Dinkey Creek

The nature here is absolutely stunning — peaceful forest, fresh air, and beautiful surroundings. Despite a few issues, I still enjoyed my time, mostly because of how quiet and untouched the area felt.
My campsite (#50) was a hidden gem. It’s spacious enough for 2–3 small tents and offers real privacy — no one can see you, and you don’t see others (expect site #39). I also liked the neighboring spot (#39), which seemed similar. However, many other sites offer much less space or are right next to restrooms, where people constantly walk by. Especially sites for RV. Unbelievable small. I'd highly recommend checking the map and choosing a spot carefully.
Now to the downsides: the sanitation situation was pretty bad. The showers were closed without any clear explanation, and the nearby restroom had low water pressure and a non-working faucet. On the second day, it was closed completely. I didn’t check every restroom in the campground, but the closest one was not functional — though at least it was clean. Definitely bring your own water and prepare to be self-sufficient in terms of hygiene and washing up.
I arrived in rainy, foggy weather, but the road was well maintained and safe if you drive carefully. The campground was very quiet, almost empty during my stay, which was perfect. Staff presence was minimal — I only saw one employee on the first day, and she seemed fine, but there was no one else around afterward.
Other quick notes:
Every campsite has a strong fire ring and a good picnic table.
No bugs or wildlife issues during my stay.
I noticed many cut/burned trees around the area — probably due to forest maintenance. If you're into campfires, you might be able to collect firewood nearby (I used propane, so I didn’t try), but check the rules beforehand.
In short: come for the nature, not the service. If the basic facilities were fixed, this place would be a near-perfect mountain getaway. I’m still considering returning to explore more trails.

Beautiful location, nice creek running through campground, Plenty of firewood available.

Beautiful location, nice creek running through campground, Plenty of firewood available.

There was supposed to be running water and flush toilets along with showers. None of the above was available and the water was shut off for the season. What a bait and switch. Very disappointed with the amenities at this campground.

Wonderful forest setting with well spaced sites for a bit of quiet. Some offer terrific canyon views. There’s a small very convenient store just outside the entrance, a plus in this lightly populated corner of California, while Shaver Lake with its larger set of amenities is not terribly far west.

I’ll definitely be back.

There was supposed to be running water and flush toilets along with showers. None of the above was available and the water was shut off for the season. What a bait and switch. Very disappointed with the amenities at this campground.

Wonderful forest setting with well spaced sites for a bit of quiet. Some offer terrific canyon views. There’s a small very convenient store just outside the entrance, a plus in this lightly populated corner of California, while Shaver Lake with its larger set of amenities is not terribly far west.

I’ll definitely be back.

This experience was not so great this time around. The water was turned off and all bathrooms were locked except the “vault”which are not the flushable ones. So with no working bathrooms and no running water for 4 days was a lil rough.

This experience was not so great this time around. The water was turned off and all bathrooms were locked except the “vault”which are not the flushable ones. So with no working bathrooms and no running water for 4 days was a lil rough.

Dinkey Creek Campground was very nice, clean and relaxing. The bathrooms were always kept clean and the rangers were very friendly. We were not advised of the showers not working during booking the stay but we were there for only 2 nights so it wasn't too bad.