Dry/Tent Camping spots in Eastern Sierras

[dedmiston]

Hi Folks. Long story short: Some dear friends needs suggestions for someplace to tent camp for a night or two in the Eastern Sierras midweek, anyplace from as far south as Kennedy Meadows to as far north as Lee Vining.

It's a small group with a couple of tents who just need someplace legal to crash for the night so they can go hike and goof off in the wild. It needs to be someplace safe enough that their stuff will still be there when they return from hiking.

All of their last-minute research (VERY last-minute research) shows that anyplace that takes reservations is already booked (duh) and anyplace that doesn't take reservations doesn't have much info available (double-duh).

I'd like to help them out with a list of 5-7 places with decent likelihoods of having room for them to camp.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[profdant139]

Lots of boondocking around Obsidian Dome near Mammoth. A little hot and dusty, though, with a lot of ATVers.

Not that there's anything wrong with that! 😉

[katleman]

Whitney Portal is a great campground, there are any spots.

[dedmiston]

Thanks guys.

[F-TROUP]

Between Independace and Big Pine west of Hwy 395 is Tinemaha campground or Taboouse Creek campground (good fishing).

[Robbies_grandpa]

We stayed at Glass Creek Campground just north of Mammoth for the same reason in early July. Large campsites and free. On the other side of 395 is dispersed camping I think off of Owens River Road

[dedmiston]

Thanks Lwiddis.

Looks like you aren't in Mojave anymore. I hope you're "in a better place", as the saying goes.

[Lwiddis]

Usually something is open at USFS Hartley Springs Campground, north of Mammoth. Potties but no water.

[Lwiddis]

USFS Lower Lee Vining Campground. On CA 108, east of Lee Vining. Nice stream, water nearby, potties, big stream, usually not full. May be different this year, however. NO cell reception.