0
Pull-thru
USFSSierra National Forest · California
Dry Gulch
Overview Dry Gulch Campground sits on the north side of the Merced River.
Sites5all reservable
Elev.1,677ft
Comf.Jan-Dec9 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Fresno1h52real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 1,677 ft, Dry Gulch has a 9-month comfortable window (Jan-Dec). Winter nights average around 36°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 5 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 5 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jan-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
98%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 9
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 21.
67°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Fresno
84 mi
1h52
02
Sacramento
143 mi
3h11
03
San Francisco
184 mi
4h05
04
Los Angeles
345 mi
7h40
05
San Diego
486 mi
10h48
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 5 SITES
Color byShow only
4 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
5
Sites
★ The standout
Site FT1-201
AREA DRY GULCH.
To neighbor
186 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
15
Peaks
5
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
0.1 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.