Upper Soda Springs Campground — Hotel in Mammoth Lakes

My very first camping trip in the Mammoth Lakes area was at Upper Soda Springs campground and I believe without seeing any other campsite this is the greatest in the area. Excellent seclusion from the town and other campsites while still being close enough to not feel too vulnerable. A beautiful rushing river flows through and is walking distance from each site providing serene river noise to fall asleep to, and a picturesque wooden bridge to cross. The pacific crest trail connects this camp to others in the area as well as many tourist attractions within hiking distance. And to top it all off, Gary our camp host was extremely knowledgeable and hospitable, making all of us feel safe and secure from wildlife, while also giving excellent rules and guidelines to make everyone’s experience in the camp the best it could be. After a lifetime of camping around the Sierra Nevada mountains, I’ve never had such a well-rounded camping experience, and will definitely be coming back many times over. Thanks again to Gary, and the Inyo National Forest workers for hosting and maintaining this site for...

Camped here for two nights (8/6/21-8/7/21). We arrived by shuttle (Stop #3) because we'd planned to backpack and fish along the river trail. However our shuttle driver recommended Upper Soda Springs as a good starting point so we stopped there (and the reason I bring this up is that you can car camp here). The host was super-friendly and when he saw that we had backpacking gear and a wilderness permit he recommended a site right across the river, technically outside of the campground, but quieter and still close enough to cross the bridge for potable water and bathrooms (and saved us $50).

All in all a very nice spot right on the San Joaquin River. We used the campground as basecamp and fished up and down the river for a few miles the next couple days. Would definitely go back, and again kudos to the camp host...super friendly and informative...

Made a last minute change of plans on our weekend road trip and decided to spend a night at the Upper Soda Springs campground and couldn't be happier that we did. We'll definitely be back. Beautiful location in Reds Meadow adjacent to the Ansel Adams Wilderness and PCT and JMT. Campsites are well spaced and most are shaded by the trees which also provide a nice bit of privacy. And the pit toilets are the cleanest ones I've ever seen. It's evident that Gary the camphost cares a great deal about the campground and the people staying there. In fact, at the next campground we stayed at my friend said to me, "I miss Gary." We plan on coming back for more than just a night as soon as we can....