CAMPANAC.Powered by public lands intelligenceMore Than Just Parks

U.S. Forest Service · Stanislaus National Forest · CA

Pinecrest

Reservable, and full this SaturdayEvery one of the 193 sites on offer is taken this Saturday, and the record lists no site held back for a walk-up. read 15:53 UTC

We don’t think it should be. Every campground should hold some sites for whoever drives up.Tell your representative →

Watch for a cancellation Book on recreation.gov ↗

Right now: OpenListed open; its database flags it not open
A night: $40From, per site
Sites: 196All of them booked ahead
Season: April 1 – October 31Open April 1 through October 31

Photos · Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort

48 ftLongest rig

5,600 ftElevation

1,479 ftWater · Pinecrest Lake

14.8 miNE of Twain Harte, CA

56%Tree cover

Open April 1 through October 31Today

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 4 notices

In the agency’s own words

Pinecrest features a large campground by Pinecrest Lake, just 30 miles east of Sonora, at an elevation of 5600 feet. The area includes a day-use beach and a marina, a small shopping center and recreation cabins. The campground caters to all ages and is within walking distance of the lake, an amphitheater, visitor center, swimming beach and spectacular hiking trails. Pets are welcome, but must be compliant with Tuolumne County leash laws. Keep reading

Recreation

The Pinecrest Lake National Recreation Trail takes hikers on an easy 4-mile stroll around Pinecrest Lake. Rainbow trout is a common catch in the lake and swimming is enjoyed at the sandy beach. Educational programs are also a highlight of the recreation area. Bike rentals are on hand so campers can bike around the area.

Facilities

Amenities for each site includes a paved parking pad, picnic table and campfire ring. Drinking water is handy and restrooms have flush toilets, sinks and a utility sink. No RV hookups area available and no showers. At the entrance of the campground is a kiosk to help with additional questions and where campground reservation check in will happne. Ice and fire wood is for sale here.

Natural Features

Many campsites are shaded by trees and sit near the southwest side of the 300-acre Pinecrest Lake in Stanislaus National Forest. In this beautiful mountain landscape, wildlife viewing opportunities include marmots, squirrels, coyotes and deer. Stanislaus National Forest is situated in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. The area boasts gorgeous views of snow-capped mountain peaks and California's Great Central Valley.

Nearby Attractions

Located in the nearby area are several activities. There are ample hiking trails, horseback riding, fishing, mountain bike riding, and water activities. Pinecrest lake is a boating and swimming recreation area with restaurants, stores, boat rentals, and an outdoor movie theater. Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort is a ski area in the winter and in the summer is a basecamp for mountain biking, hiking, and a great indoor/outdoor BBQ. Aspen Meadow Pack Station is three miles from Pinecrest Lake and offers horseback rides and trail head for hiking. Kennedy Meadows is 30 miles east of Pinecrest and offers great river access for fishing, horse bike rides, hiking, and restaurants. Sonora Pass, a scenic winding highway that has guided people across the Sierra Nevada since 1852, is located nearby.

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

What the agency tells you

Rule

Welcome to Pinecrest.

Rule

CAMPGROUND RULES & REGULATIONS Operated By Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort Under Special Use Permit From Stanislaus National Forest CAMPERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING AND ABIDING ALL INNKEEPER RULES CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT Check-In: 2 P.M. | Check-Out: 11 A.M. Leave Site Clean And Free Of Debris. Reservations: Will Be Checked Into Reserved Site at 2 P.M. Walk-Up Reservations: Select From Available Posted Sites Only. Do Not Register For Occupied Sites. Failure To Register/Pay Within 30 Minutes May Result In Fines And/Or Eviction. Your Official Receipt Must Be Completely Filled Out And Posted At Your Campsite Available For Inspection. Your Campsite Must Be Occupied (Slept In) The First Night; Camping Gear (Tent, RV) Must Stay Set Up To Show Your Site Is Occupied. NO SAVING SITES Maximum Stay: 14 Days for Any Person Or Group. This Includes Camping Equipment. CAPACITY LIMITS Max Of 6 People Per Site. Up To 2 Licensed Vehicles Per Site (Includes Cars, Travel Trailers, Boats, Utility Trailers, Etc.). 3 Tents Or 1 Rv/Trailer + 1 Tent Per Site. VEHICLES Speed Limit: 5 Mph. All Vehicles, Including Trailers, Must Be Parked Behind White Line With All Tires On The Parking Pad. Overflow Parking Available At Pinecrest School Rd Access From Dodge Ridge Rd. (see map) EMPTY CAMSITES MAY NOT BE USED FOR PARKING. Off-Highway Vehicles Or Other Unregistered/Unlicenced Vehicles Are Not Allowed In The Campground. Riding In The Back Of A Truck Is Prohibited Under C.A Law CVC23116(A) All C.A State Vehicle Laws Apply In Campground Roadways. SANITATION & WATER No Water Hookups For Trailers/RVs. Potable Water Is For Small Containers (5 Gallons Or Less). DO NOT CONNECT ANYTHING TO WATER SPIGOTS In Campgrounds. No Bathing, Cleaning Fish Or Dishwashing At Water Spigots. Dishwashing Is Only Allowed In Utility Sinks At Restrooms. Do Not Drain RV Sewage Onto The Ground. Gray Water May Be Collected In A Container, Filtered And Dispersed Over The Forest Floor, Away From The Camping Area. Dump Station Located On HWY 108. Dispose Of All Trash INSIDE Of Dumpsters With The Lid Closed And Locked. Do Not Leave Garbage Outside Of The Dumpsters. If Trash Does Not Fit In Container, Pack It Out. NOISE Quiet Hours Are From 10 P.M. To 6 A.M. No Loud Noises (Music, Conversations, Dogs, Etc.). Day Use Areas And Beaches Are Closed During These Hours. Generators: Limited To Up To 3 Hours Per Day Between 8 A.M. And 8 P.M. Chainsaw Use: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. For Cutting Firewood Only. No Cutting Of Standing/Live Trees. ADDITIONAL RULES Dogs: Never Leave Unattended Or Unleashed. Clean Up After Your Dog. Pets Are Not Allowed On Beaches. Skateboards/Rollerblades: Not Allowed. Bikes/Scooters Follow One-Way Signs-18 Helmets Required Campfires: Must Be Contained In Fire Rings With Minimal Flame And Attended By An Adult At All Times. Daytime Fires Are Discouraged. Only Dead And Downed Wood Within Campground Limits May Be Collected For Campfires. Do Not Use Nails/Axes In Trees. Hammocks May Be Hung With Rope Only. Do Not Move Picnic Tables Or Make Tarp Walls Around Campsites.

Rule

Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov.

Everything else this campground posts · 1

Rule

For more information on Stanislaus National Forest, click here

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Source: recreation.gov facility notices, quoted verbatim · Sep 9, 2026

Tents and rigs

Sites: 196
Hookups: None
Longest rig: 48 ft
Paved pads: All
Accessible sites: None listed
Pets: Allowed
Campfires: Allowed, barring fire bans
Shade: 195 of 196 sites

Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets: Flush Toilets; “…water is handy and restrooms have flush toilets, sinks and a utility sink. No RV hookups area…”
Showers: None at this campground; “No RV hookups area available and no showers.”
Drinking water: Yes; “…pad, picnic table and campfire ring. Drinking water is handy and restrooms have flush toilets, sinks…”
Camp host: On site; recreation.gov lists “Host”

Source: read from the agency description, shown above · Sep 12, 2026

Around the campground

On the water: Lake, River, Beach, Meadow; Biking; Boating; Disc Golf; Evening Programs; Fishing; Hiking; Historic site; Horseback riding; Ranger programs; Kayaking; Mountain biking; Ranger Station; Swimming; Water access
Night sky · 532nd darkest of 1,201 in CA: Bortle 3

Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

Night sky: VIIRS Day/Night Band annual cloud-free composite, VNL V2 2024 (Earth Observation Group, Colorado School of Mines), read at the published coordinate · Sep 8, 2026

Full this Saturdayread 15:53 UTC

How full the weekend is nationally.

OpenBooked

Every one of the 193 sites on offer is taken this Friday and Saturday. 183 are free on Mon, Oct 19. read 15:53 UTC Why the weekend fills and the week doesn’t

Booking windowThrough October 19Bookable now through October 19, 2026, the end of the reservable season. On November 7, 2026 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 7, 2027.recreation.gov Add to calendar (.ics)

A night$40plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule

A weekend$88DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above

If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservationrecreation.gov’s schedule

Runs itU.S. Forest ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record

Watch for a cancellation

Watch this campground

One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.

Tell me when the season opens

Watch for the season to open

One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.

Book on recreation.gov ↗

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 12

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Forest Service

A night$40

Standard Nonelectric$40

Rates for the season the campground is in now, May 7, 2026 to Oct 19, 2026.

The booking feerecreation.gov

Reservation fee, booked online$8

One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.

Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.

What a stay costs

One nightDerived$48

A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$88

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $40 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.

If your plans changerecreation.gov

Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10

Cancellation fee$10

Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night

No-show$20 + your first night

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 5

Sign price: recreation.gov facility rate schedule, quoted as the agency publishes it · Sep 10, 2026

Booking fee, change fee, cancellation fee, no-show: Rules and Reservation Policies, Recreation.gov, the published fee schedule, curated by hand into lib/reservation-fee-schedule.json (9 rows, each carrying its own verbatim sentence). The publisher states these policies were last updated September 2019. · Sep 9, 2026

The two totals: Derived by CAMPANAC by adding the agency’s own published nightly rate to recreation.gov’s own published reservation fee. Both components are cited above; the addition is ours and is shown only where every component is known. · Sep 9, 2026

Who keeps the booking fee: Recreation.gov facility policy text, Dead Swede Campground (facility 234221) · Not on the national policy page. This is agency policy text recreation.gov publishes on individual campground pages; this site holds it verbatim on 45 active campgrounds (campground_rules.cancellation_description, scripts/load-facility-rules.mjs). · Sep 9, 2026

The contract: Reservation Gods: Who Stole Our Campsites and Sold Them Back to Us, More Than Just Parks, April 2025 · Apr 1, 2025

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

recreation.gov availability, read 15:53 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

196 sites · which ones have room · the site map

The sites, ranked

from 196 mapped sites

68 ftbetween you and the next site, typically

Most roomE001 125 ftA001 123 ftA002 115 ftA059 108 ftC004 99 ft

Least roomD032 25 ftD033 25 ftD026 45 ft

Source: Derived by CAMPANAC from recreation.gov per-site coordinates (nearest-neighbor distance) · Oct 12, 2026

All 196 sites

196 of 196 sites located

Standard196

Aerial · Esri World Imagery

Sites: recreation.gov (RIDB), coordinates as published · Aug 23, 2026

Imagery: Esri World Imagery

SleepsTakes aUp to

Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 196 of the 196 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.

The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 196 of the 196 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.


A	A001	standard nonelectric	30 ft	123 ft	1,896 ft	763 ft	$40
A	A002	standard nonelectric	30 ft	114 ft	2,018 ft	878 ft	$40
A	A003	standard nonelectric	30 ft	85 ft	2,075 ft	913 ft	$40
A	A004	standard nonelectric	30 ft	84 ft	2,128 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	990 ft	$40
A	A005	standard nonelectric	30 ft	64 ft	2,047 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	994 ft	$40
A	A006	standard nonelectric	30 ft	80 ft	2,059 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,061 ft	$40
A	A007	standard nonelectric	30 ft	64 ft	1,986 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,040 ft	$40
A	A008	standard nonelectric	30 ft	71 ft	1,967 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,121 ft	$40
A	A009	standard nonelectric	30 ft	74 ft	1,914 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,092 ft	$40
A	A010	standard nonelectric	30 ft	71 ft	1,898 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,170 ft	$40
A	A011	standard nonelectric	40 ft	76 ft	1,840 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,141 ft	$40
A	A012	standard nonelectric	30 ft	80 ft	1,807 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,225 ft	$40
A	A013	standard nonelectric	40 ft	64 ft	1,745 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,189 ft	$40
A	A014	standard nonelectric	30 ft	64 ft	1,731 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,248 ft	$40
A	A015	standard nonelectric	25 ft	77 ft	1,662 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,155 ft	$40
A	A016	standard nonelectric	30 ft	77 ft	1,736 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,088 ft	$40
A	A017	standard nonelectric	40 ft	51 ft	1,632 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,263 ft	$40
A	A018	standard nonelectric	40 ft	51 ft	1,591 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,268 ft	$40
A	A019	standard nonelectric	40 ft	73 ft	1,539 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,259 ft	$40
A	A020	standard nonelectric	35 ft	73 ft	1,576 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,190 ft	$40
A	A021	standard nonelectric	40 ft	61 ft	1,476 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,246 ft	$40
A	A022	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,525 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,185 ft	$40
A	A023	standard nonelectric	40 ft	83 ft	1,426 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,231 ft	$40
A	A024	standard nonelectric	30 ft	83 ft	1,480 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,154 ft	$40
A	A025	standard nonelectric	40 ft	80 ft	1,421 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,166 ft	$40
A	A026	standard nonelectric	40 ft	80 ft	1,380 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,233 ft	$40
A	A027	standard nonelectric	40 ft	69 ft	1,292 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,178 ft	$40
A	A028	standard nonelectric	40 ft	64 ft	1,342 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,112 ft	$40
A	A029	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,352 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,054 ft	$40
A	A030	standard nonelectric	40 ft	61 ft	1,318 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	1,033 ft	$40
A	A031	standard nonelectric	30 ft	86 ft	1,348 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	951 ft	$40
A	A032	standard nonelectric	30 ft	47 ft	1,439 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	841 ft	$40
A	A033	standard nonelectric	30 ft	47 ft	1,416 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	826 ft	$40
A	A034	standard nonelectric	40 ft	93 ft	1,503 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	735 ft	$40
A	A035	standard nonelectric	30 ft	60 ft	1,510 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	807 ft	$40
A	A036	standard nonelectric	40 ft	60 ft	1,564 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	754 ft	$40
A	A037	standard nonelectric	30 ft	59 ft	1,674 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	793 ft	$40
A	A038	standard nonelectric	30 ft	59 ft	1,720 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	783 ft	$40
A	A039	standard nonelectric	30 ft	64 ft	1,752 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	770 ft	$40
A	A040	standard nonelectric	30 ft	49 ft	1,670 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	897 ft	$40
A	A041	standard nonelectric	30 ft	49 ft	1,709 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	880 ft	$40
A	A042	standard nonelectric	30 ft	66 ft	1,547 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	892 ft	$40
A	A043	standard nonelectric	30 ft	66 ft	1,585 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	924 ft	$40
A	A044	standard nonelectric	40 ft	71 ft	1,540 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	999 ft	$40
A	A045	standard nonelectric	40 ft	66 ft	1,604 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	952 ft	$40
A	A046	standard nonelectric	40 ft	59 ft	1,641 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	988 ft	$40
A	A047	standard nonelectric	30 ft	59 ft	1,665 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	996 ft	$40
A	A048	standard nonelectric	40 ft	68 ft	1,756 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	924 ft	$40
A	A049	standard nonelectric	40 ft	62 ft	1,710 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	990 ft	$40
A	A050	standard nonelectric	30 ft	62 ft	1,755 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	982 ft	$40
A	A051	standard nonelectric	40 ft	73 ft	1,849 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	905 ft	$40
A	A052	standard nonelectric	30 ft	73 ft	1,855 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	953 ft	$40
A	A053	standard nonelectric	30 ft	73 ft	1,929 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	865 ft	$40
A	A054	standard nonelectric	30 ft	76 ft	1,929 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	923 ft	$40
A	A055	standard nonelectric	40 ft	73 ft	1,991 ft	808 ft	$40
A	A056	standard nonelectric	40 ft	76 ft	2,004 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	888 ft	$40
A	A057	standard nonelectric	30 ft	83 ft	1,947 ft	769 ft	$40
A	A058	standard nonelectric	40 ft	77 ft	2,014 ft	840 ft	$40
A	A059	standard nonelectric	30 ft	108 ft	1,927 ft	763 ft	$40
B	B002	standard nonelectric	40 ft	78 ft	1,824 ft	648 ft	$40
B	B003	standard nonelectric	40 ft	78 ft	1,748 ft	571 ft	$40
B	B004	standard nonelectric	40 ft	64 ft	1,806 ft	623 ft	$40
B	B005	standard nonelectric	40 ft	64 ft	1,742 ft	558 ft	$40
B	B006	standard nonelectric	40 ft	71 ft	1,818 ft	637 ft	$40
B	B007	standard nonelectric	40 ft	71 ft	1,751 ft	572 ft	$40
B	B008	standard nonelectric	30 ft	67 ft	1,814 ft	646 ft	$40
B	B009	standard nonelectric	30 ft	67 ft	1,748 ft	582 ft	$40
B	B010	standard nonelectric	30 ft	58 ft	1,770 ft	629 ft	$40
B	B011	standard nonelectric	40 ft	58 ft	1,714 ft	572 ft	$40
B	B012	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,724 ft	649 ft	$40
B	B013	standard nonelectric	40 ft	61 ft	1,770 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	701 ft	$40
B	B014	standard nonelectric	30 ft	62 ft	1,703 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	685 ft	$40
B	B015	standard nonelectric	30 ft	62 ft	1,730 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	623 ft	$40
B	B016	standard nonelectric	30 ft	81 ft	1,657 ftNorth Fork Tuolumne River	626 ft	$40
B	B017	standard nonelectric	40 ft	80 ft	1,556 ft	387 ft	$40
B	B018	standard nonelectric	30 ft	47 ft	1,526 ft	389 ft	$40
B	B019	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,596 ft	456 ft	$40
B	B020	standard nonelectric	30 ft	47 ft	1,526 ft	426 ft	$40
B	B021	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,610 ft	508 ft	$40
B	B022	standard nonelectric	20 ft	73 ft	1,536 ft	490 ft	$40
B	B023	standard nonelectric	40 ft	69 ft	1,551 ft	491 ft	$40
B	B024	standard nonelectric	30 ft	69 ft	1,614 ft	529 ft	$40
B	B025	standard nonelectric	30 ft	89 ft	1,626 ft	494 ft	$40
B	B026	standard nonelectric	40 ft	73 ft	1,529 ft	386 ft	$40
B	B027	standard nonelectric	40 ft	60 ft	1,584 ft	422 ft	$40
B	B028	standard nonelectric	30 ft	60 ft	1,555 ft	381 ft	$40
B	B029	standard nonelectric	40 ft	61 ft	1,476 ft	300 ft	$40
B	B030	standard nonelectric	40 ft	61 ft	1,486 ft	303 ft	$40
B	B031	standard nonelectric	30 ft	77 ft	1,583 ft	401 ft	$40
B	B032	standard nonelectric	30 ft	77 ft	1,608 ft	437 ft	$40
C	C002	standard nonelectric	44 ft	85 ft	1,428 ft	260 ft	$40
C	C003	standard nonelectric	48 ft	94 ft	1,290 ft	109 ft	$40
C	C004	standard nonelectric	38 ft	99 ft	1,306 ft	143 ft	$40
C	C005	standard nonelectric	40 ft	88 ft	1,267 ft	180 ft	$40
C	C006	standard nonelectric	40 ft	88 ft	1,354 ft	248 ft	$40
C	C007	standard nonelectric	40 ft	48 ft	1,341 ft	322 ft	$40
C	C008	standard nonelectric	40 ft	48 ft	1,294 ft	287 ft	$40
C	C009	standard nonelectric	30 ft	55 ft	1,325 ft	366 ft	$40
C	C010	standard nonelectric	40 ft	57 ft	1,257 ft	367 ft	$40
C	C011	standard nonelectric	40 ft	55 ft	1,310 ft	379 ft	$40
C	C012	standard nonelectric	30 ft	86 ft	1,282 ft	214 ft	$40
C	C013	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,364 ft	247 ft	$40
C	C014	standard nonelectric	30 ft	75 ft	1,313 ft	159 ft	$40
C	C015	standard nonelectric	30 ft	61 ft	1,385 ft	230 ft	$40
C	C016	standard nonelectric	30 ft	89 ft	1,417 ft	227 ft	$40
C	C017	standard nonelectric	30 ft	59 ft	1,350 ft	158 ft	$40
C	C018	standard nonelectric	40 ft	53 ft	1,383 ft	200 ft	$40
C	C019	standard nonelectric	30 ft	53 ft	1,336 ft	167 ft	$40
C	C020	standard nonelectric	30 ft	48 ft	1,284 ft	138 ft	$40
C	C021	standard nonelectric	30 ft	48 ft	1,253 ft	91 ft	$40
C	C022	standard nonelectric	30 ft	65 ft	1,216 ft	121 ft	$40
C	C023	standard nonelectric	40 ft	77 ft	1,033 ft	168 ft	$40
C	C024	standard nonelectric	40 ft	77 ft	1,097 ft	96 ft	$40
C	C025	standard nonelectric	40 ft	68 ft	1,043 ft	167 ft	$40
C	C026	standard nonelectric	30 ft	82 ft	1,128 ft	96 ft	$40
C	C027	standard nonelectric	40 ft	68 ft	1,074 ft	183 ft	$40
C	C028	standard nonelectric	40 ft	79 ft	1,174 ft	149 ft	$40
C	C029	standard nonelectric	30 ft	68 ft	1,199 ft	225 ft	$40
C	C030	standard nonelectric	30 ft	97 ft	1,108 ft	276 ft	$40
C	C031	standard nonelectric	40 ft	68 ft	1,195 ft	292 ft	$40
C	C032	standard nonelectric	40 ft	84 ft	1,066 ft	326 ft	$40
C	C033	standard nonelectric	40 ft	82 ft	1,128 ft	323 ft	$40
C	C034	standard nonelectric	25 ft	82 ft	1,046 ft	276 ft	$40
C	C035	standard nonelectric	30 ft	97 ft	1,053 ft	235 ft	$40
C	C036	standard nonelectric	40 ft	79 ft	962 ft	173 ft	$40
C	C037	standard nonelectric	30 ft	84 ft	1,034 ft	177 ft	$40
D	D001	standard nonelectric	20 ft	55 ft	844 ft	72 ft	$40
D	D002	standard nonelectric	20 ft	55 ft	882 ft	91 ft	$40
D	D003	standard nonelectric	20 ft	66 ft	923 ft	137 ft	$40
D	D004	standard nonelectric	20 ft	85 ft	817 ft	88 ft	$40
D	D005	standard nonelectric	20 ft	62 ft	932 ft	178 ft	$40
D	D006	standard nonelectric	20 ft	69 ft	850 ft	174 ft	$40
D	D007	standard nonelectric	20 ft	62 ft	963 ft	234 ft	$40
D	D008	standard nonelectric	20 ft	69 ft	878 ft	242 ft	$40
D	D009	standard nonelectric	20 ft	87 ft	977 ft	306 ft	$40
D	D010	standard nonelectric	20 ft	87 ft	1,006 ft	309 ft	$40
D	D011	standard nonelectric	20 ft	49 ft	864 ft	349 ft	$40
D	D012	standard nonelectric	20 ft	49 ft	841 ft	389 ft	$40
D	D013	standard nonelectric	20 ft	58 ft	781 ft	430 ft	$40
D	D014	standard nonelectric	20 ft	56 ft	770 ft	426 ft	$40
D	D015	standard nonelectric	25 ft	52 ft	576 ft	617 ft	$40
D	D016	standard nonelectric	20 ft	65 ft	626 ft	569 ft	$40
D	D017	standard nonelectric	25 ft	52 ft	532 ft	640 ft	$40
D	D018	standard nonelectric	20 ft	65 ft	581 ft	561 ft	$40
D	D019	standard nonelectric	20 ft	56 ft	745 ft	448 ft	$40
D	D020	standard nonelectric	20 ft	74 ft	730 ft	474 ft	$40
D	D021	standard nonelectric	20 ft	77 ft	650 ft	546 ft	$40
D	D022	standard nonelectric	20 ft	53 ft	659 ft	558 ft	$40
D	D023	standard nonelectric	30 ft	53 ft	707 ft	523 ft	$40
D	D024	standard nonelectric	20 ft	71 ft	645 ft	611 ft	$40
D	D025	standard nonelectric	20 ft	71 ft	716 ft	554 ft	$40
D	D026	standard nonelectric	20 ft	45 ft	674 ft	661 ft	$40
D	D027	standard nonelectric	20 ft	45 ft	644 ft	662 ft	$40
D	D028	standard nonelectric	20 ft	57 ft	659 ft	714 ft	$40
D	D029	standard nonelectric	20 ft	57 ft	631 ft	771 ft	$40
D	D030	standard nonelectric	20 ft	57 ft	578 ft	844 ft	$40
D	D031	standard nonelectric	20 ft	57 ft	522 ft	882 ft	$40
D	D032	standard nonelectric	20 ft	25 ft	581 ft	770 ft	$40
D	D033	standard nonelectric	20 ft	25 ft	564 ft	795 ft	$40
D	D034	standard nonelectric	20 ft	61 ft	460 ft	883 ft	$40
D	D035	standard nonelectric	20 ft	61 ft	503 ft	822 ft	$40
D	D036	standard nonelectric	20 ft	71 ft	386 ft	907 ft	$40
D	D037	standard nonelectric	20 ft	95 ft	467 ft	798 ft	$40
D	D038	standard nonelectric	20 ft	71 ft	364 ft	893 ft	$40
D	D039	standard nonelectric	20 ft	83 ft	481 ft	744 ft	$40
D	D040	standard nonelectric	20 ft	90 ft	391 ft	830 ft	$40
D	D041	standard nonelectric	20 ft	75 ft	418 ft	737 ft	$40
D	D042	standard nonelectric	20 ft	75 ft	489 ft	710 ft	$40
D	D043	standard nonelectric	24 ft	84 ft	510 ft	575 ft	$40
D	D044	standard nonelectric	30 ft	68 ft	586 ft	454 ft	$40
D	D045	standard nonelectric	20 ft	62 ft	670 ft	364 ft	$40
D	D046	standard nonelectric	30 ft	62 ft	608 ft	388 ft	$40
D	D047	standard nonelectric	20 ft	65 ft	678 ft	259 ft	$40
D	D048	standard nonelectric	30 ft	65 ft	625 ft	317 ft	$40
D	D049	standard nonelectric	30 ft	60 ft	653 ft	168 ft	$40
D	D050	standard nonelectric	30 ft	60 ft	696 ft	174 ft	$40
D	D051	standard nonelectric	30 ft	72 ft	724 ft	103 ft	$40
D	D052	standard nonelectric	30 ft	57 ft	746 ft	57 ft	$40
D	D053	standard nonelectric	30 ft	57 ft	763 ft	95 ft	$40
E	E001	standard nonelectric	20 ft	125 ft	1,513 ft	373 ft	$40
E	E002	standard nonelectric	20 ft	83 ft	1,374 ft	242 ft	$40
E	E003	standard nonelectric	20 ft	83 ft	1,300 ft	160 ft	$40
E	E004	standard nonelectric	20 ft	60 ft	1,086 ft	148 ft	$40
E	E005	standard nonelectric	20 ft	84 ft	962 ft	223 ft	$40
E	E006	standard nonelectric	20 ft	68 ft	905 ft	139 ft	$40
E	E007	standard nonelectric	20 ft	75 ft	879 ft	168 ft	$40
E	E008	standard nonelectric	20 ft	88 ft	789 ft	216 ft	$40
E	E009	standard nonelectric	20 ft	82 ft	877 ft	236 ft	$40
E	E010	standard nonelectric	30 ft	84 ft	889 ft	316 ft	$40
E	E011	standard nonelectric	30 ft	73 ft	994 ft	306 ft	$40
E	E012	standard nonelectric	30 ft	73 ft	962 ft	276 ft	$40
E	E013	standard nonelectric	30 ft	75 ft	1,101 ft	270 ft	$40
E	E014	standard nonelectric	30 ft	75 ft	1,165 ft	224 ft	$40
E	E015	standard nonelectric	23 ft	69 ft	1,067 ft	214 ft	$40
E	E016	standard nonelectric	30 ft	78 ft	1,214 ft	170 ft	$40
E	E017	standard nonelectric	27 ft	60 ft	1,143 ft	105 ft	$40

Price: Derived by CAMPANAC: each site takes the per-night rate this campground publishes for the site’s own site type (recreation.gov rate schedule). recreation.gov publishes no per-campsite fee, and a site whose type carries no published rate is left blank rather than called free · Sep 11, 2026

25 of 196 listed

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number

Coordinate38.19083, -119.99722

The mapSee it on the map

The driveDirections ↗

The phone209-965-3116

The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Also near here

Meadowview CampgroundStanislaus National Forest · 0.5 mi

Pioneer TrailStanislaus National Forest · 0.6 mi TeleLi puLaya (Black Oak) CampgroundStanislaus National Forest · 3.0 mi Fraser Flat CampgroundStanislaus National Forest · 4.3 mi Beardsley Dam CampgroundStanislaus National Forest · 4.5 mi Herring Creek CampgroundStanislaus National Forest · 5.1 mi

Getting there

From Sonora, take Highway 108 east for 30 miles, take the Pinecrest exit onto Pinecrest Lake Road and continue to the campground.

Directions: Driving directions as the agency wrote them · Sep 9, 2026

Source: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

This Afternoon81°Sunny

Tonight44°Clear

Saturday75°Sunny

Saturday Night42°Clear

NWS forecast for Strawberry, CA

Source: National Weather Service, STO forecast office · Oct 16, 2026

Typical weather

Typical October night 45°F, day 70°F.

Coldest night of the open season: typical April night 37°F. Bring the bag rated for it.

100°32°20°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or moreOutside the published season

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: CHERRY VALLEY DAM, CA (USC00041697), 16 miles away and 835 ft lower

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, monthly normals · Sep 8, 2026

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it · a letter you can send

Roadless country, and what’s coming for it

Roadless

Waterhouse4,394 acres · 3 mi · inventoried roadless area

Roadless

Bell Meadow7,968 acres · 5 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Source: USFS Inventoried Roadless Areas via MTJP Roadless Map · Jul 29, 2026

Who answers for this land

Pinecrest is in California’s 5th congressional district. Its representative, Tom McClintock (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

Source: U.S. Census district boundaries and the MTJP Congressional Public Lands Score

Who can change it · 3

Write to somebody who can change it

Two offices, two different asks. The draft to the agency asks it to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up. The draft to Congress asks why that share is zero and presses for a published minimum at the campgrounds it funds.

The member who votes the moneyTom McClintockU.S. Representative · California’s 5th district
Open their contact form ↗Their record →
Your senator, on the same appropriationAdam B. SchiffU.S. Senator · California
Open their contact form ↗
Your senator, on the same appropriationAlex PadillaU.S. Senator · California
Open their contact form ↗

Read the draft, or change the wording

For the camper who turned up, or tried to book, and couldn’t get in. Every draft is written from this campground’s own record (its agency, its unit, its site count and its own weekend) and the buttons above copy whichever wording is selected here.

To Tom McClintock

Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.

Subject Walk-up camping at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California

Dear Tom McClintock,

I’m a constituent in California’s 5th district. I tried to camp at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California, and couldn’t.

All 196 sites at Pinecrest are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 193 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked.

1,623 of the 7,639 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Pinecrest keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule.

I’m not asking you to run Pinecrest. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund.

The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them.

Sent about Pinecrest (Stanislaus National Forest, California) via campanac.com

To Adam B. Schiff

Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.

Subject Walk-up camping at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California

Dear Adam B. Schiff,

I’m a constituent in California. I tried to camp at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California, and couldn’t.

All 196 sites at Pinecrest are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 193 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked.

1,623 of the 7,639 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Pinecrest keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule.

I’m not asking you to run Pinecrest. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund.

The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them.

Sent about Pinecrest (Stanislaus National Forest, California) via campanac.com

To Alex Padilla

Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.

Subject Walk-up camping at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California

Dear Alex Padilla,

I’m a constituent in California. I tried to camp at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest, California, and couldn’t.

All 196 sites at Pinecrest are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 193 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked.

1,623 of the 7,639 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Pinecrest keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule.

I’m not asking you to run Pinecrest. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund.

The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them.

Sent about Pinecrest (Stanislaus National Forest, California) via campanac.com

How we know this · 4

Contacts: Contact forms from @unitedstates/congress-legislators · Sep 9, 2026

The figures in these drafts: Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress (CRS Report RS20643) · Updated December 4, 2025 · “The ship’s final procurement cost was $13,316.5 million (i.e., about $13.3 billion) in then-year dollars.”

The figures in these drafts: Salary Table 2026-GS, Incorporating the 1% General Schedule Increase, Effective January 2026 (U.S. Office of Personnel Management) · Effective January 2026 · “Grade 5, Step 1: $34,799 (annual rate, before locality pay).”

The figures in these drafts: Update to Civilian Position Full Fringe Benefit Cost Factor, Federal Pay Raise Assumptions, and Inflation Factors used in OMB Circular No. A-76 (OMB Memorandum M-08-13) · March 11, 2008 · “the civilian position full fringe benefit cost factor needs to be adjusted downward, from 36.45 percent to 36.25 percent”

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from

Right now: The agency lists it open right now. Its own recreation database, though, flags it not open with no reason or date; the flag is named under How we know all this.

Listed not open: USFS EDW Recreation Opportunities, openstatus field: a not-open flag in a database, with no reason and no date published; read there since Sep 9, 2026. A flag, not a notice, so this page doesn’t call it a closure. · Oct 16, 2026

Sites on recreation.gov: recreation.gov’s own month availability payload for this facility, asked for October 2026 and November 2026. It names 196 of the 196 campsites the agency files here, and every one of them carries an answer either way. A campground nobody has read carries no answer at all, never a no. · Oct 14, 2026

Season: Recreation.gov data (RIDB), full extract · Aug 23, 2026

Elevation: USGS 3DEP elevation point query at this campground’s coordinate · Sep 7, 2026

Tree cover: NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC), one 30 m cell at this coordinate, taken as the median across the 196 campsites here that carry a reading · Sep 9, 2026

Water: USGS National Hydrography Dataset, nearest perennial lake, reservoir, river or stream to this campground’s coordinate · Sep 8, 2026

Night sky: VIIRS Day/Night Band annual cloud-free composite, VNL V2 2024 (Earth Observation Group, Colorado School of Mines), read at the published coordinate: 0.13 mcd/m² of artificial all-sky glow, ranked against the 1,201 rated federal campgrounds in California · Sep 8, 2026

Sky-glow model: Duriscoe, Anderson, Luginbuhl and Baugh (2018), a simplified model of all-sky artificial sky glow derived from VIIRS Day/Night band data, the National Park Service sky-glow model

Cell signal: the Forest Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.

Nearest place of any size: Strawberry, CA, 0.6 mi SE (a census designated place). Straight line.

Nearest town: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 places, measured by CAMPANAC to the town boundary; population is the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimate · Sep 9, 2026