California has no shortage of places to enjoy the outdoors. One weekend you can be stretched out on the sand in Malibu, the next hiking beneath towering sequoias or contemplating a waterfall.
Now, just in time for peak camping season, one beloved mountain destination is welcoming visitors back with the reopening of dozens of campsites that have been off-limits for months. A total of 89 campsites across four campgrounds in the Sierra National Forest have officially reopened after extensive recovery work by the U.S. Forest Service.
Which Sierra Nevada campgrounds are reopening?
The largest reopening is in the Bass Lake Ranger District in Madera County, where 60 campsites are once again available between Granite Creek Campground and Fresno Dome Campground.
Farther east, in the High Sierra Ranger District, another 29 campsites have reopened at Catavee Campground and Upper Billy Creek Campground, offering easy access to the forests and lakes surrounding Shaver Lake. As part of the reopening, Barnes Mountain Road and the Barnes Mountain Trail have also reopened to the public.
These areas had been closed under a forest order while crews addressed dangerous conditions left behind by recent wildfires, including unstable trees that posed a risk to visitors. According to the Forest Service, contractors and staff spent months mitigating hazard trees, repairing campground infrastructure, improving roads and trails, and restoring public access.
The reopening marks another step in the gradual recovery of the Sierra National Forest, where several recreation sites have been returning to service throughout the year as restoration work is completed.
