U.S. Forest Service · Eldorado National Forest · Pioneer, CA

Bear River Group Campground

The Bear River Group Campground offers four separate group campsites on a site above the south side of the Lower Bear River Reservoir. The proximity to water and the mixed pine setting in the fresh Sierra Nevada air, makes this campground an excellent group retreat destination. Upriver from the campground is the Upper Bear River Reservoir. This lake is smaller and spans 166 surface acres with 2.5 miles of shoreline.

Reservable · Recreation.gov4 sitesTents only

More like this: reservable in California · tent only in California · group sites in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Bear River Group CampgroundBEAR RIVER GROUP CAMPGROUNDBEAR RIVER GROUP CAMPGROUNDBEAR RIVER GROUP CAMPGROUND
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 30 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Group tent areas4
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

4 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopSurfaceShadePeople / vehicles
003CHIPGravelFull25 / –
002JUNCGravelFull25 / –
001KOKAGravelFull50 / –
004SMOKGravelFull25 / –

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 1:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents

The campground is designed for tent camping only. Campstie 1 fits 50 people while the other three sites accommodate 25. Piped drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables, campfire rings and a group cooking area are among the amenities.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bear River Group Campground30°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, 18 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 Jackson, California, travel east on State Route 88 for 39 miles and turn right (south) on Bear River Road. Travel 2 miles to Y intersection and stay to the right side, going across the dam. Drive.5 miles past South Shore Campground to Bear Group Campground, which will be located on left side of road.

Nearest townPioneer, California
Coordinates38.5339° N, 120.2189° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

  • Recreation Fee: Recreation fees are the fees a visitor pays for things like overnight camping, a day-use pavilion, group facilities, a tour or a permit. Recreation fees vary by location and/or activity.
  • Reservation Fee: A fee may be charged at the time a reservation is made to cover the cost of reservation services. This fee is in addition to the Recreation Fee and is non-refundable. Fees for camping, day use, group sites, cabins and lookouts: $8 if made on-line; $9 if made through the call center; $3 if made in-person.
  • Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.
  • Cancellation Fee: Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
  • Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 14 days before your arrival date.
  • Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    30 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 ↗10.8 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.9 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗48.3 mi

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

Explore

Video

South Shore Campground - Lower Bear River Reservoir, CA

Worth a stop

Restaurants, boat rentals and a general store are within a few miles of the campground.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

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 Eldorado 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

Bear Group Campground is situated an elevation of 6,000 feet, just a short distance (approximately one mile drive) from the reservoir. It is part of the Eldorado National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada. A Mediterranean climate extends over most of the forest with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

Recreation

Lake activities include fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing and picnicking on the shores. Rainbow trout are found in abundance throughout the season, in addition to smaller populations of brown and mackinaw trout as well. A short distance past the Upper Bear River Reservoir is the Pardoe Trail, which borders the Mokelumne Wilderness. The trail runs up the top of Squaw Ridge to an elevation of over 9,000 feet, providing excellent views of the surrounding area.

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 Bear River Group Campground?

Sites at Bear River Group Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Bear River Group Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Bear River Group Campground?

Cancellation Fee: Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

Source: Charges and cancellations

How many sites does Bear River Group Campground have?

4 sites, including 4 group tent areas.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Bear River Group Campground?

Bear River Group Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Bear River Group Campground?

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

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Bear River Group Campground?

Lake activities include fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing and picnicking on the shores. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Bear River Group Campground?

Pioneer, California. Restaurants, boat rentals and a general store are within a few miles of the campground.

Source: Getting there

What if Bear River Group Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Bear Group Campground (0.6 mi), South Shore Campground (0.9 mi), and Pardoes Point (1.1 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby