U.S. Forest Service · Mendocino National Forest · Stonyford, CA

South Fork Campground

Open nowFirst-come, first-served

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in California

South Fork Campground, Mendocino National Forest, U.S. Department of AgricultureSouth Fork Campground Sign
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Howard Forest Frp Rx (prescribed burn) · 36 mi away · 13 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

Two large camping areas with 10 tables and fire rings. Accomodates up to 30 foot trailers.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestMendocino National Forest
Fees$5

Mendocino National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Fork Campground40°50°60°70°80°January: 4.98 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowFebruary: 4.49 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowMarch: 2.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowApril: 1.18 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.33 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.02 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.05 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.87 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.13 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowDecember: 3.79 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 44.4°F averageFebruary: 47.0°F averageMarch: 50.7°F averageApril: 55.2°F averageMay: 63.0°F averageJune: 70.9°F averageJuly: 77.0°F averageAugust: 75.1°F averageSeptember: 70.7°F averageOctober: 62.1°F averageNovember: 50.9°F averageDecember: 44.6°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at East Park Rsvr, 7 miles from the campground at 1,205 feet, station USC00042640 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 1 inch a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Located 9.5 miles west of Stonyford on Road 18N03.

Nearest townStonyford, California
Coordinates39.3615° N, 122.6526° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Howard Forest Frp Rx

    36 mi from the campground · 13 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗25.2 mi
Outdoor gearClearlake Outdoors ↗27.7 mi
RV sales & serviceMike Friend RVs ↗50.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Davis Flat and Fouts Campgrounds are nearby, including various OHV trails. Bathhouse Trailhead is also nearby.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Access
    0.8 mi trail
  • 0.2 mi
    Loop #2
    0.9 mi trail
  • 0.5 mi
    Mill Creek Parallel
    3 mi trail
  • 0.6 mi
    Wolf Glade
    3.1 mi trail
  • 0.7 mi
    Contour
    1.5 mi trail
  • 0.9 mi
    Letts Ridge ↗
    4.8 mi trail

Trailheads within three miles

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Mendocino National Forest.

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.

Natural features

Vegetation in the area is an open grove of oak trees adjacent to a year long stream.

Recreation

River and stream fishing is popular in the winter and early spring when the stream is in full flow. The Forest Service in cooperation with the State of California Off-Highway Vehicle Fund, (Green Sticker), has developed roads, trails, and facilities for further enjoyment of the OHV user. Remember, these are your facilities and OHV funds are being used to develop and maintain them. Forest Service roads open to Off-Highway Vehicles are considered public roads. All motorcycle riders on public lands in the State of California must wear a safety helmet meeting the standards adopted by the US Department of Transportation. State law requires all vehicles, including motorcycles to be registered. You must have a current Green or Red Sticker, or Highway License. Highway licensed vehicles must meet all standards for operating on a public highway and be operated in accordance with California state law. Your vehicle must be equipped with a properly installed Forest Service approved spark arrester in good working condition. For your safety and the safety of others, Off-Highway Vehicles must never be operated in a manner likely to endanger any person or property.

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 South Fork Campground?

No. South Fork Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at South Fork Campground?

$5

Source: Forest Service

Is South Fork Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

What is there to do at South Fork Campground?

River and stream fishing is popular in the winter and early spring when the stream is in full flow. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to South Fork Campground?

Stonyford, California. Davis Flat and Fouts Campgrounds are nearby, including various OHV trails.

Source: Getting there

What if South Fork Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Davis Flat (0.1 mi, first-come), Fouts (0.1 mi, first-come), and Gray Pine Group Campground (0.3 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby