Dry Gulch

Sierra National Forest — lakeside

Location: EL PORTAL, CA, CA

Price: From $41 per night

Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (48 reviews)

Season: May through October

Dry Gulch Campground sits on the north side of the Merced River. The small camp features walk-in tent sites on the river, shaded by a grove of pine and oak trees. Dry Gulch’s remote location makes for a quiet and peaceful camping experience.During the spring and early summer, the Merced River is a popular location for white water rafting and kayaking.

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/dry-gulch to be notified when sites open up.

Dry Gulch offers walk-in tent sites on the north side of the Merced River, shaded by pine and oak trees in a remote location that provides a quiet and peaceful camping experience. Google reviewers consistently praise it as one of the most beautiful campgrounds, with sites right by the water and pretty wildflowers.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, California Nightsnake, Great Gray Owl, Ringtail, Gray Fox, and Sierra Nevada Mountain Beaver present in the area

Insider tips for Dry Gulch: Arrive early — sites are first-come, first-serve and there is only 1 site available Verify campground is open before traveling; one camper found it closed in October despite a recreation.gov reservation

Skip Dry Gulch if: You need hookups — no hookups available. You prefer developed facilities — vault toilets only. You want guaranteed availability — only 1 site and Federal campground requires booking early.

Best time to visit Dry Gulch: May-June — Campground opens in May; spring is when Merced River is popular for white water rafting and kayaking, and wildflowers are present.

Nearby campgrounds: Dirt Flat (EL PORTAL, CA), Crane Flat Campground (Yosemite National Park, CA), Tamarack Flat Campground (Yosemite National Park, CA), Hodgdon Meadow Campground (Yosemite National Park, CA (Big Oak Flat Entrance)).

Cell Phone Coverage at Dry Gulch

Cell signal at Dry Gulch (EL PORTAL, 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.

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Sierra National Forest — lakesideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Dry Gulch

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EL PORTAL, CA, CA★ 3.8 (48 reviews)From $41/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Dry Gulch Campground sits on the north side of the Merced River. The small camp features walk-in tent sites on the river, shaded by a grove of pine and oak trees. Dry Gulch’s remote location makes for a quiet and peaceful camping experience.During the spring and early summer, the Merced River is a popular location for white water rafting and kayaking.

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
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 prefer developed facilities — vault toilets only✕ You want guaranteed availability — only 1 site and Federal campground requires booking early

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Arrive early

sites are first-come, first-serve and there is only 1 site available

Verify campground is open before traveling; one camper found it closed in October despite a recreation.gov reservation

Best: May-June

Campground opens in May; spring is when Merced River is popular for white water rafting and kayaking, and wildflowers are present

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: American Black Bear, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, California Nightsnake, Great Gray Owl, Ringtail, Gray Fox, and Sierra Nevada Mountain Beaver present in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
559-642-3212· Sierra National Forest
Getting there →

From Highway 140, turn on to Foresta Road. Landmarks include Red Bud Picnic Area and a National Park Service warehouse. After bridge, turn left onto the spur road. Immediately turn left onto Incline Road. Continue 1.3 miles to the facility.

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

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Dry Gulch cost per night?+
Dry Gulch costs $41 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Dry Gulch open?+
Dry Gulch is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Dry Gulch have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Dry Gulch?+
Dry Gulch is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Dry Gulch?+
Dry Gulch 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 Dry Gulch?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Dry Gulch is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Dry Gulch open, and what are check-in times?+
Dry Gulch is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility MapVista Recreation
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.

$41 /night★ 3.8 (48)
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 Dry Gulch cost per night?+
What season is Dry Gulch open?+
Does Dry Gulch have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Dirt Flat

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Crane Flat Campground

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From $36/night

Tamarack Flat Campground

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From $24/night

Hodgdon Meadow Campground Yosemite National Park Big Oak Flat entrance forest camping California

Hodgdon Meadow Campground

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From $36/night

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