Pinecrest Campground

Status: Open for camping by reservation, with some first-come, first-serve sites available.  Reservations end October 10. Pinecrest may remain open for a short time after October 10 for first-come, first-serve camping.

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

A short five minute walk from beautiful Pinecrest Lake, the Pinecrest Campground offers almost 200 sites for a variety of tent, trailer, and RV camping for access to all the fishing, hiking, swimming, paddling, and enjoyment that Pinecrest has to offer. The area is mostly forested and each site has a paved parking pad, picnic table, and fire ring. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or online at Recreation.gov.

Know Before you go!

Meadowview Campground

Status: Open for first-come, first-serve camping through October 10, 2021

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

Meadowview is located right next to the Pinecrest Campground and is a short five minute walk from beautiful Pinecrest Lake. Meadowview offers a variety of tent, trailer, and RV camping with access to all the fishing, hiking, swimming, paddling and everything else that Pinecrest Lake is famous for. The area is mostly forested and each site has a paved parking pad, picnic table, and fire ring.

Brightman Complex Campgrounds

Status: Open for first-come, first-serve camping through October 10, 2021 (Boulder Flat and Brightman West are closed for the season).

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

These five campgrounds are small, offering 10 – 35 sites per campground, providing a true high country camping experience. Located on the banks of the Stanislaus River, 20 miles East of Pinecrest, these campgrounds are some of the highest on the Sonora Pass. This area offers some of the best fishing, hiking and scenery in the region. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.

The Brightman Complex is made up of the following 5 campgrounds (check each tab for pricing and dates of availability)

Fraser Flat Campground

Status: Open for first-come, first-serve camping through October 10, 2021

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

Fraser Flat is located approximately 10 miles below Pinecrest on the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. Fraser Flat is a picturesque campground located on a gently flowing section of the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. This campground has 38 sites, paved roads and parking pads, tables, fire rings, vault toilets and potable water. There are also 2 ADA accessible sites and 3 fishing piers on the river, one of which is ADA accessible. There are many Forest Service roads and trails in the area which provide access to the region's forest. Fraser Flat offers an interpretive program on a variety of topics including the History of the Tri Dam project, Mark Twain, and Campfire songs.

Pioneer Trail Campground

Status: Open for reservation only camping.

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

At this time, late fall and winter camping is not available at Pioneer Trail. We will update this page if we are able to make winter camping available at Pioneer Trail.

Summer Camping
Pioneer Trail is a group campground with 3 large sites capable of accommodating 50 – 100 people each, perfect for youth groups, family reunions, scouting groups, social groups etc. Parking areas are paved. Each site has multiple picnic tables and large fire rings for serious outdoor cooking.  It is a short walk down the hill to Pinecrest Lake and associated amenities. Reservations are required for this campground by calling (877) 444-6777 or online at Recreation.gov.

Winter Camping (mid-October to mid-April)
Pioneer Trail is also open for first-come-first-serve Winter Camping from Mid-October through Mid-April. Winter camping is free for groups of 25 or less. Please send an email to [email protected] to inform our staff of your planned arrival date.

Clark Fork Complex

Status: Open for first-come, first-serve camping through October 10, 2021

Fire restrictions will continue to be in place per forest order. These restrictions prohibit campfires, charcoal stoves, and smoking materials in the Forest.

Clark Fork and Sand Flat Campgrounds are situated along the Clark Fork banks of the Stanislaus River, 5 miles from the junction of Clark Fork Road and Highway 108. It is about 25 miles east of the Summit Ranger Station in Pinecrest.