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

Bowler Group Campground

Located along Jackass Creek, Bowler Group Campground offers 12 campsites and a primitive amphitheater. The campground provides one vault toilet and each campsite has a table and fire ring. Horses are permitted; however, facilities are not available.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served12 sitesTents only

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

Bowler Group Campground
Photo from the area. Guywelch2000 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
3fires
active
Cy26 Snf Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 22 mi away
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents

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
ForestSierra National Forest
RulesMaximum length of stay is 14 days Maximum group size is 6 people per site

Sierra National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bowler Group Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 7.57 inches of precipitationFebruary: 6.68 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.18 inches of precipitationApril: 3.42 inches of precipitationMay: 1.92 inches of precipitationJune: 0.53 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.16 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.11 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.47 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.22 inches of precipitationNovember: 3.29 inches of precipitationDecember: 5.64 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 35.8°F averageFebruary: 36.2°F averageMarch: 39.0°F averageApril: 42.8°F averageMay: 50.3°F averageJune: 58.5°F averageJuly: 65.4°F averageAugust: 64.6°F averageSeptember: 59.7°F averageOctober: 50.6°F averageNovember: 41.5°F averageDecember: 35.1°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at So Entrance Yosemite NP, 17 miles from the campground at 5,047 feet, station USC00048380 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 37 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates37.5086° N, 119.3272° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Cy26 Snf Rx Support

    22 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Three Creeks Rx/Support Season

    24 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Prog Bodie Hills Bridgeport Val Rx/Support Season

    48 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 ↗18 mi
Outdoor gearSierra Nevada Trading Company ↗20.2 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.4 mi
    Jackass Lakes
    3.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.1 mi
    Beasore Stock Drive
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Fernandez Access
    0.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.6 mi
    Norris Lake
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    Frog Meadow
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2 mi
    Clover Meadow
    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 Ansel Adams Wilderness, which overlaps 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

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 Bowler Group Campground?

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

Source: Forest Service

Is Bowler Group Campground open right now?

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

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Bowler Group Campground have?

12 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Bowler Group Campground?

Bowler Group Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Bowler Group Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Granite Creek Campground (4 mi, first-come), Lower Chiquito Campground (7.3 mi, first-come), and Little Jackass Campground (7.5 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby