If you can get out here right after a good rain/snow storm passes through, you will not regret it. It's a pleasant hike to the campground, there's tons of trees around the lake, and though you have to camp on 1 side of the lake, there's lots of options. Definitely recommend a mid-Fall or Spring trip.

This is a very popular campsite, so it fills up quick, and gets crowded. But if you go in early/mid May, before the weather shapes up, you can have the feeling of having the whole lake to yourself. Just be ready for some cold nights!

This is a great campsite if you want to get out during the winter, but don't want to get stuck in deep snow. It's also great for beginners. The second time I visited this campsite, I brought a friend who was coming out for his first backpacking trip. The trail to get here is technical enough to be challenging and fun, without the high altitude lung busting that is usually necessary for dense tree areas.

When you get there you'll find several fire rings that can be used during safe seasons. Be sure to check with the Los Padres National Forest site to make sure you can have an open fire.

The creek here runs year round, so you can expect to find easy water access throughout the campsite.

Another big plus is the abundance of trees in this area. This worked out beautiful for my friend and I as we were hammock camping. But there are tons of tent sites available here too.

This is not an easy location to get to, but if you take the PCT High Trail, it's relatively easy. Still a ~8 mile hike in, but it's SO worth it.

The lake is beautiful at all times of day. Campsites are plentiful, but you need to look for them. You will find small trials leading off from the mail trail along the lake, and those will lead you to campsites.

Rangers are very picky about checking permits. We didn't see any rangers up there when we went, but that's the rumor. Also, lots of bears in this area. Again, we didn't see any, but we're always very careful about food storage.

This is such a great campsite. It was my first backpacking campsite, and I've revisited once since then. There are lots of established campsites and they're easy to find. Expect very high winds at night. Setup your camp behind established rock walls and trees and you'll be okay. Both times I've gone, I was in a hammock, and the wind was a bit of a problem.

The views from this campsite are amazing and there's a fresh spring just a 1/4 mile up the trail. It's not too far, and the hill isn't too steep, but it is a 9000ft elevation, so it's a bit of work. Well worth it though, and a fun place to stay.

This campsite has small sites that are right on top of each other. We had site #2 and we were right on top of our neighbors, and we could smell the toilets from everywhere in camp. They are pit toilets, and they stink.

Good news is, no bear sightings, especially since there are no bear bins. That's right, bring your own bear proof containers, because they're not provided here. The camp host told us there had been no sightings all year, and that we should be safe to leave our food in the car. We were only there two nights, but we didn't like that.

Overall, it's a cool and quiet campground. But the lack of space, and the stink make it not worth visiting.

This place is amazing. You'll be camping in an old Sequoia Grove that was milled. There are still a couple sequoias nearby that you can hike right up to, but even cooler are the giant stumps left over that you can right next to. We got site 17 out of 21 sites and it is THE BEST site in camp. Fair warning, this campsite is referred to as "Bear Ally" by the rangers because that's where they come up from the forest to come checkout food opportunities at camp. We only saw 1 adolescent bear the 5 days we were up there.

All campsites are First Come, First Served, so be sure to get there early.

This is a great campground. The sites are easy to get into and park. You usually have a lot of room to yourself. There are lots of trees for shade at camp. The lake is (generally) a short walk from camp. And you can even hike down the lake for 1/2 mile to the Hume Lake Christian Camp, where they have a visitor center, kayaks for rent, and even a general store with lots of food and supply options.

This is one of my favorite car camping sites, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

If you're camping here, you're going to see beautiful lakes and a giant waterfall that's just a short walk from any campsite. However, be prepared to be right on top of each other, without a lot of space.

The bathrooms have flushing toilets and running sinks, so they don't stink and aren't terrible to camp next to if you have to. (Site 11 was the only one left the second time I stayed here, but there was no bathroom smell).

This is a great campsite for backpackers getting to Mammoth lakes and acclimating to the altitude before setting off.