U.S. Forest Service · Tahoe National Forest · Foresthill, CA

Lewis

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.

Reservable · Recreation.gov40 sites45 ft maxNo hookupsPets ok

More like this: reservable in California · big rigs in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
LEWIS at FRENCH MEADOWSLEWIS at FRENCH MEADOWSLEWIS at FRENCH MEADOWSLEWIS at FRENCH MEADOWS
Photos courtesy of Joel Miller, USFS, November, 2018 · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 28 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups38
Host/management2
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 53 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

38 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
002EASTBack-in46PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
003EASTBack-in45PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
004EASTBack-in37PavedPartial6 / 2YesYes
005EASTBack-in36PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
006EASTBack-in48PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
007EASTBack-in35PavedPartial6 / 2
008EASTBack-in40PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
009EASTBack-in41PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
010EASTBack-in35PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
011EASTBack-in32PavedPartial6 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length45 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
AccessibilitySites 004, 019, 020, 021 are listed accessible

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.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

SeasonJune to September
ForestTahoe National Forest
BookingThis site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777), or on-line at www.recreation.gov
Fees$20 per site
RulesFirearms or any other implements of destruction (including but not limited to bow & arrow and slingshots) are prohibited in this area; camping outside designated campground is prohibited in this area

Tahoe National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Lewis30°40°50°60°70°January: 6.21 inches of precipitation, 37.9 inches of snowFebruary: 5.72 inches of precipitation, 41.3 inches of snowMarch: 4.95 inches of precipitation, 34.7 inches of snowApril: 2.23 inches of precipitation, 14.0 inches of snowMay: 1.57 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowJune: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 0.17 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 1.89 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowNovember: 3.21 inches of precipitation, 9.4 inches of snowDecember: 6.00 inches of precipitation, 36.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.1°F averageFebruary: 30.8°F averageMarch: 34.3°F averageApril: 38.9°F averageMay: 46.6°F averageJune: 54.6°F averageJuly: 62.0°F averageAugust: 61.4°F averageSeptember: 55.4°F averageOctober: 45.9°F averageNovember: 36.8°F averageDecember: 30.2°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 in50 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tahoe City, 15 miles from the campground at 6,230 feet, station USC00048758 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 33 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 179 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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.

Nearest townForesthill, California
Coordinates39.1321° N, 120.4169° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    28 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗13.9 mi
Outdoor gearAlpenglow Sports ↗14.9 mi
RV sales & serviceDeMartini RV Sales ↗34.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

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Worth a stop

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.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.7 mi
    Campground Water Supply
    0.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3.3 mi
    Mosquito Ridge ↗
    28.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 4 more
  • 3.3 mi
    Duncan Upstream Gage
    under 0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.4 mi
    Utility Pole
    under 0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.4 mi
    Duncan Creek Dam South
    under 0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.5 mi
    Duncan Creek Dam North
    0.05 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Tahoe National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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.

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.

Guidebooks for California

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Lewis?

Sites at Lewis are reservable on Recreation.gov. This site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777), or on-line at www.recreation.gov Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Lewis?

$20 per site

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Lewis?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Lewis have?

40 sites, including 38 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Lewis?

The longest site here provides 45 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Lewis?

Yes, pets are allowed at Lewis. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Lewis?

Sites 004, 019, 020, and 021 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Lewis?

Popular activities on the reservoir include boating, canoeing, fishing and swimming. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Lewis?

Foresthill, California. Lewis Campground is a recreation site within the French Meadows Recreation Area which includes many other recreation facilities.

Source: Getting there

What if Lewis is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Coyote Group (0.4 mi), Mumford Bar Campground (0.5 mi, first-come), and Gates Group (0.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby