campground is right on the main drag through town and just across the street and a short walk to the lake, although the lake does not permit dogs in this area. Nice walking/biking paths, but heavily commercial district means lots of traffic going by. Site (#E06) is huge with enough space for several RVs, but we parked sideways adjacent to the picnic table and had spot near to bathrooms/showers which are clean but a bit ragged around the edges. 

Food aside: Dinner of Curly's pork with cheese and Hatch green chile tortillas. Good to come back here at some point when not high season and can stay more in camping zone, this is a pretty commercial district.

We stayed one night on our way through the area. Spot was nice level and clean. We loved the bike paths all though out the area. Rode In to south Tahoe and had a great experience.

If you ever want to get away from it all, here is where it might be found. This gorgeous and sprawling campground close to the tiny resort hamlet of Twin Lakes is worth the drive.  We came for a night or two and stayed nearly a week.

With many FCFS campsites along the loop above the river and among Jeffery’s Pine trees and Sierra sagebrush, you can find a quiet space to set up a beautiful camp. The sites are huge and lots of space in between them.  They are designed for any rig size that is set up for off-grid camping, with double sites for small groups.  Almost all of the sites have a wide open sky and lots of sun for good solar gain and strong Starlink, so no need for a generator.

The river is only a short walk away from any of the campsites, so fishing and cooling off are always an option, and you can start a handful of hikes right from the campground.  The lower lake of the twins is walkable as well, at about 1.25 miles away. 

The vault toilets were sparkling clean and well-maintained by the camp hosts. Showers were available for purchase at the nearby RV park. The town of Twin Lakes has a small grocery store at the marina with a few things -- a bit better than a convenience store, but not by much.  At the top of the upper lake, there is a small restaurant located at the other RV park.

There’s lots of water activity opportunities to do in this part of the world, but check the boat regulations as there are speed limitations.  Fishing, paddling, and SUP’s are all great here, but it can get REALLY windy so plan accordingly.

Hiking is amazing on the many trails which take you to the higher elevations. Wilderness backcountry travel looks delightful, but we only went on day-hikes. Multi-day backpackers can park in the upper lake marina lot for a fee.  With so many trails and OHV trails nearby, this is also a great campground to bring your mountain bike or other toys.

Standard dispersed camping on national forest land. Paved main road with dirt roads and areas for camping branching off. Plenty of room. Some areas have beautiful views of strawberry valley!

Nice peaceful spot. Few cars go by, but it’s tucked away enough.