Lower Lee Vining Campground

This is one of the best campgrounds we've stayed at in a long time.

Perhaps it's the desert heat...or lack thereof...but since we've been enduring the sandy, blowing desert for months now, it was like heaven for little girls to find this nearly empty NFS campground with plenty of spots large enough for our 31' clinkety clack of a tin can home.

Aspen trees proliferate the majority of the inner campground, and massive Jeffrey pines that smell like vanilla tower above the rest of it. A creek runs through and the babble was indiscernible from the occasional generator being used by relatively few other campers.

Getting in was significantly smoother than other campgrounds in the immediate area we checked out, which lead us to choose this campground primarily, but I think it was nicer than the others anyway...though it's hard to say as we had way more time here and but a passing through of the others. Upper Lee Vining did have a bunch of tents, a ton of wood, and wheel barrows marked "CCC" that lead me to believe some type of forest service workers were occupying the majority of that campground.

Once you're into Lower Lee Vining, there are a few spots along the road and then a big circle in a more open area. Those spots were packed in pretty tightly but if you just keep winding back the dirt road into the woods you'll find a number of large, wooded places to set up shop. Our spot was #20 and I won't say it was the best, but aside from the walk ins, it was the best.

Did I mention how besties it bested our besto? It best best was the best, and best of course.

Lee Vining, the town, nearby is small, charming, and expensive. Mono Lake is super close, too, and this area in general is more beautiful than most of the desert leading up to Lee Vining on 395. Someone mentioned a National Park nearby, Josemite or something. It must have been a big deal because a ton of cars were driving up the road to see whatever it was all about. I think a guy named John Muir built it?

Our kids did pick up a fair amount of trash, but mostly just little stuff that if you weren't looking hard you probably wouldn't see.

The only reason we left here after 2 days was that the evil villain, Monday Moriarty, showed up and as I have to work, and there is absolutely no Verizon or AT&T reception here, well, we left. Otherwise I'd have stayed here for at least a week, or until we could sneak into one of the heavily coveted sites in Yosemite proper (though there is no reception on the entire east side of the park, either).

The boondocking spots we scouted were all occupied, but Lower Lee Vining Campground was an excellent Plan B. The campground is fairly large, with lots of towering Jeffrey Pines and access to Lee Vining Creek. The sites are well spaced and there is an array of sites sized for tents, smaller and larger RV’s. Each site has a fire pit, bear box, and picnic table. Many sites are shaded with vegetation between for privacy, others are more open.

The campground is all first come/first serve. There is no dump or water available. However, just down the road is a free water filling station compliments of the NFS and a dump at the Mobil station.

We loved the location – close to the small (expensive) town of Lee Vining, the Mono Lake Scenic Area Visitor’s Center, Mono Lake, and a reasonable drive to the epic ghost town of Bodie. The Visitor’s Center is worth a stop and there are regularly scheduled (free) ranger-led tours of the Mono Lake tufa formations and for bird watching.

We had 2 bars of Verizon 4G unboosted.

We stayed here for three nights. It's a great location to explore Mono Lake, Mammoth, Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite, and Bodie. There's no water, but just down the road towards Lee Vining you can get free water from both the National Forest or the Mobil. The Mobil also has a dump station for $10, as well as overly priced fire wood.

When you first enter the campground there's a large central area which is more suitable for larger rigs. The roads going deeper into the campground are a bit tight. We have a 18 foot travel trailer and did OK, but anything bigger, I would probably park and find a site on foot to make sure you won't get stuck.
Overall, a great campground in a great central location.

I really enjoyed the couple of days spent here. My site backed up to the creek (River?) and sitting under the trees, listening to the water was just what I needed. Spotty Verizon cell reception. There is room on the central circle for big rigs (watch the overhead clearance coming in...) there were two diesel pushers with toads camped side by side while I was there... If you want to go further back into the campground I’d advise walking it first, it gets pretty tight. I was there in early May and Tioga Pass was still closed so it wasn’t very populated, don’t know what it would be like in “high season”. Camp host was very friendly and helpful. Be aware that fuel is VERY pricey in the area. Best spot is the station/restaurant at the junction of Tioga road and 395. Good food too... Checks or cash only for campground payment.

This is a dry forest service camp with outhouses/pit toilets. Sites were nice and big. Several big rigs in the park when we stayed there. Bear boxes provided for tent campers. Use them! There is potable water available at the Ranger station just down the hill from the camp. Fishing on Bear Track Creek which ran through camp wasn't very productive in mid September when we stayed there. Camp Host was very friendly. Remember that if you have an annual National Park Pass, forest service camps are half price. We paid $7.50 per night with ours. The passes also cover the day use areas as well. Ours has more than paid for itself this year.

I see someone else wrote a review a day ago but decided to add mine.
This place was busy on the weekend but cleared out Sunday. Lots of options and get water right before the ranger station.
Make at a stop at the Mono Lake visitor center, awesome displays and we watched 2 movies, one about the lake and the other about the gold mining in the area.
We hiked to Oneida lake a 7 mile strenuous round trip. We met a hunter on the trail, it’s buck season so be careful.
We intended to do a hike yesterday but 120 was closed due to the snow that dropped on us Saturday night. Instead we walked back a forest service road to both Aspen and Big Bend CG’s. Both were more expensive than this one but Big Bend had water. Big Bend also had limited spots for larger rigs although a Class A found one spot. Big Bend was $24/night.
Host was great.
We paid $7/night with our pass. Not sure where the previous report said $15.

This was only a few miles off of 395, on 120 (Tioga Pass). The Mobil station at the corner of 395 & 120 has a dump, then a mile further west towards the park, there is water fill station that has a huge turnoff area. So couldn’t be easier. Also the Mono Vista RV park in Lee Vining has public showers, $3.50 for 5 minutes. About the park; it was easy to get to, just a short ways off of 120. We are in a 40’ fifth wheel and found several spots we could get into. It is as others have said, in the first big open area. We did have to run the generator a couple hours a day. Way to much shade for our solar panels to charge up fully. ( residential refrigerator). The cell coverage reflects our signal with antenna and booster. ATT was spotty. Price is with senior discount.
Be sure to go to Bodie State Park, an amazing ghost town.

We stayed here 5 nights in July, 2020. It is conveniently located 10 miles from the east gate to Yosemite, and just a few miles from Mono lake. There is a rough gravel/asphalt road from hwy 120 to the campground, where the road turns to dirt. People drive in and out all day long kicking up dust. There is one pit toilet in the front section, and some porta potties in the back. There is no water. Lots of groups playing loud music. We did have a deer walk by our campsite one day, and the views of the mountains to the west are spectacular.

Cool, crisp autumn nights & glorious days despite some smoke from wildfires. Site 0 and 47 seem best for Class A DP coaches. Vault toilet, trash & drinking water available. $7 price reflects Senior Pass (50% off).

Lovely time of year to travel Tioga Pass Road to Yosemite Valley. Covid limited entry to national park required advanced registration on recreation.gov for a $2 fee. Glad #’s were reduced, but still many visitors.

Mono Lake is creepily gorgeous! Lee Vining Market has interesting (and good) single beer choices, and basic grocery goods but prices are typically high for a remote area.

We stayed here September, 2018 on our way South from Oregon. We like off the grid, dry camping and randomly came here. Walked the campground road and found site 17 to be nice for us - we have a 19' Rpod and a long truck. If we don't have to un-hook, we like it! Nice walking here for us and the dog and creek access for our old (now deceased) Lab (we planned our camping around water for her). Porta potties in our section and that's about it. We enjoyed it for nature, the trees, the creek and it was quiet - we were here on a Monday, so the weekenders were gone.