Fed Camp FinderFederal Campgrounds Only

Home › California › French Meadows

French Meadows

FSU.S. Forest Service — FORESTHILL · California · Tahoe National Forest

AgencyFSU.S. Forest Service
AreaTahoe National Forest
LocationFORESTHILL · California · Tahoe National Forest · 39.11389, -120.42389 · Map
Sites61 public sites counted from the federal listing — 61 standard nonelectric
Getting a siteReservable — the federal listing marks this campground as taking reservations. Some sites or seasons may still be first-come; the listing’s own words are below.
HookupsElectric at 0 of 61 sites
Water hookups at 0 of 61 sites
Sewer hookups at 0 of 61 sites
Full hookups (all three at one site) at 0 of 61 sites
Counted site by site from affirmative reports in the federal record. A site with no report is not counted either way.
Max RV lengthLongest reported site fits 85 ft
Sites that fit at least — 25 ft: 30 sites · 30 ft: 21 sites · 35 ft: 14 sites · 40 ft: 10 sites
Months openNot in federal data — the federal listing does not publish a season for this campground. Check the official description below or Recreation.gov.
FeesNot reported — the federal listing carries no fee description for this campground.
Check-in / outIn 2:00 PM · Out 12:00 PM (most common in the listing)
PetsAllowed at 63 sites, as reported
Accessible sites7 marked accessible in the listing
AccessibilityN
Phone530-367-2224

Check availability & book on Recreation.gov →

This site takes no reservations and shows no live availability. Source: Recreation.gov (RIDB export pulled November 5, 2026); this listing was last updated in the federal record on 2026-06-19.

From the official listing

Overview French Meadows Campground is located along the shores French Meadows Reservoir, about 40 miles from the town of Foresthill. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, boating and trail opportunities.  This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming. A boat ramp is located adjacent to the campground. The North Fork American River can be accessed nearby and provides additional opportunities for fishing and swimming.

A variety of hiking and biking trails are found in the surrounding area, including some that provide access to the nearby Granite Chief Wilderness and The Western States Trail. Just down the road is the Granite Chief Wilderness which provides amazing hiking opportunities for an adventurous party to explore historic aspen trees and secluded mountain passes and trails. The Western States Trail provides great opporunity for hiking, horse back riding, dirt biking, and for adventurous mountain bikers. Facilities The campground offers single-family campsites, a few of which are wheel chair accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring and food locker. Flush and vault toilets as well as drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved.  Several campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Natural Features The campground sits on the southern shore of French Meadows Reservoir, in a pine/fir forest. Summer days can be hot, but evenings are usually cool.

Directions, from the listing

High clearance vehicles may take Foresthill Rd to the 43 Rd (Robinson Flat Rd) to Mosquito Ridge Rd, snow permitting. Access from Soda Springs and the 43 Rd is not recommoned to trucks with trailers, motorhomes/RV's or passenger vehicles that are not high clearance vehicle with four wheel drive. 

The campground is on the south shore.

Nearest federal campgrounds

FSU.S. Forest ServiceLewis
1 mi straight-line · Foresthill California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceCoyote Group
2 mi straight-line · Foresthill California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceGates Group
2 mi straight-line · Foresthill California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceAhart Campground
2 mi straight-line · Foresthill California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceBig Meadows Campground
3 mi straight-line · California

Trip Card — French Meadows

FORESTHILL · California · Tahoe National Forest

AgencyFS · U.S. Forest Service
LocationFORESTHILL · California · Tahoe National Forest
FeesNot reported in the federal data
Getting a siteReservable
HookupsNone reported
Max RVUp to 85 ft
Months openNot in federal data
Sites61 sites

Book: recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232047 · Source: Recreation.gov, pulled November 5, 2026. Facility details come from federal recreation data and may be out of date — this site takes no reservations and shows no live availability; confirm details and book through Recreation.gov or the managing agency.