Camp Observer1 of 6 photos
Lewis
Notice
Due to a temporary disruption with our water system the campground currently has no water, but the water system should be operational soon. You will need to bring your own drinking water and water to drown your fires or for hand washing. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Jul 20, 2026 – Jul 28, 2026
Overview
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.Recreation
Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming. McGuire boat ramp is located within a mile of the campground. The Middle Fork American River can be accessed nearby and provides fishing and swimming. A variety of hiking and biking trails are found in the surrounding area, including the Western States Trail, Tevis Cup Trail, and some that provide access to the nearby Granite Chief Wilderness.Facilities
The campground offers single-family campsites, a few of which are accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and a grill. Flush and vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved.Natural Features
The campground sits on the north shore of French Meadows Reservoir in a coniferous forest. The reservoir is on the Middle Fork of the American River and is the western gateway to the Granite Chief Wilderness.Nearby Attractions
Lewis Campground is a recreation site within the French Meadows Recreation Area which includes many other recreation facilities. The Granite Chief Wilderness can be accessed nearby at Talbot Trailhead and access to the Western States Trail and Tevis Cup Trail also can be accessed nearby. Other recreation opportunities include many hiking, equestrian, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack trails, Duncan Canyon, Duncan Peak Lookout, Robinson Flat historic ranger station, Placer County Big Tree Grove Botanical Area, and Grouse Falls Scenic Area.Camp site features
Across 38 camp sites:
- Fire pit: 37 of 38 sites
- Pets allowed: all 38 sites
- ADA accessible: 3 of 38 sites
- Longest rig: 45 ft
- Largest party: 6 people
Directions
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.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (56)
5 stars
34
4 stars
14
3 stars
4
2 stars
2
1 stars
2
Jared T
Loop:East
Site:016
Reviewed 4 days ago
It’s important to note that this campground is very remote. It’s about an hour and a half to the closest town and cell phone signal. The campground is fairly well maintained but there is no overnight camp host, just daily service on the trash cans and bathrooms. Unfortunately some people did not clean up their site well after they left and there’s no staff to help with that. It’s a little spooky at night especially midweek. There is swimming across the street though!
Deja M
Loop:West
Site:035
Reviewed 17 days ago
It's a wild place I feel like just like everything else, it's being overused and people aren't respecting the Earth as well as they could be when visiting places like this. I'll never understand how so many can be out somewhere but so beautiful and decided to leave their trash and their s*** everywhere!
Jim S
Loop:West
Site:040
Reviewed 21 days ago
No Water !!! Restrooms locked up, one vault toilet in West loop of Lewis Campground. No toilet paper in vault, ran out every day due to use. Our group had several sites, made for alot of inconvience. You should refund me for the sites used. Thanks
Daniel B
Loop:West
Site:026
Reviewed a month ago
This is a lovely campground in a secluded part of Tahoe National Forest (the road out to French Meadows is a twisty and narrow cliff road, all paved but crumbling in some areas, and far from the nearest town). We were lucky that the reservoir was filled to the brim when we visited; easy access to it by crossing the street. The campground declared no potable water during our visit, so may need to bring either a filter or your own water; however, we were pleasantly surprised to find a flush toilet and running sinks in some bathrooms (no soap), and running spigots. Nice space between most campsites. Never saw any campground hosts but had no need to. Lots of wood and debris lying around for firewood, can be useful to bring an ax. Campsites have fire pits, a table, and bear storage. Plenty of mosquitos and ants in early June.
Tyler S
Loop:East
Site:007
Reviewed 10 months ago
Camp sites were trash free, enjoyable. Camp host(s) was very sweet and welcoming. Would come back.
Charlie G
Loop:East
Site:007
Reviewed 10 months ago
They drained half the reservoir and they never mentioned that on the app
Jessica G
Loop:West
Site:034
Reviewed 10 months ago
Spot 034 is very small if you are camping with more than a few people it will be a squeeze. Also there is only room for one vehicle with a trailer or two cars only for parking for site 034.
Shauna F
Loop:West
Site:024
Reviewed a year ago
I loved this campground. The site was pretty big, and even though we could see our neighbors they were still far away enough not to hear their conversations. During the day and evening you could hear loud voices, laughing, music, the occasional kid screaming, and dogs
barking, but silence after 10ish. The bathroom was clean, smelled nice and always fully stocked with tp and seat covers. I was very happy to have a real toilet and not a hole in the ground type toilet that I'm used to at most campgrounds.
The lake was an easy hike across the way from the campground. It was hot, the water was cool, but no luck with the fishing. I would absolutely come back here, and recommend it to friends and family.
Destiny J
Loop:West
Site:038
Reviewed a year ago
best place to be in peace very quiet and secluded very beautiful!!
Kaylee K
Loop:West
Site:027
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful campsites with helpful hosts. Each site has an assigned bear box. There are no communal bear boxes available after you check out of the site. An easy walk from the campsite to the reservoir waterfront and hiking.
Colleen O
Loop:East
Site:016
Reviewed a year ago
This is our second trip to Lewis and it was lovely. The campground is well cared for, and while the location is a trek to get there, we love the solitude once you’ve arrived. Site 16 is nice with a mix and shade and sun, room for two tents and a couple of hammocks and feels more private because on one side you have bushes shrubs instead of a neighboring site. I’m sure we’ll be back!
Janette R
Loop:East
Site:011
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful campground! Clean bathrooms, lake nearby! Boat ramp down the road 5 mins.
Derek S
Loop:West
Site:026
Reviewed a year ago
Stayed at site 026 for 4 nights just me and my daughter. Site was clean, weather was great, minimal mosquitoes, and close to the lake. The hose kept the sites clean and bathrooms were also clean. I will be staying here again 100%.
pamela k
Loop:West
Site:025
Reviewed a year ago
This place was great. If you are looking for a place that's off the beaten path (it's a few hours on a winding road to get here from the 80), no cell service for miles, and on the nights the campground wasn't fully booked it was completely silent then this is the place for you.
We enjoyed swimming in the lake, hiking, and hanging out at our campsite.
The downsides: our site did not have a level spot for a tent and the mosquitos were biting a LOT
Will W
Loop:West
Site:035
Reviewed a year ago
Very clean restrooms and camp sites. Staff was helpful and polite. We definitely will return.
Ariana L
Loop:West
Site:031
Reviewed a year ago
We had a great experience camping at Lewis Campground! Our main site, #31, was fantastic — spacious, flat, and conveniently located right across from the restrooms. The area is very secluded, which is perfect for those looking to disconnect (note: there is no cell service, so plan accordingly).
We also reserved site #32, but it wasn’t ideal. It had limited flat space for tents and the driveway was much smaller, so be cautious when selecting your site.
One important thing to note: after Foresthill, it’s about an hour and a half of winding roads to reach the campground — not for the faint of heart, but definitely worth it once you arrive. Be prepared and bring everything you need!
Lemi T
Loop:East
Site:010
Reviewed 2 years ago
Lovely and great campsite! The only thing you should know is that the lake can be quite dried up in certain seasons, so plan to walk awhile or drive to where the water is. But beautiful and very nice and often not very busy :)
Patricia C
Loop:East
Site:013
Reviewed 2 years ago
We had a pleasant camping experience. Our campsite was close to the bathroom, trash bin, and water spigot, #11. With kids in tow that was important. Of course we could get sporadic gusts of wind that reminded us we were “close” to the bathrooms :) The bathrooms did run out of toilet paper. Thankfully we brought our own to use. Campsite's were spacious but not all the tent areas were flat. Our sleeping bags were sliding off the cots all night because of the angle. The campsite was a bit of a drive to the water area, and you could unload your beach gear at the boat launch area but then had to park the car up the hill and walk back down. The Lewis campground side of the reservoir was all rocks, no sand. Not a fun area for the kids to play in. And you couldn’t let the kids play on the flat boat launch area for safety reasons of course. The park rangers told our kids they had to be 30 yards from the boat launch area. But having to walk 30 yards over rocks and boulders is not easy. If you wanted a sandy beach I guess you had to drive around to the French Meadows campground area. It was also very windy so we couldn’t put up an umbrella. Not sure if it was just that day or if it’s windy all the time. Besides the rocky beach, and the wind, Lewis at French Meadows was a nice place to camp for the weekend.
Jose L. M
Loop:West
Site:030
Reviewed 2 years ago
What a beautiful camping area. I was afraid it was going to be bad on my way there. There was a huge fire that took everything out driving up. This campsite luckily survived. There are bathrooms with running water, but when I was there they had water issues. The alternative bathrooms were great and clean though. The staff came regularly to clean and stock the bathrooms. They took the trash every morning.
The lake is beautiful, but you should drive to the boat launch down the road for more water. There is parking there. All in all I loved this place. I will definitely come back.
Jacob S
Loop:West
Site:037
Reviewed 2 years ago
Great spot close to the water. Facilities were well maintained. Bring bug spray in the Summer for mosquitoes.
Nohemy B
Loop:East
Site:012
Reviewed 2 years ago
Great, secluded campground! This is a great location if you’re trying to have a laid back trip. Quick access to lake across a road with little to no traffic where you can kayak/fish but there’s not much of a beach to hangout at. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked. Our location unfortunately would get whiffs of pit toilet aroma every once in a while though. This site is a little uneven but we found enough flat ground for our 4 person tent, anything bigger might be tough. Definitely stock up on everything you might need in Auburn or Forresthill before heading any further!
Anthony o
Loop:East
Site:007
Reviewed 2 years ago
2nd time in the same campsite couldn’t be happier !! weather was perfect during the day make sure to bring warm clothing for night time !!!!
Kelly M
Loop:West
Site:036
Reviewed 3 years ago
Campsite was very clean, private and quiet. The McGuire trail is a great hike and close by. The lake is a short walk from the campsite. The drive to the campground is tricky due to road closures but is a temporary situation. Will be back!
Colleen O
Loop:West
Site:028
Reviewed 3 years ago
Lovely campground, proximity to reservoirs is great, found a couple of nice hikes close by and some nice quiet spots to enjoy the water. Our campground was in full sun for the hottest parts of the day so we would pick a different site next time (35, 36, 16 looked great, 38, 39, 6 we’re ok, 17 would be our backup). Facilities were clean and well placed.
Anthony o
Loop:East
Site:007
Reviewed 3 years ago
Amazing place. Campsite is very clean and lake is absolutely beautiful!!! Will be back !!!
Kat K
Loop:West
Site:037
Reviewed 3 years ago
Very beautiful lake and not crowded which is rare for the summary time. The campsite had everything you'd need. Only call out is that you have to take a dirt road to get here because of some detour which I was unprepared for.
Sheena T
Loop:East
Site:011
Reviewed 3 years ago
Beautiful. Deeper and a bit more remote than places I usually camp. You have to drive 45 minutes for phone reception, and further for a store, so gas up and bring plenty of ice. The lake was high and the shoreline was very small with trees submerged but we still found a beautiful spot to bhang and swim easy walking from the campsite. Nice hosts, seemed new.
Kelly R
Loop:East
Site:014
Reviewed 4 years ago
Campsite was clean and well-kept. Lots of down timber that we ended up using for firewood.
Bathrooms were in good shape and there were plenty of water faucets with clean drinking water.
Fire pits were good with adjustible grills for cooking.
First itme experience, we were going to take the Jeep 4-wheeling in the area but didn't have a lot of gas left after the 2+ hour drive from Foresthill.
Michael P
Loop:West
Site:040
Reviewed 4 years ago
Its alot better than the other campground. The river winds its way into the lake here with ample boulders to jump off & explore. Great kayaking or float tubes. It was near empty mid week. The camp host keeps campsites and restrooms very clean
Andrew H
Loop:West
Site:035
Reviewed 4 years ago
Beautiful campground. Even has flushing toilets.
Only thing to be aware of is the site sizes are slightly off and cannot accommodate trailers in all the sites.
David F
Loop:West
Site:030
Reviewed 4 years ago
The French Meadows recreation area, the American River, and Granite Chief Wilderness are one of California's hidden gems. Great beauty, remote wilderness, butterflies, massive trees and ferns, river flows swollen with snow melt, an immense reservoir with clear cold water and a generally lay back vibe. There are plenty of camping sites in this zone, and they're often quite beautiful, most of them require reservations, but some are first-come. This site was great. But I'm giving the overall experience four instead of five stars because of the loud, lewd, and obnoxious behavior of the fully adult campers next to our site. Note to camp host: why post 10pm noise ordinance if there's no enforcement? Notw to fellow campers: why come to the wilderness only to spoil it for others?
Mike S
Loop:West
Site:030
Reviewed 4 years ago
First time to this campground and I really liked it. It is pretty remote and quite the drive to reach the area but it's beautiful and worth the effort. I did have a somewhat unpleasant experience when I got there as our site that I reserved had people in it. They had been there the day before and decided to stay longer and didn't bother to tell anyone. When I spoke to the campground host he didn't even know I had a reservation, he didn't have updated information. Fortunately, we grabbed another site that was not occupied and it was actually way better then what I reserved but still a little annoying that no one is really monitoring it. Either way, it's a beautiful campground with great access to the lake. Our site was very big and had pretty good privacy.
Linda R
Loop:East
Site:017
Reviewed 5 years ago
Quite place to camp. The campgrounds have lots of cut down trees and haven't been cleared. The water is really far from the campground and you have to pay to park in addition to paying to camp.
Kenneth P
Loop:East
Site:008
Reviewed 5 years ago
Great place, nice facilities. The winding road you take to get there can make your passengers motion sick so habe your party take some dramamine if they are prone to motion sickness prior to making the drive.
Michael M
Loop:West
Site:035
Reviewed 5 years ago
There was a terrible wind storm during the winter and dozens of trees are knocked down. Last year, the forest service cleared brush and cut down trees so the campgrounds are very open. Also, this year the water level in the reservoir is the lowest I have seen in 20 years of going. I will not be back for another 5 years in hopes things will grow back.
Grant W
Loop:East
Site:014
Reviewed 5 years ago
We love going to French Meadows. The campgrounds are clean and well kept. We took a day and explored Granite Chief Wilderness, a must see if you go to French Meadows.
Andres A
Loop:East
Site:016
Reviewed 5 years ago
French Meadows is our number one place for camping. Great place to get away for the weekend or weekdays. Places to hike, fish and enjoy nature.
Eric G
Loop:East
Site:011
Reviewed 5 years ago
Amazing location very secluded and good services - will book again for sure!
Hannah H
Loop:West
Site:038
Reviewed 6 years ago
Clean campground, loved the campsite I stayed at, and the area was so beautiful & peaceful!!
Sebastian A
Loop:West
Site:026
Reviewed 6 years ago
We arrived fairly late on Saturday but ended up having an amazing time regardless. Bathrooms were clean and all other guests were very respectable about COVID-19 related procedures.
Alondra C
Loop:East
Site:013
Reviewed 6 years ago
It is a small quiet campground. There are 2 boat ramps near. We ended up going to the french meadows boat ramp to unload our canoe. This was our first camping trip with our canoe so we chose Lewis at French Meadows because of the reservoir. The reservoir can get windy so we did some hard paddling but nothing 2 girls could not handle. Would recommend going early or later in the day if you do not want to go up against the wind like us. The campground itself has well maintained restroom and friendly host. My one minor complain was that the previous occupant threw trash (bottle cans/cigarette buds) in the fight pit. Please do not do this!! It's ghetto. We also did not have neighbors as site 13 has no neighbors on one side and our neighbors on the other side did not show. I would also recommend site 13 for smaller suvs/sedans as the parking site is long but it curves so if you have a longer car u might be on an incline/decline. We took the road from auburn and even though you can see the cliff for some parts it was not that bad considering we were carrying a 16' canoe on our small pt cruiser.
James K
Loop:East
Site:005
Reviewed 6 years ago
It's a great site. Bathrooms well maintained, quite, friendly host... and beautiful location
Popularity
Quiet · 33%
Busiest in July, when about 33% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
