Lewis

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Foresthill, CA, CA

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (51 reviews)

Season: May through October

Lewis Campground is located on French Meadows Reservoir in the Tahoe National Forest, 40 miles east Foresthill. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, boating and trail opportunities. 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/lewis to be notified when sites open up.

Lewis Campground offers excellent fishing, boating, and hiking opportunities on French Meadows Reservoir in Tahoe National Forest. Campers consistently praise the well-spaced private sites, spotless facilities, and dedicated fire pits.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Snowshoe Hare present in area. Birds include Red-tailed Hawk, Western Tanager, Evening Grosbeak. Northern Rubber Boa also documented.

Insider tips for Lewis: Book early—this is a popular federal campground with high demand High clearance vehicles should use Foresthill Rd to Robinson Flat Rd to Mosquito Ridge Rd; avoid trailer access from Soda Springs route McGuire boat ramp is within one mile for boating access

Skip Lewis if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs. You need winter camping—seasonal operations May through October only. You prefer established roads in winter—snow may impact high clearance vehicle routes.

Best time to visit Lewis: September — Operating within May-October season with verified positive camper experience in early September; generally lower crowds midweek.

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Lewis

Cell signal at Lewis (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

Lewis

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Foresthill, CA, CA★ 4.5 (51 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Lewis Campground is located on French Meadows Reservoir in the Tahoe National Forest, 40 miles east Foresthill. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing, boating and trail opportunities. Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming.

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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
PetsAllowed
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 need winter camping—seasonal operations May through October only✕ You prefer established roads in winter—snow may impact high clearance vehicle routes

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with high demand

High clearance vehicles should use Foresthill Rd to Robinson Flat Rd to Mosquito Ridge Rd; avoid trailer access from Soda Springs route

McGuire boat ramp is within one mile for boating access

Best: September

Operating within May-October season with verified positive camper experience in early September; generally lower crowds midweek

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 present in area. Birds include Red-tailed Hawk, Western Tanager, Evening Grosbeak. Northern Rubber Boa also documented.

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 recommended for trucks with trailers, motorhomes/RV's or passenger vehicles that are not high clearance vehicles with four wheel drive. It is 6 miles around the lake to the north shore, Lewis Campground will be on the right.

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 Lewis cost per night?+
Lewis costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Lewis open?+
Lewis is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Lewis have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Lewis?+
Lewis can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Lewis?+
Lewis 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 Lewis?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Lewis is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Lewis open, and what are check-in times?+
Lewis 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.

$20 /night★ 4.5 (51)
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 Lewis cost per night?+
What season is Lewis open?+
Does Lewis have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Coyote Group

Foresthill, CA

From $82/night

Ahart Campground

Foresthill, CA

From $20/night

French Meadows

FORESTHILL, CA

From $24/night

Middle Meadows

GEORGETOWN, CA

From $12.5/night

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