Connectivity
No community carrier report is currently published for this campground.
Community-reported service can change with terrain, weather, congestion, and carrier coverage.
Campground
Upper Sage Flat
Inyo National Forest, California
About this campground
Take the family to Upper Sage for a pleasant camping trip along the banks of Big Pine Creek.
The campground is sprawled out along Big Pine Creek beneath shady Jeffrey pines and cottonwoods, just 9 miles west of the town of Big Pine.
Visitors can swim or fish, in the creek that is stocked annually with trout, or head to a nearby lake for power boating.
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 37.125833° N
- Longitude
- 118.433889° W
Know before you arrive
Access, sites & campground features
Official facility and campsite inventory, supplemented by clearly marked community reports when the official listing does not publish the detail.
Access
- Drive-in
- Boat-in
- Walk-inCommunity report
Site types
- Tent sites
- RV / trailer sites
- Standard campsites
Features
For campers
- Toilets
- Drinking water
- Picnic table
- FiresUse only when the current order allows flame
- Alcohol allowedCommunity report
- Firewood availableCommunity report
- Trash serviceCommunity report
- Pets allowedDogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
- Reservable
For vehicles
- Big rig friendlyPublished vehicle length up to 45 ft
- Back-in sitesCommunity report
Official campground guide
Plan with the full campground details
Facility information, site rules, booking windows, and published rates. Source snapshot checked Oct 18, 2026.
Overview
Take the family to Upper Sage for a pleasant camping trip along the banks of Big Pine Creek. Here, visitors can experience the beauty of the creek that runs along the base of a narrow canyon. Visitors can swim or fish, in the creek that is stocked annually with trout, or head to a nearby lake for power boating.
Facilities
Parking aprons are paved and most are 40 feet long. Amenities include flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and campfire rings.
Recreation
Rainbow, brown, brook and alpers trout swim in the stream, enticing anglers. Hikers are fans of the Big Pine Creek Trail, a 1.5-mile footpath that provides access to the John Muir Wilderness trails.
Natural Features
The campground is sprawled out along Big Pine Creek beneath shady Jeffrey pines and cottonwoods, just 9 miles west of the town of Big Pine.
Inyo National Forest is home to many natural wonders, including Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes Basin, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest atop the White Mountains.
Bristlecone pines rank as the oldest trees in the world and have achieved immense scientific and cultural importance.
Nearby Attractions
Head to the neighboring John Muir Wilderness for incredible views of Palisades Glacier, the southern-most glacier in the country. Nearby Tinemaha Reservoir provides additional fishing opportunities.
Activities & amenities
What Recreation.gov or the campground’s official source specifically lists.
Available activities
- Wildlife Viewing
- Horseback Riding
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Camping
Amenities and facility features
- Flush toilets
- Potable water
- Picnic tables
- Site fire ring or grillUse only when the current order allows flame
Recreation sites
Published inventory grouped by site type. Individual sites can have stricter limits.
Standard Non-Electric
20 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- RV, Tent, Trailer
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Maximum vehicle length
- 35 ft
- Check-in
- 02:00 PM, 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 11:00 AM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Management
1 site- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Check-in
- 02:00 PM
- Check-out
- 11:00 AM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Site rules, inventory & rates
Facility rules, inventory procedures, and price seasons published by the official source.
Site rules
- Maximum stay
- 14 consecutive nights
- Minimum stay
- 1 consecutive nights
- Holiday-weekend minimum
- 3 nights
- Weekend minimum
- 2 nights
- Reservation cutoff
- 3 days before arrival
- Maximum published occupancy
- 6 people per site
- Maximum published vehicles
- 1 vehicles per site
- Check-in
- 02:00 PM, 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 11:00 AM
- Food storage
- Upper Sage Flat's official facility record checked 2026-10-16 does not publish a food-storage method; confirm the posted rule with Inyo National Forest.
- Fire and stove use
- Upper Sage Flat's official facility record states: Amenities include flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and campfire rings.
- Pets
- Dogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
Inventory window
Recreation.gov publishes a rolling booking window. The dates below are the official snapshot captured for this catalog build.
- Currently bookable through
- Apr 18, 2027
- Next release
- Oct 19, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT
- Next book-through date
- Apr 19, 2027
- Group sites bookable through
- Oct 18, 2027
Published seasons & rates
| Season | Site type | Nightly rate | Additional person | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak SeasonApr 17, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | Management | $29 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 17, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $29 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 16, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | Management | $29 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 16, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $29 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 14, 2028 – Oct 21, 2028 | Management | $29 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 14, 2028 – Oct 21, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $29 | — | — |
Important facility notices
Read these with current closure and fire notices before departure.
- Bears frequent the area; all food must be kept in approved containers
- Outside peak season, campsites are open for walk-ins
- Two pets per site and leashed at all times.
- Please Note: One RV with tow vehicle per single site or one vehicle per tent site. One vehicle per single site is included with your reservation. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee and collected at the campground if you did not pay for an Extra Vehicle Add On. Extra vehicles must fit on the parking spur at the site.
- Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed.
- Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
- Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov.
- For more information on Inyo National Forest, click here
Getting there & contact
Official directions
In Big Pine, on US Highway 395, turn west at the yellow flashing traffic light onto Crocker Street (Big Canyon Road). Continue on this road for 9 miles to campground, on your left.
Facility contact
760-935-4339