Convict Lake Campground
nearest town: Mammoth CA
part of: Inyo National Forest
A Forest Service Campground in the US 395 region.
Number of visits: 5
GPS: 37.5949,-118.8479
Bathroom: yes, cold water • Water: yes
Large campground at the foot of Convict Lake. Really cool place, mountains on three sides, nice little bite-sized hike around the perimeter of the lake (2.6 miles). Quite popular, but it's a big campground so there are usually open sites.
Downtown Mammoth is fifteen minutes away.
Notes on each visit (posted cost • senior cost):
2 1/2 weeks since the last time I was here!
Peak Fall colors happened in between :-/ Still beautiful though. Site 72 has a nice vista, close to bathroom and the trail across the creek.
As happens all too frequently with privately operated USFS campgrounds, they raise the price a dollar or two every year. Gotta make a profit! ... off of public land bought and maintained with my taxes.
I took the loop hike around the lake, which is breathtakingly scenic.
First time I've been here when they're not repaving!
Price goes up every year. That's what happens when you sign away government functions to for-profit companies.
It is still a couple of weeks away from peak fall colors.
This is a great site, shielded from the road and the bathroom light, facing onto a meadow that gives a great view towards the lake.
Interesting, they are paving again, four years later. This time it is the lake access road down the south side of the lake that is closed. This is Sunday night of Columbus Day weekend, so all the good (i.e. shaded) spots are taken til tomorrow.
Site 74 gives a pretty view of the valley, you can hear the creek gurgling, at night you see traffic on the road across the valley, the lights of the resort, and sadly the bright lights of the bathroom behind you.
newly repaved, easy little lake loop, close to Mammoth, busy and probably crowded in summer. Closing Oct 31