USFS · National forest · California

Sierra National Forest

Sierra National Forest is a U.S. national forest located on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada in California, bounded on the northwest by Yosemite National Park and on the south by Kings Canyon National Park. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and beautiful lakes. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California. There are local ranger district offices in North Fork and Prather.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.4 million acresUSFSCA150 campgrounds within 10 mi142 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
1fire
active
Dome · 31 mi from the center · 1,177 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size1.4 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0515, region 05
Center point37.2623, -119.2033
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

69 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 81 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
A Group Group Campground
First-come128 sites
FS · Inside
Badger Flat Group Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · Inside
Badger Flats Group
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Bear Wallow Camping Area
First-comeCA
FS · Inside
Big Sandy Campground
First-come18 sites
FS · Inside
Billy Creek, Lower Campground
Reservable15 sites
FS · Inside
Billy Creek, Upper Campground
Reservable44 sites
FS · Inside
Bolsillo Campground
First-come3 sites
Show 4 more

138 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 142

The Forest Service lists 142 recreation sites in this forest, among them 61 campgrounds, 22 picnic areas, 19 trailheads, 8 group camps. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 82 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Dome

    31 mi from the center point · 1,177 acres · 0% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 2 mi
Devils Postpile National Monument
National Parks · 13 mi
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
National Park · 16 mi
Yosemite National Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 39 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Sierra National Forest?

1.4 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Sierra National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Sierra National Forest in?

California.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Sierra National Forest?

69 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including A Group Group Campground, Badger Flat Group Campground and Badger Flats Group. 150 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Sierra National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 142 recreation sites here, including 61 campground campgrounds, 22 picnickings and 19 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Sierra National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.262, -119.203. Devils Postpile National Monument is 2 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Sierra National Forest right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Dome at 31 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Sierra National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Sierra National Forest?

Devils Postpile National Monument (2 mi), Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (13 mi) and Yosemite National Park (16 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Sierra National Forest?

39 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Dinkey Creek Bridge and Bagby Stationhouse, Water Tanks and Turntable.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Sierra National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.