Best Cabin Camping near Alpine Meadows, CA

Cabin Reviews near Alpine Meadows, CA

234 Reviews of 49 Alpine Meadows Campgrounds

• m

  michaelle P.

  Guide

  Aug. 13, 2018

  Thousand Trails Snowflower

  SUP and kayak friendly

  we found there to be a lot of rules at this campground such as no fires, however there is a community fire pit. No driving over 5 MPH, no charcoal grills or smokers, only electric and propane grills. They are also very serious about the 11pm quiet time.

  Aside from all the rules this was a very clean, family and pet friendly campground. Very clean bathrooms with showers!! There are a few lakes that are very nice for fishing and kayaking. Nice calm water for a leisurely SUP experience.

• 

  Bernardo B.

  Traveler

  Aug. 7, 2020

  Tahoe Valley Campground

  Overall an ok experience

  I’ll start by saying this campsite is huge , there’s like 400 sites so you got to keep that in mind when booking . We got a couple of the sites with electricity which were nice . No fire pits included because those are rented additional , lucky we had one from home . Firewood is $10 a bundle at the store so keep that in mind . The campground advertises WiFi but it’s ran from an separate company and service is extremely poor and slow so your better of using your cellphone data . This is a very active bear area with no bear boxes so keep in mind . We saw bears every single night roaming around and eating from the picnic tables . Some small , medium and extra large size . I recommend the tent sites better than the RV sites because they have a nice location and more private . The RV sites are just packed like sardines , some barely fit or stick out a few inches . Restrooms are clean and showers too . Funny detail the shower head is positioned for ADA handicap specs so you got to kneel down or seat to shower . The campground is located on the Main Street so it’s walking distance to stores or restaurants , I would go back but choose a better site on an outside loop more secluded instead of being in the middle of hundreds of rv’s

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• J

  Jayson L.

  Scout

  Jul. 11, 2023

  Meeks Bay Resort & Marina

  Great Place to Stay

  Clean and best play to stay with beach access, cabins, tents sites and rv sites. Tent site can fit 2 or more tents with fire pit and picnic table. Restroom with shower and warm water.

• 

  Natalie G.

  Guide

  Aug. 30, 2020

  Desolation Hotel - Hope Valley

  Great location & amenities

  This is a privately owned Resort with cabins, yurts, campsites, etc close to a super awesome river and with lots of great amenities, including a cafe/store, sauna, trails and a restaurant. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I didn't love the site itself that we were in especially with a $60 price tag. It was great to be close to the river, but the site was small and on a hill like a lot of them were. There were cheaper sites but I didn't see what those were like. Otherwise, we had fun playing in the water, using the sauna and having access to great amenities before going into more primitive camping. There was a fire ban while we were there, and there is NO SMOKING anywhere on their property. Everyone that worked there was super friendly and helpful and we enjoyed our stay.

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• M

  Michael

  Traveler

  Oct. 11, 2021

  American River Resort

  Family of 4 roof top tent camping

  Nice campground - close to river. .5 mile walk to town for shopping/eating. All sites have fire pit and picnic table. Bathrooms clean and private showers. A little pricey for a tent site - 45.00 and 5.00 for the dog but it’s California.

• 

  marcus K.

  Guide

  Jun. 10, 2025

  Fallen Leaf Campground - South Lake Tahoe

  Beautiful campground

  Sites have lots of space, table, fire ring and generally level drive pads. Water spigots are not too far. Showers scattered throughout camp though not every bathroom has them. There is a small camp store that has wifi. Book far in advance to get a spot in summer.

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  Amber B.

  Scout

  Aug. 5, 2018

  Lake Tahoe KOA - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Doable

  This campground is located in a gorgeous spot by a creek, about 7-10 minutes away from the Y. Drawbacks are that the campsites are incredibly small (about the size of a parking spot), and are pretty much on top of each other. It’s pretty inconvenient to have picnic tables right next to your neighbors fire pit. Also, we had a bear come through our campsite a couple nights during our stay. We weren’t harassed but our next door neighbors had their trunk broken into, ice chests raided, and some heavy bear breathing right next to their tents 😬

• 

  Aly M.

  Traveler

  Feb. 12, 2024

  Meeks Bay Resort & Marina

  Family, campfires, and S’more: The Lowdown On Meeks Bay

  Nestled on the tranquil shores of Lake Tahoe, our family's stay at the cabins was nothing short of enchanting. From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the breathtaking views of the crystal-clear Tahoe water. My wife and I were having a celebratory wedding weekend with family, we had just gotten married (eloped) in Yosemite the day before driving to Tahoe. The cabins were full of rustic charm, very cozy, and in a great location!

  One of the highlights of our trip was waking up to the beauty of Lake Tahoe right outside our window. Whether we were sipping coffee on the porch or enjoying a family campfire by the shore, the lake served as the perfect backdrop for our celebratory memories.

  The campground itself was well-maintained and staffed by friendly and accommodating personnel who were very helpful when it came to our firewood needs! We took advantage of the various recreational activities available, from hiking trails to water sports, and even had a chance to roast marshmallows over a campfire under the starry night sky.

  Overall, our experience at the Meeks Bay Resort cabins exceeded our expectations in every way. It provided the ideal setting for quality family time, relaxation, and adventure amidst the stunning beauty of nature. We can't wait to return for another unforgettable getaway. Everyone voted that we should do this every year so we are looking forward to making this a yearly event!

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• 

  Elliott B.

  Legend

  Sep. 28, 2018

  Fallen Leaf Campground - South Lake Tahoe

  Nice location, but has a few major issues

  We got a last minute cancelled site at the Fallen Leaf Campground, and thought we’d truly lucked out. We stayed at site 87 which is nestled among towering native pine trees on the South end of the campground and one of the few sites which doesn’t have neighbors on all sides. The sites have the standard standing BBQ's and fire rings at all sites (but we couldn’t utilize them because of the fire ban), old picnic tables and various amounts of space for RV’s/cars and the tried and true bear box. In this campground you NEED to utilize the bear boxes. They have signs everywhere about the mass amount of bear activity and how there is a mother and her 2 cubs which have been terrorizing the campground for some time this season (2018). Again, you need to keep everything (food, toiletries, etc.) in the bear box at all times. The sites are reservable, and on top of the $35 (nonelectric) per site there is a $7 fee for a second vehicle, Yurts go for $86 which do have power and a nonrefundable $10 service fee…. While the campground allows dogs, they aren’t allowed in the Yurts.

  There’s lots of bear proof dumpsters around the campground, lots of potable water in strategic spots and a number of decent restrooms, and it was nice that at some of them they provided hot (pay) showers (at $1 per 3 minutes) and while the ADA has some control the standard one has no control over the heat or pressure its simply on or off. Also, the restrooms have no soap, paper towels, or hand dryers, etc. Which was a little disappointing for the cost.

  My biggest disappointment in the setup of the campground has to do with the bears and cleaning your dishes. There is no dish-washing area in the entire ~200 site, ~14 bathroom campground. They specifically ask that you don’t wash your dishes in the sinks or at the water spigots as they don’t want any food particles going down the drains. So, when I asked about disposing of the dish water they said to just toss it at the base of a tree, as it’s dry and the trees would appreciate it. This doesn’t help keep the bears away… While we scrapped and collected every bit of food waste we could and tossed it into the dumpsters, ff you’re just tossing food scrap-soaked water at the base of the trees the bears are going to come for the smell… I’ve stayed at other sites in bear country which have setups for disposing of the waste water and food scraps to detract bears and Fallen Leaf definitely is lacking and this is possibly part of the reason they’re having such an issue with bears.

  While, our site (87) would probably normally be a great location with the Fallen Leaf Lake being the only thing behind you and no neighbors on at least 2 of your sides, we happened to somehow book the same weekend that a corporate event was taking over the vast majority of the campground with almost 200 people….

  While, not entirely the campgrounds fault it was a little disruptive to have this mass number of people come directly next to us in site 88 for their meals as they’d decided to make that site the meal prep site for breakfast (they started prep at 5:30 am) and dinner (we actually had to ask the drunk group to stop screaming at midnight) these were both well outside the “quiet hours” and definitely surpassed the “6 people per site” rule.

  Otherwise this campground is in a great location to see the area as it’s only approximately one-quarter mile north of Fallen Leaf Lake. The trail from the campground was only 3 sites over from us. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is directly across Highway 89 and is a great location to talk to the Rangers about other potential hikes in the area. They also have interpretive programs, guided walks on the Rainbow Trail and to the Stream Profile Chamber (which was closed because someone decided to break it. Although it should be repaired now… end of September 2018). Also, nearby Baldwin Beaches or Pope Beach, which cost $10, or you can go to the Tallac Historic Site with tours and events at its historic buildings and grounds and the free (dog friendly) Kiva beach which is exactly the same as the other pay access beaches….

  There’s also a really nice paved bike trail that runs 3 miles along Highway 89 and can be used to access all of the above. You have access to excellent day hiking and backpacking in Desolation Wilderness via the Glen Alpine or Mt. Tallac trailheads which are also nearby.

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