Cement Table Camp
Campground · Eastern Sierra corridor
Cement Table Camp is an 8,563-foot campground in the Eastern Sierra's high country, tucked into the upper Sierra Nevada corridor. A calm-water staging point for fishing and day travel, it sits sheltered from afternoon wind patterns that dominate the open ridges nearby.
Afternoons see sustained wind funneling down-canyon from the lake basin; mornings are noticeably calmer. The 30-day average wind is 11 mph, but gusts to 44 mph are common by mid-day. Cold at elevation (22 degrees average), warming slowly into late spring.
Over the last 30 days, Cement Table Camp's typical NoGo Score has run 15.0, ranging 6.0 to 30.0; the 30-day average wind of 11 mph and average temperature of 22 degrees mark the shoulder season character. The week ahead will continue this pattern; expect crowding to remain light (7.0 average) on weekdays and rise sharply the first calm weekend after snow clears the access route.
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About Cement Table Camp
Cement Table Camp sits at 8,563 feet on the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, roughly 60 miles north of Lone Pine via US Highway 395 and local access roads. The campground serves as a fishing camp and staging point for water travel and high-country day hikes. Access from Highway 395 is reliable once snow clears the approach, typically by late April or early May; winter closure varies by year. The site is popular with anglers targeting the cold-water lake immediately adjacent, and with parties scouting higher passes and drainages in the Sierra crest zone.
The Eastern Sierra corridor at this elevation runs cold and windy through spring and fall. The 30-day average temperature of 22 degrees and rolling 30-day average wind of 11 mph reflect the transition zone between winter snowpack and summer stability. Mornings are typically 10 to 20 degrees colder and much calmer; afternoon wind acceleration begins by mid-morning and peaks between 2 and 5 PM, often reaching 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 44 mph on unstable days. Crowding is lowest Tuesday through Thursday and rises sharply on weekends once the weather window opens. Snow lingers at and above 8,500 feet into May most years, constraining high-pass access but not campground usability.
Cement Table Camp is best for anglers, photographers, and parties making multi-day base camps for crest-zone exploration. Water activity (fishing, launch points for packraft or kayak travel) dominates use. Wind-sensitive activities like photography or paddling should start before 9 AM; afternoon sessions are generally too gusty for quality work or safe passage. The site has minimal services; stock supplies in Lone Pine or Bishop. Experienced visitors plan arrivals on calm mornings (Tuesday to Thursday) and leave afternoons open for maintenance, food prep, or rest rather than fighting afternoon wind. Parking is limited; arrive by mid-day on weekdays to secure a spot.
Nearby alternatives include Sabrina Lake (lower elevation, slightly warmer, busier) to the south and higher crest camps to the north requiring more technical access. Cement Table Camp's main draw is its proximity to the lake and relatively gentle approach; it suits parties with light gear and an early-start discipline. The Eastern Sierra corridor overall runs 10 to 15 degrees colder than Yosemite Valley at equivalent elevation, and wind is more persistent. Compare conditions here to similar high-lake camps on the Inyo/Mono divide; Cement Table's shelter from the dominant westerly patterns makes it marginally more predictable than exposed ridge camps.