Highland Lakes Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. The campground typically operates late May or June through October, weather permitting, due to its high elevation of 8,600 feet.

About

Highland Lakes Campground is located at the end of Highland Lakes Road in a spectacular high alpine valley near the crest of Ebbetts Pass at 8,600 feet elevation. The campground consists of two separate camping areas: a larger area along Highland Lakes Road and a smaller area on a hill above the lake, with 35 total sites set among conifer forest adjacent to meadows. The two Highland Lakes are unique in that they serve as headwaters for two different watersheds, with the eastern lake flowing into the Mokelumne River drainage and the western lake flowing into the Stanislaus River drainage. The campground provides access to fishing, hiking trails, and horseback riding opportunities in the surrounding high Sierra wilderness. Maximum boat speed on both lakes is 5 mph, and gas-powered motors are discouraged. Highland Lakes Road is a narrow, steep, winding dirt route where safe travel speeds average 20 mph or less, and at one point it fords a stream which may present challenges for low-clearance vehicles in spring and early summer. The campground operates on a pack-in, pack-out basis with no garbage service.

Directions

From Highway 4 after Ebbetts Pass, turn south on Highland Lakes Road. Turn right at the split towards the lakes. The campground is at the end of Highland Lakes Road, 5.6 miles from Highway 4. Highland Lakes Road is a narrow, steep, winding dirt route where safe travel speeds average 20 mph or less.

Nearby Campgrounds