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8 Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes (& Things to Do)

| Updated Dec 6, 2023

Looking for the best RV camping in Mammoth Lakes? Just a quick 4-5 hour drive from Los Angeles, the Mammoth Lakes area is one of the most scenic places on the West Coast.

Mammoth Lakes is home to more outdoor activities than one can possibly dream of doing in a single trip. You can experience mountain biking, great fishing, hiking, ghost towns, hot springs, excellent eats, and even an abandoned miner's camp.

There is no better way to experience the beauty of this incredible region than to stay at one of its many breathtaking RV parks.

Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding areas are home to some of the best campgrounds in the state! I've narrowed them down to the most popular and desirable.

Check out these great RV parks in Mammoth Lakes, CA…

Mammoth Mountain RV Park

This RV park is conveniently located just a few miles off U.S. Highway 395 as you enter the town of Mammoth Lakes. Offering both partial and full hookups, as well as tent camping and cabins, this campground has it all. Enjoy wildlife viewing or jet across the street to visit Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center.

There are RV sites offering full hookup sites for those that want it! Also, restrooms with hot showers, a children's play area, a dump station, a laundry room, and picnic tables at each site. A heated swimming pool and hot tub are ready for your enjoyment, too.

Many sites with partial hook-ups are open year-round.

Convict Lake Campground

Just a short drive from Mammoth Lakes, you can find the Convict Lake Campground. At the end of Convict Lake Road, you find a pristine mountain lake that is one of the deepest in the Eastern Sierras. Sitting at an elevation of 7,500 feet, this campground provides dramatic mountain and lake views.

This first-come, the first-served campground has a few sites that overlook the lake. The others are located just a short distance from the shore.

The campground includes a boat ramp, flush toilets, hot showers, food storage for bears, a dump station, and a fire ring for some summertime smores! A pack station, boat rentals, store, and showers are located just down the road at the resort.

June Lake RV Park

This full-service campground is located within walking distance of both June and Gull Lakes. It offers full hook-up sites, but no tent sites.

After hiking or fishing, enjoy some of June Lake's many wonderful restaurants and shops.

Lake Mary Campground

The Lake Mary Campground is in a great location, just past the main street in Mammoth Lakes. Not only can you experience several lakes in the Mammoth Lakes basin, but you can even visit an abandoned miners camp before taking the time to hike to Heart Lake.

Want Mammoth Lake Camping Alternatives? Try Reds Meadow Area & Inyo National Forest Camping

8 Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes (& Things to Do) 1
Reds Meadow Area & Inyo National Forest Camping

The Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains provide a great place to explore the great outdoors. If you drive past Mammoth Mountain's Main Lodge area, down on the valley floor, you can access some of the most sought places to check out. These include Devils Postpile National Monument, Rainbow Falls, and Red's Meadow, where you can access horseback riding.

Several campgrounds are on the valley floor, including Agnew Meadows, Upper Soda Springs, Minaret Falls Campground, Pumice Flats, and Reds Meadow Campground.

Reds Meadow is set on, as you may have guessed, a gorgeous and big meadow. There are even rustic cabins to rent at the end of the drivable road, near the Red's Meadow general store.

Camping down in the valley provides you with quick access to both the John Muir Trail (JMT) and Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It is also the perfect place to glimpse through-hikers trying to hike from Mexico to Canada on the PCT!

Do not miss the Minarets viewing area located near the ranger station, before entering the national park area. Also, beware that between the hours of 7 am to 7 pm during the summer months, you may be required to use the shuttle bus to access the valley. Only those camping are allowed to drive their vehicles down.

Camping is usually not permitted until late May, depending on the snowfall during winter. Be sure to plan ahead and check the weather conditions before trying to access the valley.

Twin Lakes Campground

Located also in the Mammoth Lakes Basin and next to Mary's Lake is the Twin Lakes Campground. It's the perfect family vacation spot.

Enjoy hiking, fishing, mountain viewing, and waterfalls while being close enough to town to enjoy a great meal or shopping.

McGee Creek RV Park

This campground offers sites with and without hookups and is open from late April to early October.

If you love trout fishing, you won't want to miss their on-site trout ponds. They even have a fish cleaning station for easy clean-up for all your catches!

Campsites are available along with the ponds and McGee creek.

Old Shady Rest Campground

Located in a shady pine grove, this campground is within walking distance of the town. However, while there is potable water and flush toilets, there are no RV hookups. There is an on-site dump station.

New Shady Rest Campground

Just across the highway from the Old Shady Rest Campground, is the New Shady Rest Campground.

The campground is at an excellent location for popular activities like hiking, mountain biking, or to view nature. Conveniently located near town to shop and dine, this campground sits at an elevation of 7,800.

It is pet-friendly, has flush toilets, reservations available, picnic areas, fire rings, and a dump station.

Best Things to Do at Mammoth Lakes by Season

Camping Mammoth Lakes can be a unique experience every time you go. It's a year-round destination with lots of outdoor activities to enjoy. On the Mammoth Lakes Website, you can search for things to do by season, which is quite a nice feature.

But here are some of the most popular activities you can look forward to whenever you're enjoying Mammoth camping…

Winter

Mammoth is one of the top California destinations for skiers and snowboarders. The world-famous Mammoth Mountain has California's highest chairlift-serviced peak. Plus, there are miles and miles of cross country, snowshoe, and snowmobile terrain.

As if that's not enough, there's also ice skating, tubing, sledding, and snowcat tours!

Summer

The summer season is just as busy as Mammoth Lakes' winter season. The activities range from peaceful fly fishing or golf to adrenaline-inducing mountain biking and climbing.

And, of course, plenty of hiking and sightseeing!

Spring

Spring in Mammoth Lakes is not what you'd expect. Instead of spring showers and wildflowers, you'll enjoy a collision of winter and summer. The mountains still have snow, yet the days are filled with sunshine.

You can hit the lake and the ski slopes or go biking and snowshoeing on the same day!

Fall

Mammoth Lakes is painted gold in Autumn, with backdrops of crimson and orange. You can enjoy your colorful surroundings while hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, or floating on the lake.

Just like summer, there's plenty of fishing, climbing, and mountaineering to feed your adventurous spirit.

RV Lifestyle officially recommends The Dyrt

8 Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes (& Things to Do) 2

You can book campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, and glamping, or find free camping. The Dyrt has it all. And in case you didn't know, The Dyrt is the #1 camping app and website in the US, with over 8 million campsites, reviews, and tips submitted by campers, for campers. And The Dyrt PRO version makes every camping trip easier. With offline map backups, offline search, exclusive discounts, and trip planning tools, PRO can improve any stage of camping.

The Dyrt app lets users with basic accounts search for camping and save favorites, completely for free. The Dyrt PRO is an upgrade that makes it easier to go camping. Try PRO for free today.

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Mike Wendland

Published on 2022-12-17

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

5 Responses to “8 Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes (& Things to Do)”

May 17, 2022at10:20 pm, mark booher said:

Can’t believe you left out Camp High Sierra part of mammoth mountain. Only 7 RV sites but right in the middle of everything and excellent facilities.

Reply

May 18, 2022at10:41 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:

Thank you for mentioning it here! Sounds amazing. Team RV Lifestyle

Reply

January 24, 2022at11:09 am, 6 Best Dog Friendly Hikes Yosemite National Park said:

[…] more adventure? Consider visiting the dog-friendly nearby town of Mammoth Lakes. I even have the Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes listed out for […]

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January 24, 2022at6:15 am, 6 Best Dog Friendly Hikes Yosemite National Park | RV Lifestyle said:

[…] more adventure? Consider visiting the dog-friendly nearby town of Mammoth Lakes. I even have the Best RV Camping in Mammoth Lakes listed out for […]

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July 21, 2021at3:31 pm, Roland said:

Thank you for the Mammoth Lakes article. Please be aware that a major fire has been raging north of the Mammoth Lakes area, late July 2021, closing US-395 in the area of Markleeville, CA.

Reply

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