Camping in Mammoth??

[poolman1]

I'm planning a trip in the middle of June. I've never camped in Mammoth only at Rock Creek and June Lake. Just wondering if there were good campgrounds in this area and if the bears are a problem. Any help would be great.
Thanks.

[YellowSuge]

I personally don't have much camping experience in Mammoth, but I went to the Twin Lakes Campground last year with a friend who has been to most of the campgrounds in Mammoth (and Convict and Crowley). He said from his experience, he likes the Twin Lakes campgrounds the most because of seclusion and shade. We took a drive out to Lake Mary's campgrounds, most of which didn't have much cover. The one thing is you probably don't want a site next to the waterfall unless you're a heavy sleeper.

As for bears, he has mentioned that he has seen quite a few bears in the campgrounds in recent years. On that one particular trip, there was one, rather large bear at the dump station Saturday night. The next morning, a smaller bear was also sniffing around some of the sites. I think the bears can be a problem when the campground gets busy

[mth1997]

Yeah man, LOTS of bears around Mammoth. Be double sure to store food properly. No food or smelly items like toothpaste, deodarant, or soap in the tent. They aren't particularly aggressive toward humans up there, but you never know. We had one jump into the bed of a pickup to get the leftover sandwich in the tacklebox. Left a good dent in the truck and taught us all an unforgettable lesson in bear safety.

Actually, don't leave anything out. Bears are curious and will paw or bite almost anything to see if its food. My Yahtzee box has the scars to prove that!! And they all know what an ice-chest looks like and what they contain.

All the campgrounds around Mammoth are nice. Great scenery and close fishing no matter where you go. Be ready for the crowds though, Mammoth is a very popular area. No seclusion, but lots of shade.

[Loco]

I know of one campground in Mammoth that doesn't have a bear problem, but you should always use the provided bear box. It is called Sherwin Creek Campground. It is very nice and smaller than The Mammoth Lakes campgrounds and the creek fishing is great. Take a left on Sherwin Creek Rd. off of 395. It is about 2 mi. before the 203 turnoff into Mammoth. It is a nice dirt rd. After about three miles, you will come to the campground on your right. There are stock rainbows and native browns in the creek. Crickets, redworms or meal worms work good. Just let them flow underneath bushes or into small log jams. The fish are plentiful. You will only be about 5 mi. from the Mammoth lakes. Sherwin Lakes and Valentine Lake also make for great hiking.

Check it out.

[flybug]

What are the campsites like in Sherwin Creek CG? Lots of shade, plenty of pine trees or pretty barren? Are there creekside campsites?