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

Aspen Campground

Elevation: 7,490 feet. 45 campsites are available. Campsites can accommodate a 40 foot vehicle. Drinking water is not available. Vault toilets are available. Each campsite has a bear locker. 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

Aspen Campground
Photo from the area. Famartin (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$14 per night, $5 per night for each additional vehicle.

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
Fees$14 per night, $5 per night for each additional vehicle.
RulesActive bear area, bear boxes are provided and must be used (typical bear box size 48" x 30" x 36"). Maximum of 6 people per site and 2 vehicles. Rules and regulations specific to developed campground sites are available at all message information kiosks at the campground. There are currently no group sites in the campground.

Inyo National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Aspen Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.66 inches of precipitation, 19.0 inches of snowFebruary: 2.71 inches of precipitation, 16.1 inches of snowMarch: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 11.6 inches of snowApril: 0.70 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMay: 0.73 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowJune: 0.41 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 0.51 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowDecember: 2.56 inches of precipitation, 11.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 33.4°F averageMarch: 39.3°F averageApril: 45.2°F averageMay: 52.9°F averageJune: 61.9°F averageJuly: 69.0°F averageAugust: 67.6°F averageSeptember: 60.7°F averageOctober: 50.5°F averageNovember: 40.3°F averageDecember: 32.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Lee Vining, 4 miles from the campground at 6,797 feet, station USC00044881 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 15 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 70 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates37.9392° N, 119.1855° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Prog Bodie Hills Bridgeport Val Rx/Support Season

    17 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Three 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 stationDump station ↗4 mi
Outdoor gearMountain Shop & Mountaineering School ↗25.2 mi

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

Explore

Video

Opening Weekend @ Aspen Campground/Woods Canyon Lake!

Worth a stop

  • 2.2 mi
    Gibbs Lake
    2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.4 mi
    Warren Fork
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Glacier Canyon
    2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.6 mi
    Nunatak Vis Loop ↗
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.6 mi
    Bennetville Vis Loop
    2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.7 mi
    Gardisky Lake
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 →

Yosemite Wilderness begins about 1.8 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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 Aspen Campground?

No. Aspen 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 Aspen Campground?

$14 per night, $5 per night for each additional vehicle.

Source: Forest Service

Is Aspen Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Aspen Campground have?

45 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Aspen Campground?

Aspen Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Aspen Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Big Bend Campground (0.9 mi, first-come), Ellery Lake Campground (3.2 mi, first-come), and Junction Campground (3.6 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby