Free camping near Mesa, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Mesa, CA there are 44 camps: 13 free, 30 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Volcanic Tablelands BLM, 6.5 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Volcanic Tablelands BLM, 6.5 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 40 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM; 2 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanic Tablelands BLM | 6.5 | Free | Fish Slough (stream) | 4.8 mi to Bishop | — |
| Bitterbrush Cg | 9.1 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Big Trees Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 8.8 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Lower Pine Grove Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Swall Meadows | — |
| Upper Pine Grove Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Swall Meadows | — |
| East Fork Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 4.4 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Rock Creek Lake Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to Swall Meadows | — |
| Palisade Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Rock Creek Lake Group Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 6.4 mi to Swall Meadows | — |
| Forks Cg | 11 | Fee | — | 9.4 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Mosquito Flat Backpacker Cg | 11 | Free | Rock Creek (stream) | 7.9 mi to Swall Meadows | — |
| Big Meadow Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 2.6 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| 4 Jeffrey Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Iris Meadow Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 2.2 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Aspen Group Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Intake 2 Walk-In Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 10 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Holiday Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 1.2 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Intake 2 Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 10 mi to West Bishop | — |
| French Camp Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Aspen Springs | — |
| Bishop Park Group Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 10 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Tuff Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 0.6 mi to Sunny Slopes | — |
| Bishop Park Cg | 12 | Fee | — | 11 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Casa Diablo | 13 | Free | — | 5.1 mi to Sunny Slopes | — |
| Mt. Glen Cg | 13 | Fee | South Fork Bishop Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Aspendell | — |
| North Lake Cg | 14 | Fee | — | 13 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Sabrina Cg | 14 | Fee | — | 12 mi to West Bishop | — |
| Table Mt. Group Cg | 14 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Wilkerson | — |
| Willow Cg | 15 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Wilkerson | — |
| Mcgee Creek Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 0.7 mi to McGee Creek | — |
| Red Canyon Petroglyphs | 17 | Unpriced | — | 11 mi to Chalfant | — |
| Mcgee Backpacker Cg | 17 | Free | — | 1.7 mi to McGee Creek | — |
| Grandview Cg | 20 | Free | — | 12 mi to Bishop | — |
| Palisade/Glacier Group Cg | 21 | Free | Big Pine Creek (stream) | 7.7 mi to Big Pine / Tovowahamatü | — |
| Convict Lake Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to McGee Creek | — |
| Big Pine Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 8.1 mi to Big Pine | — |
| Sage Flat Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 6.9 mi to Big Pine | — |
| Edison Ferry Pickup | 22 | Free | Mono Creek (river) | 6.9 mi to Mono Hot Springs | — |
| Mono CountyDave slept here | 23 | Free | Hot Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Whitmore Hot Springs | — |
| Mono CountyDave slept here | 23 | Free | Hot Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Whitmore Hot Springs | — |
| Ferguson Group Cg | 23 | Free | — | 11 mi to Big Pine | — |
| Laurel Ponds | 23 | Free | Laurel Effluent Pond (water) | 3.7 mi to Whitmore Hot Springs | — |
| Nelson Group Cg | 23 | Free | — | 11 mi to Big Pine / Tovowahamatü | — |
| Jackass Meadow | 25 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Big Creek | — |
| Mono Creek Overflow | 25 | Free | Mono Creek (river) | 2.8 mi to Mono Hot Springs | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Mesa, 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.