Lewis at French Meadows is quite a remote campground, 40 miles of winding mountain road from the nearest (small) town. The drive is spectacular though. Unfortunately the section of the reservoir that the campground is on is currently dry due to the drought conditions. You can get to the water about a mile down the road at the boat launch.

The campground itself is nice, mid-size with flush toilets and potable water supply available. Clean with friendly camp hosts who helped suggest activities and hikes. We were visited by deer within feet of our tent in the middle of the night, close enough to hear them breathing and munching on the vegetation. We had a noisy family as neighbors for both nights of our stay… didn’t love it but that’s the luck of the draw.

We did an 11-mile hike in Granite Chief Wilderness which is accessible about 5 miles up a gravel road from the campground. On the way back we stopped for a swim in the river that feeds the reservoir… more of a creek currently, but we found a deep still spot perfect for swimming and soaking our tired feet. That was a highlight of our weekend trip.