Free camping near Topaz, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Topaz, CA there are 31 camps: 12 free, 11 fee, 8 unpriced. The closest is Desert Creek Campground, 8.8 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Centerville Flat Campground, 12 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: CA and NV.
Who manages them: 27 on the Forest Service; 3 on the BLM; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Creek Campground | 8.8 | Unpriced | — | 2.5 mi to Desert Creek Ranch | — |
| Centerville Flat Campground | 12 | Free | — | 6.6 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Centerville Flat Campground | 12 | Free | East Fork Carson River (river) | 5.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Mill Canyon | 14 | Free | Tollhouse Canyon (stream) | 5.6 mi to Walker | — |
| Bootleg Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Tollhouse Canyon (stream) | 5.6 mi to Fales Hot Springs | — |
| Markleeville Campground | 15 | Fee | Markleeville Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Bootleg Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 7.2 mi to Walker | — |
| Silver Creek Campground | 16 | Fee | Raymond Meadows Creek (stream) | 7.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Indian Creek Recreation Area | 16 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.1 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Indian Creek Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.0 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Chris Flat Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Grouse Creek (stream) | 4.1 mi to Fales Hot Springs | — |
| Bloomfield Ii | 19 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 8.4 mi to Peaceful Pines | — |
| Bloomfield I | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Wilson Canyon (BLM staging areas) | 19 | Free | — | 7.8 mi to Smith Valley | — |
| Sonora Bridge Campground | 19 | Fee | Junction Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Fales Hot Springs | — |
| Highland Lakes | 19 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Crystal Springs Campground | 21 | Unpriced | West Fork Carson River (river) | 1.4 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Leavitt Meadows Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Brownie Creek (stream) | 8.4 mi to Fales Hot Springs | — |
| Grouse Flat | 22 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 5.9 mi to Cape Horn | — |
| Kennedy Flat | 22 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 5.7 mi to Cape Horn | — |
| Alpine CountyDave slept here | 22 | Free | Merk Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Sand Flat | 22 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Hermit Valley | 22 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 5.0 mi to Cape Horn | — |
| Highway 4 Ohv-Hermit Valley | 23 | Free | North Fork Mokelumne River (river) | 4.9 mi to Cape Horn | — |
| Clark Fork | 23 | Free | Clark Fork (river) | 0.4 mi to Peaceful Pines | — |
| Pacific Valley | 23 | Free | Pacific Creek (stream) | 3.9 mi to Cape Horn | — |
| Clark Fork | 23 | Fee | Clark Fork (river) | 0.9 mi to Peaceful Pines | — |
| Kit Carson Campground | 23 | Fee | Willow Creek (stream) | 0.3 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Obsidian Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Twin Lakes | — |
| Mosquito Lakes | 24 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Bear Valley | — |
| Hope Valley Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Red Lake Creek (stream) | 3.4 mi to Sorensens | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Topaz, 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.