- Stanislaus National Forest
The best camping in Stanislaus National Forest, CA
93% (173)
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Sabina
1 week ago
Tent
My husband and I had an amazing stay at this campsite! The bathrooms were extremely clean and well-maintained, with two separate restrooms each equipped with a sink. The showers had reliably hot water.
The campsite itself came with a picnic table and benches, a fire ring (with propane available to rent for an additional fee), and a nicely leveled area perfect for setting up tents. There were convenient small water stations nearby.
The views were beautiful, and the site was very easy to find thanks to the clear and detailed instructions from Leeza and Tom. They were incredibly responsive and diligent hosts, making the entire process—from locating the site to settling in—smooth and stress-free.
The location is also excellent: just about 40–50 minutes from the Yosemite entrance, making it a convenient and affordable option for exploring the park. For our first time camping in a car and visiting Yosemite, this was the ideal spot.
We really enjoyed our stay and are already planning to return. Perfect for a one-night weekend getaway from the city. Highly recommended! 🌲✨
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Ruth
2 weeks ago
29 ft Class C
With kids
Very quiet, basic campsite. We loved it!
The road to the campsite is narrow and a bit bumpy, but we made it with our 28ft motorhome.
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Rosalina
3 weeks ago
24 ft Class C
It was such a peaceful place. It's super clean and we just loved the beautiful nights with endless firewood!
Thank you for such a great experience!
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Molly
3 weeks ago
Tent
We love Red Tail Ranch! It’s beautiful and quiet and we will probably be back again!
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Garrett
3 weeks ago
Tent
Very peaceful and close to everything there is to do, if you want to go for a hike natural bridges is 15 minutes away
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Andy
3 weeks ago
Tent
Sierra Circles was wonderful! I had the camping area to myself due to the time of year and it was the perfect blend of a quiet experience in the woods that I was looking for and close enough to Murphy's to be able to pick up a few supplies. Check in was super easy and the hosts were very friendly and accommodating. I would definitely stay here again.
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Liss
3 weeks ago
24 ft campervan
With pets
The Hipcamp was perfect for our RV, we just pulled right up to the deck. No worries about rocks or stickers! Morning view with coffee was peaceful and the starry night was beyond words. The water fill station was convenient and the bathrooms were clean and comfortable. We came out to enjoy Yosemite and we were so close to the gate we lounged in the morning and got to the park so early we had the best parking space for our 24ft. Lastly, there are beautiful river spots on the way to Yosemite. Hope the review was helpful!
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Cam
3 weeks ago
20 ft campervan
Knowledgeable, well prepared and communicative. Hot showers and clean bathrooms and the views are STUNNING.
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Dennis
November 2025
25 ft travel trailer
Everything was awesome, only I forgot my water hose and Julie called and let me know. I picked it up the next time I was in the area.
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Kathy
November 2025
15 ft pop-up camper
With pets
Beautiful spot on the river. Michelle and the camp hosts there amazing. Clean space with great amenities. !!!! Michelle communication so great quick. and easy she is familiar with the area !!!
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Stefany
October 2025
Tent
With pets
Absolutely loved it! Such a beautiful, peaceful, and clean campsite!
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Dan
October 2025
21 ft Class B
We had a great time. Very private and quiet camping spot and we got a tour of the pottery buliding. Very interesting
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Brian
October 2025
15 ft travel trailer
With pets
This spot is an absolute gem! It’s so nicely appointed and private. Perfect spot as a home base to explore gold country! We will absolutely be back!
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Prem
October 2025
Tent
As usual, the site was very clean and bathrooms were kept well. We booked site 8, a bit higher up with views of the waterfall. Sleeping with the sound of gushing water is something you don't do everyday :)
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Polina
October 2025
16 ft car
Everything was just wonderful! Very close to the park entrance.
The shower, toilet, and the fact that there’s hot water — total game changer!!!
Such a beautiful and awesome campground. We’ll definitely come back again! ⛺️✨
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Anne
October 2025
22 ft travel trailer
Group trip
Pam, Dolores, Michel and crew make the stay at Sierra Circles/ Brice Station/ Quyle Pottery a multi-dimensional experience! Upon arrival, you immediately feel the love of 3 generations of folks who have worked on this land. Michel's incredible sculpture garden is on a beautiful knoll with great views of the area. The campsites are perfect for adventurous campers...RVs shouldn't expect hook-ups and level parking areas, but the artwork, dark skies and prolific bird life are worth it. Michel's sculptures change throughout the day as the sun migrates across the sky. A short walk down the hill takes you to the winery/tasting room, engulfed with Dolores's horticultural magic. Pam's pottery tour takes you back to another time. The music venue is sublime....we will definitely make another trip to see a show! Thank you so much for your warmth and gracious hosting! So many things to do nearby...visiting Big Trees, historic Murphy's and Columbia, wine tasting, etc. Plan to stay for at least 2 nights!
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Monica
October 2025
Tent
It was honestly the perfect spot. Beautiful views, warm and very clean showers and bathrooms. Close to the park and or a nice quiet weekend in groveland. Would definitely book with them again! Super responsive and kind!
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Magdalena
October 2025
25 ft campervan
We had such an amazing time! The campsite and surrounding area were spotless, and the river and landscape were absolutely beautiful. Terry was a fantastic host—friendly, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable about the local area and ecology. We’re definitely making this trip a yearly tradition!
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cédric
October 2025
24 ft Class C
We loved the stay! The view was great, the shower and toilet and drinking station super clean and very helpfull hosts - highly recommended!
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Jean
October 2025
30 ft Class C
This is by far the best place we have stayed on hipcamp. Beautiful, peaceful, private and easy to get to. We had a wonderful time with our dogs and will definitely be back!
See moreTop public campgrounds in the park
Stay at a public campground in Stanislaus National Forest
Top-rated campgrounds
The best camping in Stanislaus National Forest, CA guide
Overview
About
You must know about Stanislaus. Must. It is absolutely epic. With virtually the same appeal as the nearby Yosemite minus the crowds, Stanislaus is perched up in the high Sierra landscape. It stretches across 4 counties, has 78 lakes, 800 miles of rivers and streams, instagram-worthy swimming holes and waterfalls, lava tubes, caves, granite walls, and of course the amazing mountainscape. Sound cool yet? Yeah, you should probably pack your bags. We certainly are.
Notable campgrounds
- Best for amenities and families: The Pinecrest Campground at Pinecrest Lake offers plenty of amenities, including bike rentals and a sandy beach.
- Best for water access: The Utica/Union Reservoirs Campground offers four campgrounds across two lakes ideal for paddling.
- Best for large RVs and accessibility: The Lake Alpine Campgrounds offers space for RVs up to 50 feet and ADA-accessible sites.
Tips for snagging a campsite
- Most campgrounds are first-come, first-served. Arrive early to grab a campsite.
- For campgrounds that can be reserved, reserve a site as soon as possible, up to six months in advance for regular campsites and 12 months for groups.
- Be sure to check on seasonal opening and closing dates, which vary by campground.
When to go
Most developed campgrounds are open from May to October and fill up early over the summer, especially on weekends. Visit in the spring for wildflowers. Although some lakes are open for year-round fishing, trout season generally runs from late April to mid November. Some OHV trails are only open from April 15 to December 15. All floaters and rafters must have a permit between May 1 and October 15. Winter activities at the two ski resorts and four sno-parks in the forest are snow dependent.
Know before you go
- Wilderness permits are required for overnight trips into the Emigrant, Carson-Iceberg, and Mokelumne wilderness areas. Online permits are only available for certain trips and at certain times of the year.
- Campfire permits are required outside of developed campgrounds. Campfire wood is available for free below 9,000 feet. Be aware of fire restrictions.
- Permits are required for forest products, such as firewood for home and mushrooms. Christmas trees may not be cut from the forest.
- Anglers 16 and older must have a fishing license. Additional regulations apply for wild and scenic rivers.
Nearby attractions
Experience the thrill of whitewater rafting and relaxing fishing sessions when camping near Tuolumne River. With ruggedly beautiful landscapes and diverse wildlife, the Tuolumne River camping experience is truly one for the outdoor enthusiast’s bucket list.
93%
173 ratings · 51 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
A little slice of River heaven
Tent · With pets · Group trip ·
Pigeon Flat Campground
This is a walk-in campground, meaning you cannot drive directly to your site. That being said, it’s worth the effort! There are maybe 6-7 sites, and no 1 is the biggest and best. 4 sites are right along the river and you can’t even hear the traffic from highway 108 when you are on the river. We stayed for 3 nights, but most folks used it as a one night stopover perhaps on the way to backpacking? We had a huge shady area next to camp where we posted up for two days along the river with hammocks, books and snacks and were never more satisfied! We did the short trail at the parking lot to see the geologic wonder of the Giant Columns which was very interesting. Lots of birds to see (osprey especially), not many bugs, fires allowed in the pits even in mid July. If you’re up for hauling your gear down a dirt path, this place is golden and much calmer than the nearby big campgrounds
Shannon H.
16 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Perfect little spot by the Pinecrest Lake
15 ft RV · With pets ·
Pinecrest Campground
we lucked out with a spot right by the lake, which made it even better with the nice cold breeze! the park ranger/host was also super cool and friendly—really added to the good vibes. would definitely come back! 🌲💛
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Axl Rose S.
2 reviews
Didn’t get in.
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Jeanne T.
6 reviews
Secluded space, flat, plenty of shade, the creek and the small waterfalls are just beautiful, less than 30 min from the south entrance of Yosemite.
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Patrizia R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2023
Perfect campground
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M M.
2 years on Hipcamp
August 2023
Toilets are full to the brim and the camp host is a psychopath thief.
Beware of this guy, he is not whom he appears and has no problem stealing and deceiving you.
NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME !
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Leroy M.
2 years on Hipcamp
July 2021
I have a reserved spot for one night. One of the reviewers left a message 4 years ago that there were some walk up spots. Does anyone know if that is still true? Thanks! Rich
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Richard S.
4 years on Hipcamp
June 2021
Question: so, you don’t actually backpack to this campground? Do you just park your car outside the campground and walk in? So it’s car camping…without the car in your immediate camp spot?
Mel G.
4 years on Hipcamp
May 2021
Good stuff!
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Jaume A.
4 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2021
I hesitate to review this campsite because one of it's positives is that it's reasonably bookable! But I do love this campground. The sites are perfectly located, near to Lake Alpine but not on it (which is where the people who want to party tend to be). A groomed trail (a little under a mile) leads from the campground to the lake. Two things to be aware of -- you will need to be bear-safe with your food storage, and bears regularly ramble through the sites (like Yosemite).
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Vickie J.
5 years on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· September 2020
Already left a review, but wasn't given the choice to recommend or not. Definitely a NO unless you like the adventure of quickly coming up with a 'Plan B' when campsites are full on a Thursday or when you realize you don't have enough water to make it through the week (hand pump was broken). Must love difficult roads, mosquitos, intense hail storms in August, total 'roughing it' to like this place. Yes it is beautiful, but there are much better places to go.
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Jan L.
5 years on Hipcamp
September 2020
experienced campers - I do not recommend this place. Thought this was going to be the perfect beautiful get away for our extended weekend. What we found was a run-down campground in serious need of repairs. Picnic tables smashed into the mud or legs broken off, the water pump out of service, the outhouse broken down and not venting properly.... We were grateful we got there early in the week as the place was packed out by Thursday afternoon; I felt badly for all the campers driving in Thursday night through Saturday looking for a place to camp. This place is remote with 6 miles of bad road to get to it, and the nearest cell-service a 1.25 hour drive away (or hike to the top of a nearby peak. Heaven forbid if you have an emergency.
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Jan L.
5 years on Hipcamp
September 2020
Difficult to get to and no amenities other than broken down pit toilets and snow-crushed picnic tables. The water pump is broken, so pack in all water. We experienced the most violent, frightening thunder/hail storm of our lives up there in July. It's high and unprotected, and the only refuge from the storm was the car. It's beautiful, but be prepared to literally be one with nature and all the elements can throw at you.
Holly B.
5 years on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· August 2020
Stayed with husband and young daughter on July 31st. Campsite was nice and spacious. Area is very pretty and wooded. Unfortunately there was a group in site 37 that stayed up until 3:30am partying with loud music. The campground hosts did not make any attempt to quiet the group. We complained the next morning and were told that one of the managers had not felt well, fell asleep and did not do rounds. I was sorry the manager hadn’t felt well, but there were two people managing the campground so I didn’t understand why one of them couldn’t do rounds. People talking past quiet hours is not an issue for me, I bring ear plugs in case there is a lot of chatter, but blasting music until 3:30am is unacceptable. It was terrible experience.
Jennifer S.
5 years on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· July 2020
Beautiful spot with a ton of potential. Unfortunately the camp host doesn't seem to have much pride in their land. The entire campground was littered in garbage. You couldn't walk more than 6 ft without seeing garbage. We had to spend 20 min walking our site picking up trash before we could unload our truck. The bathrooms work, but are disgusting.
Cheryl E.
9 years on Hipcamp
September 2019
Awesome campsite, lots of different sites to choose from. The river is healthy and the water is flowing fast as of Sept 2019.
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Jordan B.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2019
Great spot and campsites are spread out. The river is a 3-4 minute walk from most sites.
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Jordan B.
6 years on Hipcamp
April 2019
I forgot to add there is a trail to the Lake from Cherry Valley Campground. It's about a 1/2 mile to the lake. There is also a very cool waterfall next to that trail. The trail does get steep in spots especially in dryer years. That shouldn't be the case this year!! Once upon a time, there was a rope swing at the end of the trail. The lake is quite cool early in the season with it getting much warmer by August.
I can not emphasize enough that we are stewards of these places. Show respect and clean up after yourself. If you are wilderness camping, make sure to research field sanitation. So many people go up here and have no idea of what do to with their waste!
Be advised people do target shoot up here. Hopefully, they follow the rules
Don A.
6 years on Hipcamp
April 2019
The Cherry Valley Campground does take reservations and it has "hosts" who collect fees and empty trash. There are bears so use the bear lockers!! No kidding!!!!
I haven't camped in the camp ground for 20 years because I prefer to wilderness camp. If that's for you, I suggest Jawbone Falls which isn't far from Cherry Lake. I camp, next to Jawbone Creek. It is a pack your trash out situation. Seriously. That means your brass as well!!!
From Tuolumne take forest road 1N04 to forest road 2N22. Take 2N22 all the way until it Ts into 2N08Y. Turn right and the falls are to your right about 1 mile. Make sure you clean up after yourself!! I, personally, clean up as much trash as I can bring back with me. Honor the native people who lived there.
Don A.
6 years on Hipcamp
April 2019
I've been camping up here for over 35 years!! Here's what you need to know:
The campground gets full on holidays. On the spillway side of the damn there are lots of free camping spots and port-a-poties
If you have the equipment, you can wilderness camp anywhere. No camping next to the lake unless you have a boat. Campsites in the campground cost like 20 bucks. If you like campgrounds, it's nice campground. Lake access is limited to the boat ramp area and on the opposite side of the damn. The shore is very rocky and steep. There is an island in the lake if you have a boat. There are no stores or gas stations so you need to gas up at Buck Meadow on hwy 120 or the Black Oak Casino if you come up from Sonora. Very little cellular reception
Don A.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2019
It's named Mosquito Lakes for a reason, bring bug spray!
Chris H.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· January 2019
Pack in all your own water, food, and firewood. There are no services for miles.
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Mandy S.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2018
Great campsite for the weekend. Very kid friendly and an awesome place to swim in the summer
Nora V.
4 reviews
July 2018
Great little out of the spot away from the busy campsites. Its situated along OHV trails which is nice if you use them however the dust is pretty bad. Campsites look roomy and not compacted next to each other.
The walk to the reservoir is about .5 miles from camp and is a very easy walk. Be sure to use some bug spray before venturing out. The mosquitoes are relentless and are all over this time of year "July-September".
In all great little spot for the OHV families and plenty of trails to visit.
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Brandon T.
7 years on Hipcamp
June 2018
Nice quiet campground away from the crowds at the lake. Hosts were very friendly, informative, and kept the facilities clean. One can either walk about 15-20min to the lake or drive out there in about 5 minutes. Definitely a lot of activities from swimming, fishing, hiking and off road trails nearby. There are also a couple of places from Bear valley to the Lake Alpine Lodge that rent out equipment. Coin operated Showers and Laundromat located at Lake Alpine lodge. Only downside was it was closer to the road than expected.
Jonathan V.
7 years on Hipcamp
April 2018
We started camping here years ago and it used to be our goto camp ground. It used to be very nice. In the past 5 years it has gone down hill steadily! Extremely crowded and camp hosts do not enforce max people per campsite. It suppose to be 6 people per site. There are consistently 12-15 people per site on the weekends. They also do not enforce noisy campers past 10pm. The past 3 years it has been so bad we won't return!
Julie P.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2017
Bring your bathing suit! Awesome swimming hole behind the bottom campsites.
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Kristin S.
8 years on Hipcamp
September 2017
This is a fine little campground located right on the Stanislaus River. There are two walking campsites, 1 & 2, that are great if you're tent camping and don't mind walking with your gear down into the sites. These two sites are right on the river and fairly secluded from the rest of the campground. The rest of the sites are good but the river side one's are wonderful but hard to get I'm sure. Three out houses are clean and there is water. Your 1/3 mile from the Kennedy Meadows resort with showers and a restaurant which I hear is good.
B Douglas J.
4 reviews
Recommends
· July 2017
bears
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Zan S.
2 reviews
Mixed feelings
· June 2017
It is very crowded with kids and teenagers.
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Katie C.
8 years on Hipcamp