U.S. Forest Service · Inyo National Forest · California

Sawmill Walk-in Campground

Located near the boundary of the Hoover Wilderness at an elevation of 9800 feet, Sawmill Campground is suited to backpack style camping as you will walk more than a quarter mile on a dirt trail to reach the 12 campsites. Each site has a table, fire ring, and a food storage locker. Most sites have shade and room for up to two tents. Nearby Lee Vining Creek is the only water source, there is no piped water. Trash must be packed out. Two vault toilets are located between sites 8 and 9. There are 15 overnight parking spaces at the campground entrance from Saddlebag Road. Hiking beyond the campground is day use only as you will enter into a research area.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served12 sitesFrom $23 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in California · tent only in California

Sawmill Walk-in Campground
Photo from the area. Dcrjsr (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
2fires
active
Prog Bodie Hills Bridgeport Val Rx/Support Season (prescribed burn) · 19 mi away
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$23.00 per night.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestInyo National Forest
BookingOPERATED BY: RRM-CLM Services, DBA Inyo Recreation, 11811 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85028.
Fees$23.00 per night.
RulesActive bear area, bear boxes are provided and must be used (typical bear box size 48" x 30" x 36").

Inyo National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sawmill Walk-in Campground20°30°40°50°60°January: 6.19 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.99 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.21 inches of precipitationApril: 2.04 inches of precipitationMay: 1.70 inches of precipitationJune: 0.64 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.54 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.53 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.52 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.80 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.10 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.56 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.7°F averageFebruary: 25.3°F averageMarch: 28.5°F averageApril: 33.7°F averageMay: 40.4°F averageJune: 48.8°F averageJuly: 55.0°F averageAugust: 53.4°F averageSeptember: 48.7°F averageOctober: 41.7°F averageNovember: 33.3°F averageDecember: 25.8°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tuolumne Meadows RS, 7 miles from the campground at 8,694 feet, station USC00049063 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 30 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates37.9559° N, 119.2667° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Prog Bodie Hills Bridgeport Val Rx/Support Season

    19 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Three Creeks Rx/Support Season

    22 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 stationDump Station ↗8.2 mi
Outdoor gearMountain Shop & Mountaineering School ↗22.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.5 mi
    Carnegie Station
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.5 mi
    Gardisky Lake
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Saddlebag Lake Loop
    4.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Shell Lake
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    Bennetville Vis Loop
    2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    Warren Fork
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Yosemite Wilderness.

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.

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.

  • Inyo National Forest, California
    United States Forest Service, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon California Camping
    Tom Stienstra, 2022
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Northern California
    Linda Parker Hamilton, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Sawmill Walk-in Campground?

No. Sawmill Walk-in Campground is first-come, first-served. OPERATED BY: RRM-CLM Services, DBA Inyo Recreation, 11811 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85028. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Sawmill Walk-in Campground?

$23.00 per night.

Source: Forest Service

Is Sawmill Walk-in Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Sawmill Walk-in Campground have?

12 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Sawmill Walk-in Campground?

Sawmill Walk-in Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Sawmill Walk-in Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Group Camp (0.7 mi, partly first-come), Junction Campground (1.5 mi, first-come), and Ellery Lake Campground (1.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby