Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Alleghany, CA has a lot to offer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Alleghany is surrounded by family-friendly activities. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
"There are several primitive campgrounds to choose from. Some right near the lake. There is a pit toilet, but no water or fire rings. The drive is long and fairly rough."
"The road is rough and can be treacherous driving on a cliff side. You will need good clearance on your car. Pit toilet only with no water. lots of hiking, good fishing, great kayaking."
"We picked Faucherie as our destination and hit the trails in hopes of finding a spot.
Portions of the trail got a bit rough, but manageable with higher clearance vehicles."
"I’ve been out to this campground on countless years with my family from when I was a young child to now, i think only once or twice did we have to share the grounds with another group!"
"The trail will take you off road for quite some time , but it's well with the adventure."
"Found a perfect spot with easy access to water right outside of our tent. Very friendly area for our dog - zero ticks the whole weekend!"
"It can be little rough to get to requiring careful driving even on the paved road (big potholes!), but that just serves to help feel remote.
There are 12 official campgrounds near the lake."
"We had direct access to lake to launch and swim. Jake, site host, very kind and professional as he answered questions and gave advice when a group member popped a tire coming up to the lake."
"This lake is a quiet getaway, with waterfront access and a warm lake. Short hike in but has picnic tables and bear boxes."
"Got here on a Friday late afternoon and found a walk in spot close to the lake. Nice, quiet campground."
$24 / night
"Tent only. You park and walk to you camping which is with other camps right by. It's not too bad and if you get a group you can get your own little slice of the campground to yourself. "
"The hiking is great, there’s access to about 6 or more lakes, a great backpacking spot. The road to get here is quite rough."
"But it has some great views and access to great trails."
"Quite a few sites there with fire rings, beat up, bear boxes that didn't open and picnic benches that were in bad shape. They had two pot toilets. This was a very busy campground."
"We take our Kayaks and spend the day on the lake. It gets choppy in the afternoon so be aware. The campgrounds are set among huge boulders and can be very private."
"We stayed here for a night before backpacking to Eagle Lakes, and it was a nice little wooded campground. Very quiet, spacious sites. Hiking along the lake is gorgeous. "
"After your hike you can sit on the picnic table enjoy your lunch and watch the woodpeckers and birds fly pass you. This place does get crowded during the summer and during hunting season."
GuideJust a small walk away from Lake Tahoe shore. Big beautiful trees cover the entire campground. A couple bathrooms that surprisingly do not smell bad and have a running faucet. Bears are a real issue, so they have big bear boxes at each site - make sure to use them. Sites close together and not much privacy. Camp Host on site. Very limited parking at the sites, but free parking if you park outside of the campground along the main road and walk in. Do not leave food in your car, especially on the outside. And dont forget to Leave No Trace!
LegendGeneral: Normally, there are 18 designated sites that are reservable only from May 1– October 15. What we didn’t know until we arrived was that only Sites 1-7 were open after this date; fortunately, only two other sites were occupied when we arrived at 5:30 pm on a Monday in late October. The access road is about six miles of curvy, hilly, and narrow (sometimes only one lane) pavement. There is a sign prohibiting trailers; our 18-foot camper van did fine but anything much larger would definitely be challenged.
Site Quality: Many of the sites are more suitable for tent campers. The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6. We lucked out with Site 6 – it was large and level and directly across from the vault toilets. A fire pit/grill, large concrete picnic table, and bear box complete the site (although there was a fire ban in effect).
Bath: Only one vault toilet was open, and it was very clean. It was cleaned again the next morning.
Activities: This campground is located on the North Fork of the American River. In season, this campground would be very popular with rafters; there is a raft launch and takeout area close to the campsites. The river was crystal clear and beautiful.
This was a small but beautiful campground. We were surprised that we had a semi-decent cell signal ranging from 1 to 2 bars (Verizon).
TravelerIt sounds like there are multiple Big Meadow camp grounds in California. This review is for Big Meadow Campground, Sequoia NF - FS, CA. The photos are of site 009B. My visit was wonderful. The camp sites are large. We set up two 8 person tents and one 2 person tent and there was plenty of room for more. The firepits are very well made. They block the wind while allowing good airflow. There is a very large picnick table at each site, a bear box, and plenty of shade. There is a vault toilet that is cleaned daily. The sites boarder a stream. The water level is about 3 inches in July with temperatures in the 80's. This is a dog friendly site. There is no potable water at this site.
LegendAfter October 2, it is first come, first available and only sites 26-72 were open so my review is limited to a small portion of the campground. When I researched ahead of time, it was the ONLY open campground I could find in the Lake Tahoe area. At least the per night rate was decreased to $25 ($23 for seniors). I don’t know about the rest of the loops but most of the sites in the open loop appeared to be “doubles” or even “triples”; the camper pads were paved but appeared to be side-by-side parking spaces. Fortunately, there were not many campers so this was not a problem, however, if the park were more crowded, this layout would only make sense if the camper pads were used to park vehicles and people tent camped. All sites appeared to be level. No hookups. Each site had a large picnic table, fire ring, and bear box.
We had been warned multiple times that we were camping in an active bear area and although we did not encounter any, one of the other campers told us they had seen a mama and bear cub, along with a coyote.
The showers and dump station were closed for the season. There was no host on-site. The restrooms were very basic: toilet and sink but no soap, paper towels, or air dryers.
My rating might have been higher if we could have seen other parts of the campground, but our experience was limited to one night and we did not visit the day-use area.
GuideThis is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.
One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!
Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.
Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.
Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.
GuideThere are only a few campsites here, 12, I think, and a rough road getting (SUV or truck recommended) into the campground. Once you reach camp, you’ll be rewarded with serene and beautiful surroundings. Lots of lakes and hiking in the area. Mosquitos can be a problem so come prepared. Vault toilet. No trash service, no piped water. There are picnic tables and fire rings.
GuideWe stayed for two nights during the end of June 2018. Despite being summer, the temperature drops significantly at night. Even with cold weather sleeping bags, my son and I were really cold. There’s no electricity or bath houses, so charge all your devices and shower before your visit, lol. The potable water pumps are tricky to learn how to use at first, and the water is very cold.
The sites are large and relatively flat, so tent camping is easy. While there are some sites that cannot be reserved online, I highly recommend that you do not rely on getting one that is first come, first serve. We saw three trucks filled with families trying to go after the last non-reservable site. So, reserve yours online!
Be aware that there might be bear that get close to your sleeping quarters as the area is full of them. I was never scared, but my son swore that he saw one while he was going to bed. I was still up chit chatting with neighbors, so I did not see anything. Earlier that day, the Forest Ranger came through the camp to do an interpretive by showing everyone various mammal furs, two of which were bears. He told us that they have learned to be attracted to ice chests (coolers) and plastic boxes; they know these can contain food, so cover them with blankets or towels when secured in your car or around the campsite. Of course, food should be locked away at night and when not being prepared.
This campground is located next to Prosser Reservoir, so there are beautiful views of the lake. The sites on the back side of the grounds have the best views. Even if you don’t get a lake view, do not worry as there are plenty of places to hike with lots of spectacular views! Pick up a copy of ‘Lake Tahoe’s Spectacular Wildflower Trails’ by Julie S. Carville, and pick a trail! Sagehen Creek Trail (Hike #12 in the book, I believe) is very close by Prosser Family Campground.
The coolest thing about this place is that you can drink while enjoying the natural views! Wahoo!
GuideWe rolled in here after midnight and most of the spots were still empty, and they're far enough apart that we were able to set up camp without being too disruptive. There's a vault toilet, picnic tables, fire rings, and some gorgeous scenery. What more could you need?
TravelerNestled against salmon creek and among the gold lake area, just outside of Bassetts. Very large sites, with some hike in with shallow creek crossing. Lush fields and forests. Great views. Can here traffic on ridge. Bear boxes at every site Trash and Recycling receptacles Picnic Tables at every site Fresh water available Bathrooms throughout
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of California, Alleghany offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Alleghany, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Alleghany, CA is Bowman Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.
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