Sweetwater
Sweetwater Campground is located on a mixed conifer forested site adjacent to Highway 120, in close proximity to Yosemite National Park. Sites offer camping furniture (picnic tables, campfire pit with grill). Accessible vault toilets and potable water is available.
More like this: reservable in California · pets allowed in California
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Standard, no hookups | 13 |
Site guide
Will my RV fit
The longest site here provides 32 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.
13 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Entry | Fits, ft | Surface | Shade | People / vehicles | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pull-through | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes | ||
| 2 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes | ||
| 3 | 32 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 4 | 32 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 5 | Pull-through | 32 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes |
| 6 | 32 | Gravel | None | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 7 | 32 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 8 | 32 | Gravel | None | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 9 | 32 | Gravel | None | 6 / 2 | Yes | |
| 10 | 32 | Gravel | Partial | 6 / 2 | Yes |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Hookups | None |
| Equipment | RVs & trailers, Tents |
| Pets | Allowed |
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
Sweetwater Campground has 12 single camping units. All units are suitable for tents & RV's (32 ft. max). All interior and spur roads are poaved. Each unit contains at least one picnic table, fire ring and bear box. This is one double vault toilet until (2 toilets). Well water is available and is piped to 3 faucets throughout the campground.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Stanislaus National Forest |
| Booking | For reservations, visit www.recreation.gov or call 1 (877) 444-6777; TDD: 1877-833-6777. |
| Fees | Camping fee is $29.00 for a single-family site. American Land & Leisure operates this campground under a special use permit administered by the Forest Service. The fees paid by concessionaires finance the refurbishment of facilities in the campgrounds they operate |
| Rules | Camp in designated sites only. The number of people allowed in a single campsite is 6. The maximum length of stay in any campground is 14 days. Campfire permits are not required in developed campgrounds. Do not burn plastic or metal. Please leave the area in as good (or better) condition than you found it. |
Weather by month
Getting there
15 miles east of Groveland on Highway 120
| Coordinates | 37.8240° N, 120.0049° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireDome
28 mi from the campground · 6,788 acres · 95% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 10.4 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Mountain Shop & Mountaineering School ↗ | 24.4 mi |
| RV sales & service | Denis RV Center ↗ | 52.1 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Sweetwater Campground Review - North of Atlanta - Army Corps of Engineers Campground
Worth a stop
Rainbow Pools is.8 miles from campground and has hiking around it. Preston Fall Trailhead is 7.3 miles from the campground and is a 4.5 mile hike. Carlon Day Use area is 9.8 miles from the campground. Buck Meadow is 3.1 miles from the campground.
- 0.5 miRainbow Pool Day Use Area ↗Day use
- 7.3 miBig Oak Flat Information Station ↗Visitor center
- 7.8 miCarlon Day Use Area ↗Day use
Trails nearby
- 0.3 miRailroad, South Fork Tuolumne1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.1 miGolden Stairs to Cherry Oil Rd1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.1 miGolden Stairs1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.5 miPilot Ridge0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.9 miJawbone Ridge OHV-ATV1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
- 3.2 miTuolumne Canyon ↗5.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
Stanislaus National Forest begins about 0.5 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 0.5 miStanislaus National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,090,354 acres
- 6.3 miYosemite Wilderness ↗Wilderness · National Park Service · 704,624 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Big Gap FlumeSite · Groveland · 3 mi
- Merced Grove Ranger StationBuilding · El Portal · 10.4 mi
- Crane Flat Fire LookoutBuilding · Aspen Valley · 11 mi
Guidebooks for California
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Sweetwater?
Sites at Sweetwater are reservable on Recreation.gov. For reservations, visit www.recreation.gov or call 1 (877) 444-6777; TDD: 1877-833-6777. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Sweetwater?
Camping fee is $29.00 for a single-family site. American Land & Leisure operates this campground under a special use permit administered by the Forest Service. The fees paid by concessionaires finance the refurbishment of facilities in the campgrounds they operate
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Sweetwater?
Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is Sweetwater open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Sweetwater have?
13 sites, including 13 standard sites without power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I bring an RV to Sweetwater?
Sweetwater is listed for tents only.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are pets allowed at Sweetwater?
Yes, pets are allowed at Sweetwater. Leash rules apply.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Sweetwater?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Camp in designated sites only.
Source: Fire nearby
What if Sweetwater is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Lumsden Bridge Campground (2.2 mi, first-come), Lost Claim (2.4 mi), and South Fork Campground (2.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby