Federal Campgrounds in California
Federal coverage only. This directory lists campgrounds on federal land (Forest Service, Park Service, BLM, Corps of Engineers and other agencies) from the Recreation.gov RIDB export. State-park, county and private/KOA campgrounds are out of scope.
California contains approximately 700 federal campgrounds offering roughly 17,829 overnight sites across a diverse landscape of mountains, deserts, coastlines, and forests. These facilities are managed by five federal agencies: the U.S. Forest Service operates the largest network with 540 campgrounds, followed by the National Park Service with 88, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with 37, the Bureau of Land Management with 30, and the Bureau of Reclamation with 4. This overview covers federal campgrounds only; state parks and private campgrounds are not included here.
Visitors can reserve sites at approximately 519 of these federal campgrounds through Recreation.gov, the official federal recreation reservation system. For the most current information on site availability, amenities, and booking options, check Recreation.gov directly. California's federal campground network serves backpackers, RV travelers, families, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking access to public lands managed by the federal government.
How to read the California directory
Use this page as a starting map of federal camping in California: the agency split tells you whether you're mostly looking at national-forest sites, park-service grounds or Corps-of-Engineers lakeside camps, and the busiest rec areas below point to where the campgrounds cluster. Every name links to its live Recreation.gov page for current site counts, photos and booking.
| Rec area / forest | Campgrounds |
|---|---|
| Eldorado National Forest | 39 |
| Stanislaus National Forest | 28 |
| Sequoia National Forest | 28 |
| Nevada City | 25 |
| San Bernardino National Forest | 21 |
| Inyo National Forest | 18 |
| Sierra National Forest | 17 |
| Lassen National Forest | 15 |
Common questions
How many federal campgrounds are in California?
700 in this directory, with about 17,829 overnight sites, across national forests, parks, Corps of Engineers and other federal land. State and private campgrounds are not included.
Are these campgrounds reservable?
519 of the 700 take reservations through Recreation.gov; the remainder are generally first-come, first-served. Confirm on the facility's Recreation.gov page before you travel.
Largest federal campgrounds in California
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground · National Park Service · 308 sites · Yosemite National Park
- Upper Pines Campground · National Park Service · 240 sites · Yosemite National Park
- Fallen Leaf Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 208 sites · South Lake Tahoe
- Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park · National Park Service · 206 sites · Three Rivers
- Logger Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 205 sites · Truckee
- Dorst Creek Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park · National Park Service · 204 sites · Three Rivers
- Pinecrest · U.S. Forest Service · 196 sites · Pinecrest
- Manzanita Lake · National Park Service · 180 sites · Mineral
- Sunset-Union Valley · U.S. Forest Service · 178 sites · Eldorado National Forest
- Table Mountain (Angeles) · U.S. Forest Service · 177 sites · Wrightwood
- Bushay Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 166 sites · Mendocino Lake
- Tuttletown Recreation Area · Bureau of Reclamation · 163 sites · Sonora
- Sunset Campground (Ca) · National Park Service · 156 sites · Three Rivers
- Crane Flat Campground · National Park Service · 151 sites · Yosemite National Park
- Glory Hole Recreation Area · Bureau of Reclamation · 144 sites · Sonora
- Oh Ridge · U.S. Forest Service · 143 sites · Mammoth Lakes
- Big Meadow (Stanislaus National Forest) · U.S. Forest Service · 137 sites · Stanislaus National Forest
- Tillie Creek · U.S. Forest Service · 137 sites · Sequoia National Forest
- East Fork Campground – Inyo National Forest (Ca) · U.S. Forest Service · 134 sites · Inyo National Forest
- Pinnacles Campground · National Park Service · 134 sites · Paicines
- Furnace Creek Campground · National Park Service · 130 sites · Death Valley
- Acorn Campground · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 128 sites · Valley Springs
- Rancheria · U.S. Forest Service · 128 sites · Sierra National Forest
- Burnt Rancheria · U.S. Forest Service · 124 sites · Mt. Laguna
- Jumbo Rocks Campground · National Park Service · 124 sites · Twentynine Palms
Ranked by overnight-site count from RIDB; “n/a” means the site count isn’t published (often a first-come or dispersed area). Each name opens the Recreation.gov facility page.
Compare every managing agency → · Reservable vs first-come in California → · Choosing a California campground →
Compiled from the federal RIDB export, verified June 2026. How we compile this. Confirm current details on Recreation.gov.