$16 / night

Camper submitted image from Utica/Union Reservoirs - 1

Camper submitted image from Utica/Union Reservoirs - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Utica/Union Reservoirs - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Utica/Union Reservoirs - 4

Camping

Camper submitted image from Utica/Union Reservoirs - 5

Signs & Maps

Established Camping

Utica/Union Reservoirs

6 Reviews

About

USDA Forest Service

Stanislaus National Forest

These scenic small, twin reservoirs are located off the Spicer Reservoir Road.

There are several campgrounds here. Utica Reservoir has Sandy Flat campground and Rocky Point campground with 11 and 12 sites each.

Union Reservoir has West and East campgrounds with 18 and 11 sites

There are also dispersed campsites in this area and boat in campsites that aren’t part of the four campgrounds previously mentioned

The area is popular for day use, as well as paddle sports such as canoeing and kayaking. A primitive dirt boat launch is available at Union East Reservoir. The maximum boat speed is 5 mph. Utica Reservoir is managed for non-motorized boating; it has two dirt ramps designed for hand-launching of non-motorized boats.

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Location

Utica/Union Reservoirs is located in California

Directions

From Highway 4, turn onto Spicer Reservoir Road (paved) and go 8 miles. Turn left onto 7N75; from there the roads are gravel. Continue .7 miles to a T-intersection. For Utica Reservoir, turn left and continue one mile. For Union East, turn right and continue one mile. For Union West, turn right and go .3 miles, bear left at the fork onto 7N75C, and continue a half-mile. Spicer Reservoir Road is 27 miles east of the Calaveras Ranger Station in Hathaway Pines, California.

Coordinates

38.41845853 N
120.00750467 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

$16

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

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Heather G.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 22, 2022

Great Lake, terrible campground

I stayed at Sandy Flat Campground for two nights. The only reason I gave this two starts is because it has a good launch area for paddle craft and Utica Reservoir is lovely. For $16 a night I got a place to park my van, a broken picnic table, vault toilets swarming with flies, no garbage removal, no campground host, no drinking water. Next time, I’ll launch my kayak and paddle to an island to camp. It has to be nicer than the campground.

Month of VisitAugust

Michael G.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 2, 2020

Beautiful but crowded

We've been coming to Utica and Union for years. Weekdays are the best if you want to find an actual campsite and avoid most of the crowds. Saturday nights are terrible now as lately large groups overcrowd campsites and party into early Sunday morning. The lake and area is beautiful with excellent trails into the Carson/Iceberg Wilderness and great for water activities. There is a lot of trash and litter, so please bring an extra trash bag just to help clean-up after others. No potable water, and you need to pack your trash out to the containers a few miles away at the crossroads.

(5) View All

Arleine V.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 7, 2020

Utica Reservoir disaster

I really enjoy these two lakes. One of my "go to places" when I have several days to go camping. We recently drove up to see this years conditions and was met with a huge filthy hoard. There were 5+ tents in each camp site spilling into each others. As if that wasn't bad enough, there were literally hundreds of people camping all along the lakes. Tents on boulders 4x4 vehicles parked off road on boulders, there wasn't a square inch of space not filled with some type of tent, tarp, lean to, or other type of shelter. There were so many vehicles you could barely navigate the narrow road and in some places you couldn't. To say I was appalled in an understatement. Trash and filth everywhere. Latrines emptying into the creek. Perfect place and condition for covid to inhabit.

I won't be back this year, maybe not next because it will take that long for nature to clean up after these slobs.

If you do not know how to care for our precious wilderness places, or don't care to, STAY HOME!

Sitehandicapped, but none handicapped using it. :(

Month of VisitAugust

Ulises V.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2020

Union Reservoir Campground - West

So many things to say about this area - found my new spot!

It's about a 3 hour drive from my home in the Bay Area, the Utica/ Union Reservoirs are right off the 4 highway and Spicer Reservoir Rd (roughly 20 miles north of Arnold, CA). The reservoirs are roughly 10 miles off the 4 highway. There's plenty of signage to guide you to the right place.

If you want to get to Utica/Union Reservoirs, make sure you make a LEFT on the fork where the paved road intersects with the gravel road. There's a small sign at the fork (see attached picture).

The road to this campground offers a mixture of paved and gravel roads, which makes it perfectly accessible for all types of vehicles! I saw plenty of low Honda sedans to larger 20ft+ RVs.

All campsites are first come, first serve so make sure you get here early. An absolute MUST - bring your mosquito nets or repellents. Price is $16.00 per night so bring cash!

Most campsites are heavily shaded with beautiful trees and offer fire pit rings and bear-proof bins. There are two main sites, East and West. Both offer restrooms.

This area is perfect for kayaking, SUPs, boating, fishing, and even swimming. There is a decent boat ramp as well. Similarly, there are day-use areas where you can park for the day without a fee.

I was here early July 2020 and the weather was perfect during the day time (high 80s) and got pretty chilly at night (low 50s) so make sure you bring your firewood!

SiteCampsite #1 Union West

Month of VisitAugust