French Meadows

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: FORESTHILL, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (124 reviews)

Season: May through October

French Meadows Campground is located along the shores French Meadows Reservoir, about 40 miles from the town of Foresthill. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, boating and trail opportunities. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing, Boat Launch

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

French Meadows Campground sits along French Meadows Reservoir with excellent fishing, boating, and trail opportunities. Campers consistently praise it as a clean, quiet, and peaceful location with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and wildlife viewing.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, California Ground Squirrel, Osprey, Western Tanager, Evening Grosbeak, and garter snakes present in the area.

Insider tips for French Meadows: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with limited availability. High-clearance vehicles can access via Foresthill Rd to Robinson Flat Rd to Mosquito Ridge Rd (snow permitting). Boat ramp adjacent to campground; North Fork American River accessible nearby for additional recreation.

Skip French Meadows if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs.. You require reliable cell service — no cell service reported.. You visit outside May-October — campground operates seasonally.. You have a truck with trailer — access from Soda Springs via Route 43 not recommended for trailers..

Best time to visit French Meadows: May-October — Official operating season for the campground..

Nearby campgrounds: Lewis (Foresthill, CA), Coyote Group (Foresthill, CA), Ahart Campground (Foresthill, CA), Middle Meadows (GEORGETOWN, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at French Meadows

Cell signal at French Meadows (FORESTHILL, 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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Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

French Meadows

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FORESTHILL, CA, CA★ 4.2 (124 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

French Meadows Campground is located along the shores French Meadows Reservoir, about 40 miles from the town of Foresthill. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, boating and trail opportunities. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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 RV85 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites7 sites
Bear boxesYes — at every site
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsBoat Launch

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 require reliable cell service — no cell service reported.✕ You visit outside May-October — campground operates seasonally.✕ You have a truck with trailer — access from Soda Springs via Route 43 not recommended for trailers.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with limited availability.

High-clearance vehicles can access via Foresthill Rd to Robinson Flat Rd to Mosquito Ridge Rd (snow permitting).

Boat ramp adjacent to campground; North Fork American River accessible nearby for additional recreation.

Best: May-October

Official operating season for the campground.

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: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare, California Ground Squirrel, Osprey, Western Tanager, Evening Grosbeak, and garter snakes present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-367-2224· Tahoe National Forest
Getting there →

High clearance vehicles may take Foresthill Rd to the 43 Rd (Robinson Flat Rd) to Mosquito Ridge Rd, snow permitting. Access from Soda Springs and the 43 Rd is not recommoned to trucks with trailers, motorhomes/RV's or passenger vehicles that are not high clearance vehicle with four wheel drive. The campground is on the south shore.

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 — Tahoe National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Tahoe National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does French Meadows cost per night?+
French Meadows costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is French Meadows open?+
French Meadows is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does French Meadows have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at French Meadows?+
French Meadows can accommodate RVs up to 85 feet.
How do I make reservations at French Meadows?+
French Meadows 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 French Meadows?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at French Meadows is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is French Meadows open, and what are check-in times?+
French Meadows is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility 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.

$24 /night★ 4.2 (124)
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 French Meadows cost per night?+
What season is French Meadows open?+
Does French Meadows have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Lewis

Foresthill, CA

From $20/night

Coyote Group

Foresthill, CA

From $82/night

Ahart Campground

Foresthill, CA

From $20/night

Middle Meadows

GEORGETOWN, CA

From $12.5/night

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