Big Pine Canyon
October 2026
About
Overview
Big Pine Canyon Recreation Area includes two group campground sites. Named for glaciers that can be seen at the end of the valley, Clyde Glacier Group Site and Palisade Glacier Group Site sit along Big Pine Creek.
Recreation
Fishing is a popular activity in the creek and nearby lakes. Climbers make use of the steep, glacier-carved canyon walls for excellent climbing opportunities.
The North Fork Trail climbs past waterfalls and zigzags through Jeffrey pine, manzanita and sage before it reaches Big Pine Lakes with views of Palisade Glacier, the largest glacier.
The South Fork Trail climbs to small lakes fed by glacial waters from Norman Clyde and Middle Palisade Glaciers, the southernmost glaciers.
Facilities
The Clyde Glacier standard campsite fits up to 25 guests. Parking includes two 35-foot and six 20-foot paved spaces. Palisades Glacier campsite is also paved and can accommodate 25 people for tent camping only.
Campfire rings and grills are provided.
Natural Features
Big Pine Canyon is heralded for having both the largest and southern most glaciers in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Palisade Glacier, the largest, sits above Big Pine Lakes. These impressive glacial lakes at around 10,000 feet elevation are the source of the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. The South Fork is bordered by the Palisade Crest with peaks over 14,000 feet and Middle Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier.
Nearby Attractions
The glaciers in the nearby John Muir Wilderness provide an exciting hiking destination. A commercial pack station is within close proximity for horse enthusiasts looking for an outdoor adventure. A general store, pay showers and pond fishing can be found at a nearby resort.
Amenities
Phone: 760-935-4339
Is BIG PINE CANYON fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches BIG PINE CANYON in CA for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching BIG PINE CANYON for cancellations is the paid part.