Sweetwater

Sierra National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: North Fork, CA, CA

Price: From $41 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (10 reviews)

Season: May through October

Sweetwater Campground remains closed due to the 2020 Creek Wildfire Sweetwater Campground is laid out in a single loop along Chiquito Creek, shaded by pine, oak and cedar trees. Most sites overlook the creek or a brook that also runs by the campground. Each campsite contains a picnic table, grill and campfire ring.

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

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

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

Sweetwater offers excellent creek-side camping with fishing and swimming opportunities, shaded by pine, oak, and cedar trees. Campers praise the pleasant creek setting and note that sites 5, 6, and 7 are particularly desirable for their creek proximity.

Wildlife alert: Black-throated Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Black Phoebe, Mallard, Greater Brown Skink, Common Sagebrush Lizard, Sierra Fence Lizard

Insider tips for Sweetwater: Request creek-side sites 5, 6, or 7 when booking Book early as this is a federal campground with only 2 sites Bring a self-contained RV; no hookups available

Skip Sweetwater if: You need electrical hookups or cell service. You require full facility restrooms rather than vault toilets. You plan to visit outside May through October.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Mammoth Pool (Oakhurst, CA), Rock Creek (Sierra National Forest, Ca) (North Fork, CA), Fish Creek (Ca) (Oakhurst, CA), Chilkoot (Bass Lake, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Sweetwater

Cell signal at Sweetwater (North Fork, 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 — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Sweetwater

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North Fork, CA, CA★ 3.9 (10 reviews)From $41/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Sweetwater Campground remains closed due to the 2020 Creek Wildfire Sweetwater Campground is laid out in a single loop along Chiquito Creek, shaded by pine, oak and cedar trees. Most sites overlook the creek or a brook that also runs by the campground. Each campsite contains a picnic table, grill and campfire ring.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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 RV20 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 TablesFishing
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 electrical hookups or cell service✕ You require full facility restrooms rather than vault toilets✕ You plan to visit outside May through October

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Request creek-side sites 5, 6, or 7 when booking

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 2 sites

Bring a self-contained RV; no hookups available

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 · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Black-throated Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Black Phoebe, Mallard, Greater Brown Skink, Common Sagebrush Lizard, Sierra Fence Lizard

Location

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

From Fresno, California, take Highway 41 north. Turn northeast on Forest Road 200 and pass through North Fork. Take Minarets Road east and follow it 37 miles. Turn right on Mammoth Pool Road and follow it 2 miles to Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater cost per night?+
Sweetwater costs $41 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Sweetwater open?+
Sweetwater is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Sweetwater have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Sweetwater?+
Sweetwater can accommodate RVs up to 20 feet.
How do I make reservations at Sweetwater?+
Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Sweetwater is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Sweetwater open, and what are check-in times?+
Sweetwater is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility MapForest Service Concessionaire
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★ 3.9 (10)
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 Sweetwater cost per night?+
What season is Sweetwater open?+
Does Sweetwater have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Mammoth Pool

Oakhurst, CA

From $41/night

Rock Creek (Sierra National Forest, Ca)

North Fork, CA

From $20/night

Fish Creek (Ca)

Oakhurst, CA

From $41/night

Chilkoot

Bass Lake, CA

From $41/night

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