Beardsley Dam Campground
Beardsley Dam Campground is located near Beardsley Dam on Forest Road 5N02 at the south end of Beardsley Reservoir. Traveling east on CA Highway 108, turn left at the Beardsley Dam sign, 5 miles east of the Summit Ranger Station on CA Highway 108. Follow the paved road across the dam to the campground. There are a total of 16 sites. The main road and parking pads are paved with the exception of the walk-in sites which are gravel. Restrooms are vault toilets. Each site has a table and metal fire ring. Potable water is available. Trash service is available. A fee is charged for extra vehicle parking. There are no designated trails to the reservoir from the campground.
More like this: first-come in California
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Season | April to October |
| Forest | Stanislaus National Forest |
| Booking | No reservations can be made for Beardsley Dam Campground. |
| Fees | The Forest Service operates Beardsley Dam Campground and charges the following fees: New campsite fee prices, 2024 & 2025 $25 per night for single site, $55 per night for double site; In 2026 fee raises to $30 per night for single site and $60 per night for double site. |
| Rules | Camp in designated sites only. The number of people allowed in a single campsite is six. The maximum length of stay in any campground is 14-days. Please leave the area in as good (or better) condition than you found it. Maximum RV/Trailer Length - 36 feet |
Weather by month
Getting there
7 miles from Highway 108 on Beardsley Road.
| Coordinates | 38.2119° N, 120.0755° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedTmu Rx Support
50 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 gear | Bear Valley Adventure Company ↗ | 17.4 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 27.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
Camping Beardsley Lake!
Worth a stop
- 1.1 miBeardsley Day Use ↗Day use
- 2.8 mi
- 6.1 mi
- 6.3 mi
- 13.2 miBlack Springs Ohv Campground ↗OHV / range
- 13.3 miBlack Springs Ohv Area ↗OHV / range
Trails nearby
- 1 miBeardsly I.t0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.3 miBeardsley/Sand Bar4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.8 miStrawberry OHV 4x40.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, 4WD
- 2.8 miStraw / Fraser Flat Rr Bike Tr2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.2 mi04n12-Snow Trail ↗19.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, snowcoach
- 3.4 miCircle0.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
This campground sits inside Stanislaus National Forest.
- inStanislaus National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,090,354 acres
- 9.6 miEmigrant Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 112,723 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
On the National Register nearby
- Stanislaus Branch, California Forest and Range Experiment StationHistoric district · Strawberry · 3.2 mi
- Niagara CampHistoric district · Tuolumne · 14.8 mi
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 Beardsley Dam Campground?
No. Beardsley Dam Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations can be made for Beardsley Dam Campground. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Beardsley Dam Campground?
The Forest Service operates Beardsley Dam Campground and charges the following fees: New campsite fee prices, 2024 & 2025 $25 per night for single site, $55 per night for double site; In 2026 fee raises to $30 per night for single site and $60 per night for double site.
Source: Forest Service
Is Beardsley Dam Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season April to October.
Source: Forest Service status
Is there cell service at Beardsley Dam 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 if Beardsley Dam Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Teleli Pulaya (Black Oak) Campground (1.8 mi, first-come), Fraser Flat Campground (2.9 mi, first-come), and Meadowview Campground (4.3 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby