High Sierra Topix

Hello HST!

I'm looking for a recommendation for a campground in the Lake Sabrina area. My wife and I will be backpacking above Lake Sabrina from Monday, August 1st to Friday, August 5th, but want to stay at a campground the night before our trip (Sunday, July 31st). It'll only be for one night, but hey, if we can stay somewhere pleasant, we'd like to do so.

The campgrounds near the trailhead that I see on the map are:
North Lake
Sabrina
Bishop Park
Intake 2
Forks
Big Trees
Four Jeffrey

We'll probably be limited to what's available, but if any of you have found any of these campgrounds to be particularly enjoyable, I'd love to hear about it. We'll probably do a little dayhiking on Saturday afternoon, but all the campgrounds look reasonably close to the trailheads, so a quick drive is no big deal.

I'd prefer scenery over anything else, but privacy and no big RVs would also be up there in my preferences.

Thanks for any info you can give!!
tweeder

The Campground at North lake is charming---there are even a couple of walk-in sites at the west end. Many of the others are down in sagebrush country, and if it is sunny, they are really hot. If it is windy, hang on to your head.

I have stayed at Four Jeffrey??, Intake and North Lake. North Lake may be most to your liking (no RV's because of the road) and it is scenic but it can be hard to get a spot. It has walk-in sites. But it is a popular trailhead so not very private. We stayed at Upper Intake last year, not bad, but there are a few RV sites and it is a popular day-use area. There are a few walk-in sites in trees at Lower Intake that are quite private. It is a small campground. Upper and Lower Intake are basically the same campground. We actually stayed at the large campground up the road a mile or so after the road junction (NOT the campground at the junction, which I do not like) when we had our trailer, late in the season. I think this is Four Jeffreys, but not sure. It has a dump station, so is the preferred campground for RV'ers, is quite large, and one of the few that stay open into October.

Never been to Sabrina - it may be more private since it is a not exactly at a trailhead.

The power of the internet, why try to explain when you can see them for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcFuocj01CU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_Aw4KJR8U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6S-NojaJz0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZZ_xpZcCpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMU0QOicGfg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3rOiksT_Pw

Great info everyone! Thank you very much for your replies!

Dang, you're good, Maverick!

And is that wind noise I hear on those videos? I think so...

I've stayed at North Lake, Sabrina, Intake 2, and Big Trees. I liked all of them, but then got lucky with the timing in terms of what sites were open when my wife and I arrived. Since they are all first-come, it really is a crap shoot. We stayed at Big Trees because Sabrina was full and we're lucky to get the most secluded campsite in the campground. When we stayed at Sabrina, the previous occupants had left right before we arrived so we got a great site. The walk-in sites at North Lake are usually not full except on weekends. They are all nice and by the creek.

If it was me, depending on the time of day of arrival, I would go first to Sabrina. If it's full (pretty likely on Sunday, July 31), then go to North Lake. If that's full, go to Big Trees. If you want complete security about a place to sleep, Four Jeffrey is the one campground that accepts reservations. But then on a Sunday, I expect a site would still be available their anyway.

Thanks LMBSGV, that sounds like a good plan. We'll try to get to Sabrina before check-out time and see if we get lucky there. If not, we'll head over to North Lake and if there are no standard sites, we'll go for one of the walk-in sites. If we strike out there, then we'll work our way back to the other campgrounds. Might just have to hit up that t-bone at Bishop Creek Lodge too for nice pre-trip dinner:)

And yeah Mav, those videos are great! Thanks again everyone!

There's one that was left off that list: Willow, the last one before hitting Parcher's resort.

South fork of Bishop Creek goes right through it, it's got a LOT of trees and shade and actually can have quite lush grass.

Highly recommended, as is Sabrina.

There's one that was left off that list: Willow, the last one before hitting Parcher's resort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQUAUgWsneY