Cedar Flat Group Campground

Federal campground in Inyo National Forest

Location: Bishop, CA, CA

Price: From $25 per night

Price range: $25–$35 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (14 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cedar Flat Group sites are popular with academic institutions for geology field trips. With no nearby light sources, the night sky is brilliant for star gazing and night photography.A perfect location for star gazing, geology and hiking.Three large group camp sites can accommodate between 25 and 50 people. Each has a picnic shelter with table, campfire ring and vault toilet.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets

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

Cedar Flat Group Campground offers brilliant night skies for star gazing and night photography with no nearby light sources, plus excellent geology and hiking opportunities. The three large group sites can accommodate 25-50 people each.

Wildlife alert: Panamint Rattlesnake, Panamint Chipmunk, Canyon Bat, Southwestern Blackhead Snake, and Pituophis catenifer present in the area.

Insider tips for Cedar Flat Group Campground: Book early as this is a popular federal campground Bring your own water—there is no water at the location or natural water source nearby Perfect for academic and large group trips with group site capacity of 25-50 people

Skip Cedar Flat Group Campground if: You need hookups—no hookups available. You're visiting outside May through October—seasonal operations only. You require on-site water access.

Best time to visit Cedar Flat Group Campground: May-October — Official operating season for the campground.

Nearby campgrounds: Big Pine Canyon (Big Pine, CA), Big Pine Creek Campground (Big Pine, CA), Goodale Creek Campground (Independence, CA), Pleasant Valley Pit Campground (Bishop, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cedar Flat Group Campground

Cell signal at Cedar Flat Group Campground (Bishop, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

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.

CamperWatch›CA›Cedar Flat Group Campground
Cedar Flat Group Campground — photo 1
Federal campground in Inyo National ForestLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cedar Flat Group Campground

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Bishop, CA, CA★ 4.3 (14 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cedar Flat Group sites are popular with academic institutions for geology field trips. With no nearby light sources, the night sky is brilliant for star gazing and night photography.A perfect location for star gazing, geology and hiking.Three large group camp sites can accommodate between 25 and 50 people. Each has a picnic shelter with table, campfire ring and vault toilet.

Best for:FamiliesSites: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
Max RV60 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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✕ You're visiting outside May through October—seasonal operations only✕ You require on-site water access

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Bring your own water

there is no water at the location or natural water source nearby

Perfect for academic and large group trips with group site capacity of 25-50 people

Best: May-October

Official operating season for the campground

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Panamint Rattlesnake, Panamint Chipmunk, Canyon Bat, Southwestern Blackhead Snake, and Pituophis catenifer present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
760-873-2500· Inyo National Forest
Getting there →

From Big Pine go east on Highway 168 APPROXIMATELY 11.5 miles and turn left into the campground entrance. The junction of 168 and White Mt Road (to the BRISTLECONE PINES) is about 1/2 mile beyond the campground entrance. Highway 168 is narrow and steep. RV's and large vehicles should note a section of the road is a single lane with very limited visibility. UPHILL traffic has the right of way, BUT BE prepared to stop and back up to the last wide spot if necessary.

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 — Inyo National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Inyo National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cedar Flat Group Campground cost per night?+
Cedar Flat Group Campground costs $25–$35 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Cedar Flat Group Campground open?+
Cedar Flat Group Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cedar Flat Group Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Cedar Flat Group Campground?+
Cedar Flat Group Campground can accommodate RVs up to 60 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cedar Flat Group Campground?+
Cedar Flat Group Campground 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 Cedar Flat Group Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cedar Flat Group Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cedar Flat Group Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Cedar Flat Group Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
●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.

$25 /night★ 4.3 (14)
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 Cedar Flat Group Campground cost per night?+
What season is Cedar Flat Group Campground open?+
Does Cedar Flat Group Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

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