French Meadows
French Meadows is a national forest campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 39.11389, -120.42389
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Auto Touring, Biking, Boating, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Paddling, Photography, Swimming
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 530-367-2224
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About French Meadows
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.
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- French Meadows · 1.3 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Shell · 26 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 372 designated routes (507 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Meadows Campground | Private campground | 0.1 mi | — | — |
| French Meadows | National forest campground | 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Poppy | National forest campground | 0.9 mi | — | — |
| Poppy Campground | Private campground | 0.9 mi | — | — |
| Lewis Campground | Private campground | 1.3 mi | — | — |
| Lewis | National forest campground | 1.3 mi | — | No hookups |
Open French Meadows in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.