French Meadows

We went on the weekend of Sept. 18 through Sept. 20th, 2021. The drive wasn't as bad as I thought, I actually enjoyed it. The campground was nice, the host is nice as well, not a lot of other people where there so it was fairly private. Our site was by the lake, while it was a beautiful site the wind that day was hitting us like a train which made setting up a bit difficult. Once set up we were able to enjoy the scenery.

The only complaint I have is some of the restrooms had no skylight or lights so even using them during the day you would need your flashlight and depending on where your site was the walk to the water was steep.

Nonetheless, it is a nice campground.

To get to French Meadows you have to take some winding roads along the mountain side.  I went during all the fires, and it was very smoky, which made it seem like I was driving out there at dusk.  It was a little unnerving on some parts!  But once I got to there, it was definitely worth the drive!  There was not a lot of people there, which made it seem like a very private campground.  The site I stayed was pretty big with lots of options for setting up the tent.  It was easy to get to the water from my site.  The downside for me, was that my site was by the toilets, and people could not figure how to not slam the door in the middle of the night.  The camp host was good, he stopped by each day to do a check in and kept me updated on weather (lightening storms!), fire conditions and possible evacuations.

We were here in August. Slightly long to get to on the windy roads at night time, but during the day the drive back wasn't bad. Loved the water access, and water was perfect temperature for swimming for our toddlers even. Great amenities(fire ring, table, bear box). Water pumps were good in the locations where water was present, but due to lower water levels, the pumps on the higher grounds had no water; had to walk to the lowest pumps(which had water, all but the last day when a big RV connected to it, and filled up the entire tank, leaving zero water for tents). Thought that was inconsiderate, and should not be allowed during drought season. Not sure if rangers can prevent that or ask RVs(who are more mobile than tents) to fill up tanks at neighboring campgrounds. Also we arrived late on Friday, so went to buy wood on Saturday morning(around 8 am). No firewood available for purchase left. If we knew that, we would have brought and purchased own wood at a grocery store(nearest town an hour away). However, we know most campgrounds don't allow outside wood, not to contaminate with non-native bugs, etc. Thankfully, there were enough dry logs in the forest nearby that we could scavenge to burn. Overall, great location, with great swimming, but some things could be improved with better facilities management.

This was my first camping trip and I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it but it was amazing! The campsite is very well kept, the rules are enforced but they’re also extremely relaxed. Our fire was steaming a bit when we were walking down the water and when we came back the gentleman was willing to give us a warning instead of a ticket. Being that it’s COVID I was worried about bathrooms but they were as well kept as you could have it. The road to get to the site is extremely windy and narrow with no rails so be careful!

We rolled in around midnight on a Thursday in September and there were still plenty of walk-in sites available. The camp sites were a little close together, but it wasn't too bad. There was a water spigot, toilets, table, fire ring, and easy access to the reservoir. Would definitely go again.

We stayed Memorial Day 2014. The location is beautiful, the reservoir is nice. We reserved our campsite online and when we arrived there was as another family who had also paid the host for the same spot. We ended up getting moved to a campsite next to the road and heard all the highway traffic . By Saturday night both the restrooms closest to our campsite were closed. There were people playing loud music late at night. I understand it was a holiday weekend and it was crowded but it was our worst camp ground experience so far.

French Meadows is definitely off the beaten path. The road is long and windy and dangerous if you are not creeping around the corners. 1.5 hours from Auburn. The reservoir was almost full so that made it especially nice. All sites have easy access to the water. All of the campers were very cool and extremely dog friendly. Camp host did his job well and kept to himself. We will definitely return.

WARNING- two thirds of the campsites were on a slope with no where to setup a tent on level ground. We got lucky and reserved a site with a “decent” spot to place a tent but if you have never been and don’t know what sites to pick while making reservations online then you are rolling the dice and could be rolling in your tent all night from being on a hill.

Bear country be advised. Extreme fire danger the summer months and closed due to snow in winter.

Nice reservoir lots of camp sites. Long somewhat treacherous drive to get there.