USDA Forest Service · California
Cottonwood Pass Walk-in Campground
USDA Forest Service · California, United States
- Cost
- Overnight Use: Single Site: $22 per night
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 9,925 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- HORSESHOE MEADOWS (NFSR 16S02) · asphalt · high degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- Lone Pine, CA
About
US Forest Service campground. Located in the Horseshoe Meadow Recreation Area at 10,000 ft. elevation, this trailhead campground has 18 walk-in sites suitable for backpackers and hikers to use the night before they are going to hike into Golden Trout Wilderness. Self-register when you arrive. Sites include bear food storage lockers, tent pads, tables, fire grates, piped water, and vault toilets One night stay limit. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 2° | 50° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 32° | 18° | -7° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 34° | 18° | -1° | 62° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 42° | 23° | 5° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 52° | 31° | 10° | 65° | 9 of 11 |
| June | 66° | 43° | 22° | 76° | 2 of 11 |
| July | 72° | 50° | 41° | 79° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 69° | 48° | 43° | 76° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 62° | 42° | 32° | 70° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 53° | 34° | 9° | 66° | 7 of 10 |
| November | 44° | 28° | 6° | 59° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 21° | -5° | 50° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Cottonwood Lakes Walk-in Campground · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi
- Tuttle Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 8 mi · 83 sites
- Diaz Lake Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 10 mi · 100 sites
- Mt. Whitney Trailhead Ravine Campground · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi
- Whitney Portal · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 47 sites
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.