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

Sand Bar Flat Campground

Forested site on the Middle Fork Stanislaus River.

Open nowFirst-come, first-served

More like this: first-come in California

Sand Bar Flat Campground
Photo from the area. srsmedly (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonApril to December
ForestStanislaus National Forest
BookingNo reservations can be made for Sand Bar Flat Campground.
FeesThe Forest Service operates Sand Bar Flat Campground and charges the following fees: New campsite fee prices, 2024 & 2025 $20 per night for single site, $40 per night for double site; In 2026 fee raises to $25 per night for single site and $50 per night for double site.
RulesMax length for RV/Trailers - 35ft. Road is NOT ADVISABLE for large RVs and trailers. The winding road is steep, narrow and is not paved past Fraser Flat Campground. Camp in designated sites only. The number of people permitted in a single campsite is six. The maximum length of stay in any campground is 14 days.

Stanislaus National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sand Bar Flat 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, 11 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

10 miles north of Highway 108 at Spring Gap turnoff (Fraser Flat Road).

Coordinates38.1844° N, 120.1565° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearSierra Nevada Adventure Co. ↗17.1 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗24.9 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Beardsley/Sand Bar
    4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Crandall Peak OHV-M/C
    3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 1.5 mi
    Crandall Pk OHV-M/C ↗
    10 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.8 mi
    Crandall Peak OHV-4x4
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.9 mi
    Tunnel Cr. R/R Grade ↗
    4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.3 mi
    Strawberry OHV 4 X 4
    0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for California

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

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Sand Bar Flat Campground?

No. Sand Bar Flat Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations can be made for Sand Bar Flat Campground. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Sand Bar Flat Campground?

The Forest Service operates Sand Bar Flat Campground and charges the following fees: New campsite fee prices, 2024 & 2025 $20 per night for single site, $40 per night for double site; In 2026 fee raises to $25 per night for single site and $50 per night for double site.

Source: Forest Service

Is Sand Bar Flat Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season April to December.

Source: Forest Service status

Is there cell service at Sand Bar Flat Campground?

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 if Sand Bar Flat Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Fraser Flat Campground (4.7 mi, first-come), Beardsley Dam Campground (4.8 mi, first-come), and Teleli Pulaya (Black Oak) Campground (5.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby