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

Portal Forebay Campground

Located along Kaiser Pass Road at Portal Forebay Lake. Sites are shaded by pine and cedar trees and each campsite has a picnic table, grill and bear-proof food storage locker. Vault toilets are provided. Drinking water is not available. Paved and dirt roads provided access to the campground. Large RV's or motorhomes not recommended for travel on Kaiser Pass Road.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-servedFrom $32 per nightTents only

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

Portal Forebay Campground
Photo from the area. kallahar (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
3fires
active
Cy26 Snf Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 14 mi away
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesSingle site $32.00, Holidays/$2.00 additional/night Double $61.00, Holidays/$4.00 additional/night. $10.00 fee 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.
SeasonJune to September
ForestSierra National Forest
BookingNo Reservations.
FeesSingle site $32.00, Holidays/$2.00 additional/night Double $61.00, Holidays/$4.00 additional/night. $10.00 fee for each additional vehicle.

Sierra National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Portal Forebay Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 8.47 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.80 inches of precipitationMarch: 6.80 inches of precipitationApril: 4.02 inches of precipitationMay: 2.42 inches of precipitationJune: 0.71 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.66 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.10 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.40 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.29 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.92 inches of precipitationDecember: 6.82 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.6°F averageFebruary: 33.8°F averageMarch: 36.1°F averageApril: 39.5°F averageMay: 46.0°F averageJune: 54.2°F averageJuly: 61.4°F averageAugust: 61.7°F averageSeptember: 55.9°F averageOctober: 47.4°F averageNovember: 39.9°F averageDecember: 34.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Huntington Lake, 11 miles from the campground at 7,020 feet, station USC00044176 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 44 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates37.3202° N, 119.0671° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Cy26 Snf Rx Support

    14 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Three Creeks Rx/Support Season

    28 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Grant Grove Fall Rx

    40 mi from the campground · 466 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗19.2 mi
Outdoor gearCaptain Jack's Tackle ↗20.3 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Mono Crossing ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.6 mi
    Rattlesnake Creek
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    Corbett Lake
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Mono Hot Springs
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    North Mono Crossing
    2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.2 mi
    White Bark
    1 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski

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 Sierra National Forest.

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 California

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Portal Forebay Campground?

No. Portal Forebay Campground is first-come, first-served. No Reservations. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Portal Forebay Campground?

Single site $32.00, Holidays/$2.00 additional/night Double $61.00, Holidays/$4.00 additional/night. $10.00 fee for each additional vehicle.

Source: Forest Service

Is Portal Forebay Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season June to September.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Portal Forebay Campground?

Portal Forebay Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Portal Forebay Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Bolsillo Campground (1.5 mi, first-come), Mono Hot Springs (2.7 mi), and Badger Flats Group (4.4 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby