Free camping near Forest Meadows, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Forest Meadows, CA there are 20 camps: 4 free, 14 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Sand Bar Flat, 13 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is USFS dispersed camp — Calaveras County, CA, 18 miles out.
Who manages them: 20 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Bar Flat | 13 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Cold Springs | — |
| Wakalu Hep Yo | 14 | Fee | — | 2.9 mi to Dorrington | — |
| Hacienda | 17 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Twain Harte | — |
| Beardsley Dam | 18 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Cold Springs | — |
| Fraser Flat | 18 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Cold Springs | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Calaveras County, CA | 18 | Free | North Fork Stanislaus River (river) | 1.0 mi to Ramsey | — |
| Teleli Pulaya | 19 | Fee | — | 2.2 mi to Cold Springs | — |
| Hull Creek | 20 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Cold Springs | — |
| Meadowview | 21 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Pinecrest | 22 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Pioneer Trail | 22 | Fee | — | 1.4 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Mokelumne Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Moore Creek | 22 | Free | — | 12 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| White Azalea Cg | 23 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 7.9 mi to Ganns | — |
| Big Meadow Group | 23 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Horse Gulch Campground | 23 | Unpriced | — | 2.6 mi to Big Meadow | — |
| Big Meadow | 23 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Hells Kitchen Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Bloods Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Skyhigh | — |
| Kerrick Corrals | 24 | Free | North Fork Tuolumne River (stream) | 3.3 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Cascade Creek | 24 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Strawberry | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Forest Meadows, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.