campgrounds.fyiIndependent · federal campgrounds · no paid placements
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USFSEldorado National Forest · California

Big Meadows Campground

Location: 22 miles east of Georgetown on Wentworth Springs Road and 27 miles northeast on Forest Highway 2.
Sites0all reservable
Elev.5,381ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento1h56real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 5,381 ft, Big Meadows Campground has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 28°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 3 peaks, lake or river access.

The campground at a glance

01 · CHARACTER
QuietCoolRoomyShadeRV-fitReserv.

Reads strongest on quiet and cool nights. Softest on cool nights.

Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.

When to go

02 · CLIMATE
JFMAMJJASOND
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
93%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 2
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 19.
54°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
87 mi
1h56
02
San Francisco
182 mi
4h03
03
Fresno
215 mi
4h47
04
Los Angeles
478 mi
10h37
05
San Diego
619 mi
13h45
By drive time
Sacramento · 1h56San Francisco · 4h03Fresno · 4h47Los Angeles · 10h37San Diego · 13h45Camp

Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 14.2 mi away.

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
11
Peaks
3
Viewpoints
1

Water & Access

Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
14.2 mi
Method

We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.

Check availability on Recreation.gov →