Big Bend Campground
Elevation 7800 feet. 17 campsites on Lee Vining Creek. Near the Tuolumne Meadows entrance of Yosemite National Park. Campsites can accommodate a 30-foot vehicle. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. 14 day stay limit. Each campsite has a bear locker for food storage. This is Bear Country; please store food properly and don't feed the bears.
More like this: first-come in California · tent only in California
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
| Fees | $28.00 per night. |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Inyo National Forest |
| Fees | $28.00 per night. |
| Rules | Active bear area, bear boxes are provided and must be used (typical bear box size 48" x 30" x 36"). |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 37.9451° N, 119.2010° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedProg Bodie Hills Bridgeport Val Rx/Support Season
17 mi from the campground
- PrescribedThree Creeks Rx/Support Season
19 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 4.8 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Mountain Shop & Mountaineering School ↗ | 24.8 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Big Bend National Park Camping. Cottonwood Campground.
Worth a stop
- 10.7 miTuolumne Meadows Visitor Center ↗Visitor center
- 12 miGreen Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 1.4 miWarren Fork1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.7 miGlacier Canyon2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.8 miBennetville Vis Loop2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.8 miGardisky Lake1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.8 miNunatak Vis Loop ↗0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.1 miGibbs Lake2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trailheads within three miles
- 2.9 miNunatak Tioga Tarns Trailhead ↗Inyo National Forest
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Yosemite Wilderness begins about 1.2 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 1.2 miYosemite Wilderness ↗Wilderness · National Park Service · 704,624 acres
- 9.9 miHoover Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 128,044 acres
- 13.6 miAnsel Adams Wilderness ↗Wilderness · FS/NPS · 231,619 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Historic landmarks nearby
Guidebooks for Inyo National Forest and California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Big Bend Campground?
No. Big Bend Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Big Bend Campground?
$28.00 per night.
Source: Forest Service
Is Big Bend Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Big Bend Campground have?
17 sites.
Source: Forest Service
Can I bring an RV to Big Bend Campground?
Big Bend Campground is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Big Bend Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Aspen Campground (0.9 mi, first-come), Ellery Lake Campground (2.4 mi, first-come), and Junction Campground (2.8 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby