U.S. Forest Service · Sierra National Forest · Lakeshore, CA

Upper Billy Creek CG

Upper Billy Creek Campground is located across the road from Huntington Lake near the Kaiser Wilderness. The adjacent Billy Creek Guard Station Museum provides historical overviews of Huntington Lake, Native Americans and the Forest Service. Some sites at Upper Billy Creek offer lake views and others overlook Billy Creek and its abundant wildflowers. The location makes it possible to discover all the activities and attractions at Huntington Lake, and it's an excellent base for further exploration of the Kaiser Wilderness.

Reservable · Recreation.gov 37 sites 40 ft max No hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in California · big rigs in California · pets allowed in California · group sites in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of Mercy Ramirez · Recreation.gov

4fires
active

Dome · 31 mi away · 6,788 acres

3 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups		30
Tent-only		6
Group tent areas		1

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

Towing a trailerRear or front mounted accessoriesi

Tow vehicle length, ftTrailer length, ft

The longest site here provides 30 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

37 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Type	Entry	Fits, ft	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires	Accessible
001	Tent only			Partial	6 / 2	Yes
002	Standard	Back-in	30	Partial	6 / 2	Yes
003	Standard	Back-in	30		6 / 2	Yes	Yes
004	Standard	Back-in	30	Partial	6 / 2	Yes	Yes
005	Standard	Back-in	30	Partial	6 / 1	Yes
006	Standard	Back-in	23	Full	6 / 2	Yes	Yes
007	Tent only			Full	6 / 2	Yes
008	Standard		30		6 / 2	Yes
009	Tent only				6 / 2	Yes
010	Standard		30	Full	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 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	None
Max vehicle length	40 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Tent pads	Yes
Accessibility	Sites 003, 004, 006, 011 and 11 more are listed accessible

This campground has paved spurs, some of which have a slight slope. Each campsite has a picnic table, food storage locker, and campfire ring. Vault toilets, flush toilets and drinking water are provided.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Huntington Lake, 1 mile from the campground at 7,020 feet, station USC00044176 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 44 inches a year.

Getting there

Take Highway 168 east from Clovis to Shaver Lake. Continue through Shaver Lake to Huntington Lake. Continue around Huntington Lake for 3.2 miles to Upper Billy Creek Campground.

Nearest town	Lakeshore, California
Coordinates	37.2383° N, 119.2270° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.).

Fire nearby

Wildfire
Dome
31 mi from the campground · 6,788 acres · 95% contained
Prescribed
Grant Grove Rx Spring
36 mi from the campground · 15 acres
Prescribed
Grant Grove Fall Rx
37 mi from the campground
Wildfire
Land
42 mi from the campground · 20 acres

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

Supplies & services

Dump station	Dump station ↗	9.3 mi
Outdoor gear	Captain Jack's Tackle ↗	10.5 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

The 83-mile Sierra Vista Scenic Byway (Highway 168) makes a great day trip from the Huntington Lake area.

0.1 mi
Billy Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
0.3 mi
Billy Creek Picnic Area ↗Day use
2.8 mi
Bear Cove Picnic Site ↗Day use
3.1 mi
Huntington Boat Ramp & Launching Site ↗Boat launch
4.5 mi
Potter Pass Trailhead ↗Trailhead

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

under 0.1 mi
Willow Hill
1.7 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
0.1 mi
Huntington Shore ↗
3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.3 mi
Billy Creek
0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.6 mi
Coarsegrass Meadow
4.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.7 mi
Dowville
0.8 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
1 mi
Grouse Creek ↗
13.7 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski

Trailheads within three miles

0.1 mi
Billy Creek Trailhead ↗
Sierra National Forest

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 Sierra National Forest.

in
Sierra National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 1,418,790 acres
0.3 mi
Kaiser Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 21,986 acres
7.5 mi
Dinkey Lakes Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 30,863 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

FS · CA

Billy Creek, Lower Campground

Reservableunder 0.1 mi

FS · CA

Billy Creek, Upper Campground

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Dinkey Creek BridgeStructure · Dinkey Creek · 12.5 mi

Natural features

The campground is tucked beneath a grove of large cedar, fir and pine trees within the Sierra National Forest on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada. Many sites have a view of Huntington Lake. The forest is known for its spectacular mountain scenery and abundant natural resources.

Recreation

Many hiking trails are in the area, including Rancheria Falls (1 mile), Indian Pools (1 mile) and Black Point (.7 miles). Hikers and horseback riders can access the 12-mile Kaiser Loop Trail, which connects to a network of trails within the Kaiser Wilderness. Huntington Lake offers swimming, sailing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and water skiing. Additionally, California Land Management sponsors a variety of interpretive programs and nature walks throughout the summer at several locations in the area, including the amphitheater at Upper Billy Creek.

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Moon California Camping
Tom Stienstra, 2022
Find at Bookshop.org
Camping Northern California
Linda Parker Hamilton, 2016
Find at Bookshop.org
Moon Joshua Tree and Palm Springs
Jenna Blough, 2025
Find at Bookshop.org
Best tent camping
Wendy Speicher, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Sites at Upper Billy Creek CG are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Upper Billy Creek CG?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.).

Source: Charges and cancellations

How many sites does Upper Billy Creek CG have?

37 sites, including 30 standard sites without power, 6 tent-only sites, and 1 group tent area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Upper Billy Creek CG?

The longest site here provides 40 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 there showers or a dump station at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Vault toilets, flush toilets and drinking water are provided.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Yes, pets are allowed at Upper Billy Creek CG. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Sites 003, 004, 006, and 011 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 15 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Upper Billy Creek CG?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Upper Billy Creek CG?

Many hiking trails are in the area, including Rancheria Falls (1 mile), Indian Pools (1 mile) and Black Point (.7 miles). The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Upper Billy Creek CG?

Lakeshore, California. The 83-mile Sierra Vista Scenic Byway (Highway 168) makes a great day trip from the Huntington Lake area.

Source: Getting there