KELTY MEADOW
Sierra National Forest, CAKelty Meadow sits alongside Kelty Creek in Sierra National Forest's Bass Lake Ranger District, designed specifically for equestrian campers with wide sites that handle horse trailers and hitching posts. Pine and cedar shade keeps things cool at 3,400 feet, while the creek provides stock water for horses.
Campground Details
- 💵Fee per Night
- $41
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 🏔️Elevation
- 3,400 ft
- 📍GPS
- 37.44009, -119.54377
- 🌤️Best Seasons
- summer, fall
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 📞Phone
- 559-642-3212
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
The sites here are built for function over beauty — wide and open enough for small horse trailers, slide-ins, and tent setups. Pine and cedar provide decent shade along Kelty Creek, though this isn't a pristine wilderness experience. Each site comes with the standard picnic table, fire ring, and grill, with some sites adding hitching posts for horses.
The creek handles stock watering duties, but you'll need to bring your own drinking water. Vault toilets cover the basics. The setup works well for horse camping, less so if you're looking for a scenic car camping spot.
What to Know
Reservations are required at $41 per night. Once your dates begin, modifications aren't possible through Recreation.gov or on-site, so plan accordingly.
The campground serves the Bass Lake area crowd, which means summer and fall can get busy. Bass Lake itself sits nearby with a beach, boat ramp, and the full menu of lake activities — swimming, boating, water skiing, and fishing for bass, trout, bluegill, and catfish.
Nearby
Horse riders have logging and forest roads throughout the surrounding area for trail access. The Shadow of the Giants National Recreation Trail starts a few miles south — a one-mile interpretive walk through giant sequoias that's worth the short drive if you can leave the horses behind for an afternoon.
Most other recreation centers on Bass Lake, which explains why this horse camp exists here rather than deeper in the forest. The bald and golden eagles that nest in the area provide some wildlife interest beyond the lake activities.