Reservations possible?
No
RV Hookups
No
Potable water
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Pleasant Valley Pit Campground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office. The campground is a great place to camp during winter months, and it is especially popular with climbers that visit nearby Happy Boulders Climbing Area on Chalk Bluff Road and the world-class bouldering destination, Buttermilks, west of Bishop.

The campground only charges $2 per site per night, though the campsites were free for a long time. Over the years, “The Pit” became so popular that over 14,000 campers used it in one year. This high use gave the BLM more than enough reason to request a fee. The BLM has combined the proceeds with a little help from The Access Fund, and they have been able to install many facilities such as vault toilets, trash and recycling services, picnic tables, fire grills, and law enforcement patrolling. The funding also helps to preserve the wildlife habitat, historical landmarks, and natural and cultural resources of Pleasant Valley and the nearby boulder areas. Enjoy the cheap nightly camping, though do you part to Leave No Trace to keep this campground in good shape for years to come.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Fall

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

60 day limit. Climber campground. Cheap camping. Near to Owens River. Near to Happy Boulders Climbing Area.

Cons

No water.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Managed by

Bureau of Land Management

Features

ADA accessible
Vault toilet

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

03/01/2018
I have stayed at this campground two times and will again this fall. Beautiful Mt Tom to look at. Looks beautiful at sunset! Campground has nice basic facilities too! Thanks BLM!
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