U.S. Forest Service · Stanislaus National Forest · California

Sandy Flat

Utica Reservoir is set in a granite basin surrounded by red fir and lodgepole pine forest. The reservoir has lots of islands and is kept mostly full. Granite slabs along the shore extend into the water.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov12 sites24 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Sandy Flat Utica CampgroundsUnion and Utica CampgroundsSandy Flat CampgroundSandy Flat Utica Reservoir
Photos courtesy of Ben Cossel · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 35 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups10
Host/management2
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 24 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

10 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopFits, ftShadeWater / sewerWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFires
10, 11 & 12Granite Gulch Triple Site24PartialNo / –18 / –Yes
1Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –Yes
2Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –Yes
3Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –Yes
4Sandy FlatPartialNo / –6 / –Yes
5Sandy FlatPartialNo / –6 / –Yes
6Sandy Flat24PartialNo / NoLakefront6 / –Yes
7Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –Yes
8Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –Yes
9Sandy Flat18PartialNo / –6 / –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 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length24 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
FeesThe America the Beautiful Interagency Senior and Access Passes are honored and receive 50% off the nightly rate. Only applicable to the single site the pass holder occupies. The Interagency Annual and Volunteer passes do not provide any discounts on camping.

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

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestStanislaus National Forest
BookingNo reservations: first-come, first-served
FeesThe Forest Service operates the Rocky Point and Sandy Flat Campground and charges the following fees: New campsite fee prices, 2024 & 2025 $25 per night and fee raises to $30 per night in 2026.

Stanislaus National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sandy Flat30°40°50°60°70°January: 10.57 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 9.82 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowMarch: 8.48 inches of precipitation, 19.2 inches of snowApril: 4.59 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowMay: 2.79 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowJune: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 5.17 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowDecember: 9.65 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.7°F averageFebruary: 37.9°F averageMarch: 40.3°F averageApril: 44.5°F averageMay: 52.1°F averageJune: 61.0°F averageJuly: 68.1°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 62.1°F averageOctober: 53.0°F averageNovember: 43.2°F averageDecember: 36.8°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Calaveras Big Trees, 19 miles from the campground at 4,695 feet, station USC00041277 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 105 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Highway 4, turn onto Spicer Reservoir Road (paved) and go 8 miles. Turn left onto 7N75; from there the roads are gravel. Continue.7 miles to a T-intersection. Follow the Forest Service sign to Sandy Flat Campground. Spicer Reservoir Road is 27 miles east of the Calaveras Ranger Station in Hathaway Pines, California 95233.

Coordinates38.4257° N, 120.0131° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    35 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearBear Valley Adventure Company ↗3 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗33.8 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗51 mi

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

Explore

Video

Sandy Flat Campground | Sequoia National Forest | Kern River | Site by Site Exploration

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.6 mi
    7n17g Snow Trail
    2.3 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, snowcoach
  • 1.1 mi
    07n17 Snow Trail
    3.6 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, snowcoach
  • 1.1 mi
    7n75 Snow Trail
    0.7 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, snowcoach
  • 1.2 mi
    Union Rock Lake
    1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 1.4 mi
    Bear Valley/Lake Alpine
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    6n65yg Snow Trail
    0.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, snowcoach

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 Stanislaus 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.

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 Sandy Flat?

Sites at Sandy Flat are reservable on Recreation.gov. No reservations: first-come, first-served Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Sandy Flat?

The America the Beautiful Interagency Senior and Access Passes are honored and receive 50% off the nightly rate. Only applicable to the single site the pass holder occupies. The Interagency Annual and Volunteer passes do not provide any discounts on camping.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Sandy Flat?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Sandy Flat open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Sandy Flat have?

12 sites, including 10 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Sandy Flat?

The longest site here provides 24 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Sandy Flat?

Yes, pets are allowed at Sandy Flat. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Sandy Flat?

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.

Source: Fire nearby

What if Sandy Flat is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Union West (0.8 mi), Union East Campground (1.1 mi, first-come), and Spicer Reservoir Group Campground (1.7 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby