Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-234172
When Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA) reopens
Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)'s openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
2
Openings · last 90 days
2
Only 2 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026 · of 4 monitored sites
Of the 36 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026): 13 open for online reservation · 16 reserved · 7 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative).
Where the open windows are
63.9% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 13 of 36 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026Not open online63.9%
Open site-nights13 / 36
Reserved (of online inventory)16 / 29
Weekday openings11
Weekend openings2
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 11 fall on weekdays and 2 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 13 of 36 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 4 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 003 | 5 |
| 002 | 3 |
| 004 | 3 |
| 001 | 2 |
The 4 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 22; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
13 open site-nights across 4 sites at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA), from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 3 2-night, 3 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 003.
All 4 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 003 | Not recorded | None | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 002 | Not recorded | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 004 | Not recorded | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 001 | Not recorded | None | 2 | 1 night | Sep 22, Sep 24 |
About Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)
Overview
The Bear River Group Campground offers four separate group campsites on a site above the south side of the Lower Bear River Reservoir. The proximity to water and the mixed pine setting in the fresh Sierra Nevada air, makes this campground an excellent group retreat destination.
Upriver from the campground is the Upper Bear River Reservoir. This lake is smaller and spans 166 surface acres with 2.5 miles of shoreline.
Recreation
Lake activities include fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing and picnicking on the shores. Rainbow trout are found in abundance throughout the season, in addition to smaller populations of brown and mackinaw trout as well. A short distance past the Upper Bear River Reservoir is the Pardoe Trail, which borders the Mokelumne Wilderness. The trail runs up the top of Squaw Ridge to an elevation of over 9,000 feet, providing excellent views of the surrounding area.
Facilities
The campground is designed for tent camping only. Campstie 1 fits 50 people while the other three sites accommodate 25. Piped drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables, campfire rings and a group cooking area are among the amenities.
Natural Features
Bear Group Campground is situated an elevation of 6,000 feet, just a short distance (approximately one mile drive) from the reservoir.
It is part of the Eldorado National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada. A Mediterranean climate extends over most of the forest with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
4 monitored sitesNo hookups4 shadedMax party 50
Getting there
From Jackson, California, travel east on State Route 88 for 39 miles and turn right (south) on Bear River Road. Travel 2 miles to Y intersection and stay to the right side, going across the dam. Drive .5 miles past South Shore Campground to Bear Group Campground, which will be located on left side of road.
Eldorado National Forest, Pioneer, CA 95666209-295-4360
BikingBoatingCampingFishingHikingSwimming Site
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-234172 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-234172 · Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA) · Pioneer CA12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)?
Reservations for Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA) are made through Recreation.gov. 13 of 36 tracked site-nights are currently open (36.1%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 2 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)?
Campsite Sniper detected 2 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)?
3 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site 003. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which month has the most availability at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)?
September 2026, with 13 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 36.
When is the next open date at Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA)?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
Stop refreshing. Let the app watch it.
Filter
Lakefront, hookups, your RV length, weekends only - set it as picky as you want.
Watch
We run paced availability checks for Bear River Group Campground (Eldorado National Forest, CA). One watch covers every matching site.
Get the ping
When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.