Coldwater Campground - Inyo NF in CA -- Campground & RV Camping
Coldwater Campground - Inyo NF in CA
CampgroundUSFS
2.0 mi from Mammoth Lakes
Official campground & reservations ↗
Road Access
- Road difficulty 1 of 5: an easy drive in.
- Recorded as maintained for passenger cars, gravel, pitching to 8%.
Rig fit
- Maximum published vehicle length: 43 ft.
- Longest published RV site: 43 ft.
- Longest published trailer site: 43 ft.
- Driveway grade: severe.
Campground details
Setting
Coldwater Campground sits at an elevation of 8,900 feet in a pine forest near Mammoth Lakes, flanked by Coldwater and Mammoth Creeks. The facility features two loops of closely spaced campsites, each equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, and bear-proof food storage lockers. Pressurized water spigots and flush toilets are positioned throughout the site. Campers have direct access to trout fishing at nearby Lake Mary, as well as backcountry hiking via the 5-mile Duck Pass Trail, which connects to the John Muir Trail.
Getting there: Coldwater Campground is 320 miles north of Los Angeles and 180 miles south of Reno. Follow U.S. Highway 395 to the junction of State Highway 203. Turn west on 203 and drive 7 miles through the town of Mammoth Lakes. Highway 203 becomes Main Street, then Lake Mary Road, which will lead to the Lakes Basin. Continue on Lake Mary Road to the Coldwater Campground cutoff on the left.
- Little separation from through roads or other sites here, a 74-site campground with the nearest through road 0.1 miles off.
- Crystal Crag stands 1,379 ft above the map pin, 1.1 miles southwest.
- The Lake Mary shoreline is 0.1 mi off.
- Most of them shaded.
Climate averages
October normals 27–58°F, 1.5″ precipitation. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.
Starlink Radar
Open sky · Terrain & buildings · Tree canopy
Estimated horizon in eight compass directions, using 10 m USGS elevation. Sky clearance 96 of 100.