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Roads

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Animals

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Water

Established Camping

Highland Lakes Campground

4 Reviews

About

National Forest

Stanislaus National Forest

The lakes are set in a spectacular high alpine valley, close to the top of Ebbetts Pass at an elevation of 8,600 feet. These two lakes are unique in that they are headwaters for two different watersheds: the eastern lake flows into the Mokelumne River drainage, while the western lake flows into the Stanislaus River drainage. Maximum boat speed on both lakes is 5 mph, and gas powered motors are discouraged. Highland Lakes visitors enjoy camping, hiking and horseback riding.

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Location

Highland Lakes Campground is located in California

Directions

From Arnold, CA, take State Route 4 east 40.8 miles to Highland Lakes sign. Turn right after sign and go 4.9 miles to "Y" intersection. Bear right and go 0.7 miles to campground. Note: After Lake Alpine, State Route 4 becomes a narrow road with a 24% grade and lots of curves. Not recommended for vehicles over 25' in length. Last 4.7 miles is on rough, rocky dirt road.

Coordinates

38.48900024 N
119.807 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Tent Cabin
Equestrian

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Picnic Table
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Leroy M.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 6, 2023

DANGER - NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME !

Toilets are full to the brim and the camp host is a psychopath thief. Beware of this guy, he is not whom he appears and has no problem stealing and deceiving you. NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME!

Site#20

Month of VisitSeptember

Joe F.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2021

Fall camping

Chilly nights and warm days. Great camping spots both at the lake and many good spots on the road in to the lake.

Month of VisitNovember

Hector R.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2020

Remote but busy

This campground is at the end of a long dirt road. 4x4 is apparently not strictly necessary but I would recommend it, particularly given the unpredictable weather (hail storm on July 25).

The views at the lakes are breathtaking. The campground is next to the smaller lake and has two sections. One is right by the road, fairly open and flat, and the other a bit up the hill, with sites that are more private, nestled around the trees. Most sites had fire pits with grills and a picnic table. Both sides have drinking well water with a had pump. Bathrooms were fairly clean and stocked with tp. The groundskeeper was friendly and helpful. The lakes are cold but apparently there is some trout. Looked like fly fishing was the way to go.

The main downside was how busy the area was, both with campers and day users. Given the COVID situation, reservations are not accepted and driving that road to end up without a campsite would be very unfortunate but highly likely. We ended up camping one night on the side of the road and were fortunate to get a spot for our second night.

Reese F.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 25, 2019

It’s a long bumpy road to get here, but you won’t want to leave.

This place is amazing. I’ve been five times since I discovered it late last year. This campground is about an hour’s drive to any kind of amenities or cell phone service. The road in is bumpy and there is a shallow creek that you will need to drive across, but I had no problems driving a 2wd Honda Fit compact car up. This park didn’t even open until late July this year due to all the snowfall. There is 1 vault toilet and an old-school hand pump for water, which isn’t always functioning so bring plenty of water. All of the sites are first come first served, each has a fire pit with grill plate, and a picnic table. No dumpsters for trash, pack it in and pack it out.

There is plenty of hiking, both steep and moderate. Folger peak trail can be very challenging due to all the loose shale. There is an equestrian trail that is more flat going the other direction which is less steep but still a very scenic hike. Ranchers bring their cattle up to graze during the summer months so you’ll hear their cowbells all day long. There is a weather station in the valley and it’s fairly accurate so you can get the forecast before you go, just google weather Highland Lakes. I would recommend a 4 season tent, even in the summer. On my last trip it was a little to cold for my taste so we drove back down the road and camped along the creek the last few nights.

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