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

Bear Group Campground

Recreation Opportunity Guides (ROG) - These guides contains information, maps, and directions to assist you in enjoying your trip to the Eldorado National Forest. Bear Group Campground. Group Campgrounds. Fees and Passes. Non-motorized Trails

Closed for the seasonTakes reservationsFrom $115 per nightTents only

More like this: reservable in California · tent only in California

Bear Group Campground
Photo from the area. Spencerdrennan (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
3fires
active
Big Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx (prescribed burn) · 18 mi away · 170 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Fees$115/25 person (3) $145/50 person (1) Interagency Senior and Access passes are not accepted for group units.

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
ForestEldorado National Forest
BookingAvailable by reservation only (summer). CALL 1-877-444-6777, four days to 360 days in advance of your first night’s stay. www.Recreation.gov. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover accepted.
Fees$115/25 person (3) $145/50 person (1) Interagency Senior and Access passes are not accepted for group units.

Eldorado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bear Group Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 10.57 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 9.82 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowMarch: 8.48 inches of precipitation, 19.2 inches of snowApril: 4.59 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowMay: 2.79 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowJune: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 5.17 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowDecember: 9.65 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.7°F averageFebruary: 37.9°F averageMarch: 40.3°F averageApril: 44.5°F averageMay: 52.1°F averageJune: 61.0°F averageJuly: 68.1°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 62.1°F averageOctober: 53.0°F averageNovember: 43.2°F averageDecember: 36.8°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Calaveras Big Trees, 18 miles from the campground at 4,695 feet, station USC00041277 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 105 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates38.5332° N, 120.2308° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Big Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx

    18 mi from the campground · 170 acres

  • Prescribed
    Sly Park Rx

    22 mi from the campground · 36 acres

  • Prescribed
    Spooner Pile Rx

    43 mi from the campground · 5 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearBear Valley Adventure Company ↗11.3 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.8 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗48.6 mi

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

Explore

Video

Bear Springs Group Campground, OR from Kevin L.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

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 Eldorado 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 Bear Group Campground?

Sites at Bear Group Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Available by reservation only (summer). Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Bear Group Campground?

$115/25 person (3) $145/50 person (1) Interagency Senior and Access passes are not accepted for group units.

Source: Forest Service

Is Bear Group 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 Bear Group Campground?

Bear Group Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Bear Group Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are South Shore Campground (0.2 mi), Pardoes Point (0.4 mi), and Bear River Group Campground (0.6 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby