1
Pull-thru
USFSPlumas National Forest · California
Lightning Tree
Overview Lightning Tree Campground (5,800 feet) is one of three family-friendly campgrounds located in the Lake Davis Recreation Area.
Sites4016 reservable
Elev.5,787ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rig45 ft1 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento3h05real 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 5,787 ft, Lightning Tree has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 23°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 40 sites total: 16 reservable and 24 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 1 pull-through, and the longest takes a 45-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 1 peak, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on quiet and cool nights. 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
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
94%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 23
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 14.
54°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
139 mi
3h05
02
San Francisco
235 mi
5h13
03
Fresno
291 mi
6h28
04
Los Angeles
552 mi
12h16
05
San Diego
691 mi
15h21
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 40 SITES
Color byShow only
40 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
4
Accessible
0
Prime
40
Sites
★ The standout
Site 024
AREA LIGHTNING TREE.
To neighbor
147 ft
Max rig
38 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
5
Peaks
1
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
8 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.