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Buck Ridge

Hensley Lake — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: RAYMOND, CA, CA

Price: From $30 per night

Rating: 5 out of 5 (1 reviews)

Season: May through October

Buck Ridge group day-use pavillion is located within the Buck Ridge Recreation Area at Hidden Dam, Hensley Lake. The pavilion has drinking water access, multiple picnic tables, a large barbeque pit and grill for cooking, two horseshoe pits and a water-borne restroom for your use. The lake area offers many recreational opportunities, such as swimming, water skiing, fishing and hiking, and attracts a growing number of visitors per year.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): strong signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: AT&T. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 100%.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Restrooms, Drinking Water, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/buck-ridge to be notified when sites open up.

Buck Ridge offers excellent fishing and water recreation at Hensley Lake with nearby access to Yosemite and Kings Canyon. The recreation area features multiple amenities including picnic tables, drinking water, and a boat launch.

Wildlife alert: Northern Pacific Rattlesnake present in area; also watch for Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, Coyotes, and Rock Wrens.

Insider tips for Buck Ridge: Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand Day-use pavilion available with large BBQ pit and horseshoe pits Multiple recreation options including swimming, water skiing, fishing, and hiking nearby

Skip Buck Ridge if: You need hookups - no hookups available at sites. You're visiting outside May-October - seasonal operations only. You prefer established campgrounds - only 1 tent site available.

Best time to visit Buck Ridge: May-October — Official operating season per verified data.

Nearby campgrounds: Hidden View (RAYMOND, CA), Wildcat Equestrian Area (Raymond, CA), Wildcat Recreation Area Campground (Raymond, CA), Codorniz Recreation Area Campground (RAYMOND, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Buck Ridge

Cell signal at Buck Ridge (RAYMOND, CA): strong overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: AT&T.

  • Verizon 4G LTE: 100% coverage
  • AT&T 4G LTE: 100% coverage · AT&T 5G: 100%
  • T-Mobile 4G LTE: 100% coverage

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Hensley Lake — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Buck Ridge

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RAYMOND, CA, CA★ 5 (1 reviews)From $30/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Buck Ridge group day-use pavillion is located within the Buck Ridge Recreation Area at Hidden Dam, Hensley Lake. The pavilion has drinking water access, multiple picnic tables, a large barbeque pit and grill for cooking, two horseshoe pits and a water-borne restroom for your use. The lake area offers many recreational opportunities, such as swimming, water skiing, fishing and hiking, and attracts a growing number of visitors per year.

Best for:AnglersHikersSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
RestroomsBoat Launch

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups - no hookups available at sites✕ You're visiting outside May-October - seasonal operations only✕ You prefer established campgrounds - only 1 tent site available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand

Day-use pavilion available with large BBQ pit and horseshoe pits

Multiple recreation options including swimming, water skiing, fishing, and hiking nearby

Best: May-October

Official operating season per verified data

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 100%
Verizon
4G · 100%
AT&T
4G + 5G · 100%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: AT&T.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Northern Pacific Rattlesnake present in area; also watch for Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, Coyotes, and Rock Wrens.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
559-673-5151· Hensley Lake
hensley-info@usace.army.mil
Getting there →

From south of Fresno: Take State Route 99 to SR 41 north to SR 145. Turn left on 145 and go 8.4 miles to Road 33. Turn right on Road 33, and go 1 mile to Road 400. Turn right on 400, and go 9.7 miles to the Buck Ridge Recreation Area. Follow the signs to the campground and various areas within the park. From south of Madera: Take SR 99 north to exit 153B. Bear right onto Madera Ave. and go .3 miles to Gateway. Turn left and drive .2 miles to the traffic light at Yosemite Ave. (SR 145). Turn righ

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Hensley Lake fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Hensley Lake before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Buck Ridge cost per night?+
Buck Ridge costs $30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Buck Ridge open?+
Buck Ridge is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Buck Ridge have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Buck Ridge?+
Buck Ridge is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Buck Ridge?+
Buck Ridge is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Buck Ridge?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Buck Ridge is rated strong. Best carrier: AT&T. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Buck Ridge open, and what are check-in times?+
Buck Ridge is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$30 /night★ 5 (1)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Buck Ridge cost per night?+
What season is Buck Ridge open?+
Does Buck Ridge have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Hidden View

RAYMOND, CA

From $20/night

Wildcat Equestrian Area

Raymond, CA

From $60/night

Forest campground camping

Wildcat Recreation Area Campground

Raymond, CA

From $20/night

Codorniz Recreation Area Campground

RAYMOND, CA

From $20/night

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