5
Pull-thru
USFSTahoe National Forest · California
French Meadows
Overview French Meadows Campground is located along the shores French Meadows Reservoir, about 40 miles from the town of Foresthill.
Sites6360 reservable
Elev.5,315ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rig85 ft5 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento1h59real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 5,315 ft, French Meadows has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 31°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 63 sites total: 60 reservable and 3 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 5 pull-through, and the longest takes a 85-ft rig. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 2 named hiking routes, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
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
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
92%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 21
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 17.
55°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
89 mi
1h59
02
San Francisco
185 mi
4h07
03
Fresno
218 mi
4h51
04
Los Angeles
481 mi
10h41
05
San Diego
622 mi
13h49
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 13.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 63 SITES
Color byShow only
63 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
7
Accessible
0
Prime
63
Sites
★ The standout
Site 063
AREA FRENCH MEADOWS · shaded.
To neighbor
178 ft
Max rig
20 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
2
Trail segments
20
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
13.1 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.