About this campground
Located in the Sequoia National Forest, Buck Rock Lookout sits perched atop a granite dome and offers a breathtaking view of the Great Western Divide and other spectacular high mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Access to the top is via a series of stair flights (consisting of 172 steps) suspended from the side of the rock. The current lookout building was constructed in 1923 and is historically significant as a representation of the earliest 4-A style live-in cabs of which there are only three in existence in the world today. Why is the lookout named Buck Rock? Legend has it that if you look at the rock from a certain angle, you can see the profile of an Indian warrior. In times gone by, we use to call male Indians “bucks” – thus the name. Native Americans referred to the rock as “Finger Rock”.
Activities
- PICNICKING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Big Meadow TrailheadSequoia National Forest2 mi
- Big Meadows Cabin (CA)Sequoia National Forest2 mi
- Horse Camp CampgroundSequoia National Forest2 mi
- Big Meadow Winter TrailheadSequoia National Forest3 mi
- Kennedy Meadows TrailheadSequoia National Forest3 mi
- Little Boulder Grove Trailhead (East)Sequoia National Forest3 mi
Explore more California camping
Buck Rock Lookout doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby California campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse California camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.