Soquel Campground

Sierra National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: Bass Lake, CA, CA

Price: From $41 per night

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (49 reviews)

Season: May through October

Soquel Campground consists of two loops on the banks of Willow Creek. The primitive sites are well-shaded by pine and fir trees and can accommodate small trailers and tents. Reservations for this campground are now site-specific.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water

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

Soquel Campground offers a primitive, well-shaded setting on the banks of Willow Creek with access to hiking trails including the 3.7-mile Lewis Creek National Recreation Trail. Campers praise the beautiful creek setting with trout, shallow swim holes for families, and a helpful on-site host.

Wildlife alert: Mule Deer, Douglas' Squirrel, Lewis's Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wild Turkey, California Mountain Kingsnake, Northern Rubber Boa, and Sharp-tailed Snake

Insider tips for Soquel Campground: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with site-specific reservations Bring your own water and waste management supplies; no hookups available Visit early or late season to avoid dust and noise from motorcycle trails on adjacent forest roads

Skip Soquel Campground if: You need RV hookups; this campground has no hookups and is only suitable for self-contained RVs. You prefer developed amenities; this is a primitive campground with vault toilets only. You're sensitive to motorcycle noise; the Miami Motorcycle Trails are accessible from nearby forest roads.

Best time to visit Soquel Campground: May-June — Campground operates May through October; early season avoids mid-to-late summer dust reported by campers. September-October — Cooler temperatures with warm sun during day; avoids peak summer dust and motorcycle traffic.

Nearby campgrounds: Texas Flats (Oakhurst, CA), Kelty Meadow (Oakhurst, CA), Chilkoot (Bass Lake, CA), Crane Valley (BASS LAKE, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Soquel Campground

Cell signal at Soquel Campground (Bass Lake, 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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CamperWatch›CA›Soquel Campground
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Sierra National Forest — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Soquel Campground

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Bass Lake, CA, CA★ 4.1 (49 reviews)From $41/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Soquel Campground consists of two loops on the banks of Willow Creek. The primitive sites are well-shaded by pine and fir trees and can accommodate small trailers and tents. Reservations for this campground are now site-specific.

Best for:HikersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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 RV30 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
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 RV hookups; this campground has no hookups and is only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You prefer developed amenities; this is a primitive campground with vault toilets only✕ You're sensitive to motorcycle noise; the Miami Motorcycle Trails are accessible from nearby forest roads

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with site-specific reservations

Bring your own water and waste management supplies; no hookups available

Visit early or late season to avoid dust and noise from motorcycle trails on adjacent forest roads

Best: May-June

Campground operates May through October; early season avoids mid-to-late summer dust reported by campers

Best: September-October

Cooler temperatures with warm sun during day; avoids peak summer dust and motorcycle traffic

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: Mule Deer, Douglas' Squirrel, Lewis's Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wild Turkey, California Mountain Kingsnake, Northern Rubber Boa, and Sharp-tailed Snake

Location

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

From Fresno, take Highway 41 north through town of Oakhurst. Take the Sky Ranch Road (Road 632) east for 7 miles, turn southeast on Forest Road 6S40, and travel 1 mile to Soquel Campground.

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 Soquel Campground cost per night?+
Soquel Campground costs $41 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Soquel Campground open?+
Soquel Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Soquel Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Soquel Campground?+
Soquel Campground can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Soquel Campground?+
Soquel 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 Soquel Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Soquel Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Soquel Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Soquel Campground 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★ 4.1 (49)
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 Soquel Campground cost per night?+
What season is Soquel Campground open?+
Does Soquel Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Texas Flats

Oakhurst, CA

From $127/night

Kelty Meadow

Oakhurst, CA

From $41/night

Chilkoot

Bass Lake, CA

From $41/night

Crane Valley

BASS LAKE, CA

From $20/night

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