Cottonwood (Ca)

Plumas National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Portola Valley, CA, CA

Price: From $34 per night

Rating: 3.7 out of 5 (18 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cottonwood Springs Campground (5,700) is located on the southwest side of Frenchman Lake. The surrounding pine forest provides ample shade during summers’ hot afternoons. The lake, recreation area and surrounding forest and rangeland offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities and adventures.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Camp Host, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cottonwood-ca to be notified when sites open up.

Cottonwood Springs offers 14 sites with fire rings, picnic tables, and flush toilets on the southwest side of Frenchman Lake at 5,700 feet elevation. Campers praise the abundant pine shade, clean facilities, and level RV parking with nearby dump station ($7).

Wildlife alert: Mule deer, Brewer's Blackbird, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Flicker, Western Tanager, gopher snake, and Western Fence Lizard documented within 8km.

Insider tips for Cottonwood (Ca): Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand RV dump station costs $7 and is located next to the entrance Hot water showers available for a fee Gather abundant dry wood around the campground for fires

Skip Cottonwood (Ca) if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs. You visit outside May-October — campground operates seasonally. You need shower facilities without fees — showers require payment.

Best time to visit Cottonwood (Ca): May-October — Official operating season; pine forest provides shade during hot summers.

Nearby campgrounds: Spring Creek (BLAIRSDEN, CA), Chilcoot (Portola Valley, CA), Crocker Campground (Beckwourth, CA), Ayers Creek Retreat (Portola, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cottonwood (Ca)

Cell signal at Cottonwood (Ca) (Portola Valley, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Plumas National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cottonwood (Ca)

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Portola Valley, CA, CA★ 3.7 (18 reviews)From $34/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cottonwood Springs Campground (5,700) is located on the southwest side of Frenchman Lake. The surrounding pine forest provides ample shade during summers’ hot afternoons. The lake, recreation area and surrounding forest and rangeland offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities and adventures.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV67 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites1 sites
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump StationBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Flush ToiletsCamp Host

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You visit outside May-October — campground operates seasonally✕ You need shower facilities without fees — showers require payment

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

RV dump station costs $7 and is located next to the entrance

Hot water showers available for a fee

Gather abundant dry wood around the campground for fires

Best: May-October

Official operating season; pine forest provides shade during hot summers

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mule deer, Brewer's Blackbird, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Flicker, Western Tanager, gopher snake, and Western Fence Lizard documented within 8km.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
Getting there →

From Reno, Nevada, travel north on Highway 395, then merge onto Highway 70 west and travel 5 miles to Chilcoot. Turn north on Highway 284 and continue for 8 miles to the Frenchman Lake Reservoir, then turn left before crossing the dam and travel 2.5 miles to the Cottonwood Campground.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Plumas National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Plumas National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cottonwood (Ca) cost per night?+
Cottonwood (Ca) costs $34 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Cottonwood (Ca) open?+
Cottonwood (Ca) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cottonwood (Ca) have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood (Ca)?+
Cottonwood (Ca) can accommodate RVs up to 67 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cottonwood (Ca)?+
Cottonwood (Ca) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cottonwood (Ca)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cottonwood (Ca) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cottonwood (Ca) open, and what are check-in times?+
Cottonwood (Ca) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Cottonwood Campground Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$34 /night★ 3.7 (18)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cottonwood (Ca) cost per night?+
What season is Cottonwood (Ca) open?+
Does Cottonwood (Ca) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Spring Creek

BLAIRSDEN, CA

From $38/night

Chilcoot

Portola Valley, CA

From $34/night

Crocker Campground

Beckwourth, CA

From $15/night

Ayers Creek Retreat aspen grove

Ayers Creek Retreat

Portola, CA

From $45/night

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