Lost Claim Campground — Hotel in Sonora

We were nervous to book here because there were so few reviews - and the ones that existed are so old. Clearly the area had been hit by a fire and was closed for some time. When we went things seemed to be back to normal. The campsite is barebones but the sites and toilets are clean. The one water access comes from a large hand pump. We didn’t see a campsite host staying here, but did see someone drive through a few times and the sites were marked with reserved notes. Bring your own firewood to the site. Our parking site was level enough for our camping van, but I can see how risers might be needed for some (not agressive, but worth noting). I suppose tent camping might be tricky in a few of the spots. Lots of poison oak in the woods, but all the campsites looked clear. We didn’t have an issue staying away from it. Great location outside...

It is a primitive camp site with fire pits, picnic tables, vault toilets, and a hand operated water pump. Unfortunately, the first night we were there were also some very unhappy cows that bellered all night. I doubt other visitors will have that experience; we never heard them again. Otherwise it was peaceful and quiet. There is plenty of fallen wood to use for campfires.

There were two reasons I rated it a 3. Our camp site, number 2 was very sloped. Also it was 15 minutes from the Yosemite gate, which meant it was about an hour to drive to the valley. It was an average place. Nothing remarkable and nothing terrible ( except the...

Use to be before the reservation system that you could go there even late on a Friday in the Summer and get a site EASY. No one used it, since most people prefer to camp within Yosemite. Now with reservation system I think people book it up and never use it. So you don't know what to think. I would forgo getting reservations for the place and just go. You will probably find a vacant site. Anyway, it is quiet, but you do hear bears rumbling in the night sometimes. I have camped there three times without a problem. Close to Yosemite and only five miles to Rainbow pool. A great place to...