A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Forks Campground (Sierra)

Forest Service campground in Sierra National Forest, Madera County, California. About 3,400 feet.

Managed by
Forest Service Sierra National Forest
Elevation
About 3,400 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
26 22 standard non-electric, 4 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
40 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Madera County

Overview

Forks campground is located on a hillside overlooking Bass Lake. The camp is forested with cedar, ponderosa pine and oak trees and offers a few sites with limited lake views, while others are adjacent to the creek.

Recreation

Bass Lake offers a beach and boat ramp. Popular activities include swimming, motorized boating, non-motorized boating, water skiing, sailing and fishing for bass, trout, bluegill and catfish.

Goat Mountain Trail (2.6 miles) can be accessed directly from this camp. Other foot trails in the area include Willow Creek (2.7 miles), Spring Cove (2.6 miles) and Way-of-the-Mono Interpretive Trail (1 mile).

A variety of educational programs are offered on weekends during the summer.

Facilities

Each unit has a picnic table, pedestal grill, stone fire ring and paved parking spur. Forks Campground provides flush toilets (including ones that meet accessibility standards) and drinking water.

The parking spurs here are not large enough to fit boat trailers.

Natural Features

Forks Campground is located in the Bass Lake Ranger District at an elevation of 3,400 feet. Bass Lake is a very popular area known for its variety of fish, as well as the bald and golden eagles that make their home here.

The Sierra National Forest, located on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, is known for its spectacular mountain scenery and abundant natural resources. The terrain includes rolling, oak-covered foothills, heavily forested middle elevation slopes and the starkly beautiful alpine landscape of the High Sierra.

Nearby Attractions

Forks Campground is located approximately 24 miles from the entrance of Yosemite National Park.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • swimming site
  • water sports

The land around Forks Campground (Sierra)

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.