California / Calaveras County / Stanislaus National Forest

Big Meadow

Closed — Closed for the season. Water services and vault toilets are not available during winter months. The campground typically operates seasonally.

About

Big Meadow Campground sits at 6,400 feet elevation in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains on the Stanislaus National Forest, positioned between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. The scenic campground features 65 individual sites plus a group camp within a conifer forest of red fir, white fir, and lodgepole pine with scattered quaking aspen. Sites are large, private, and shady with natural granitic rock outcrops scattered throughout the area. Each site includes a picnic table, food lockers, fire ring, tent spot, and parking spur. Located adjacent to Highway 4, approximately 20 miles east of Arnold and nine miles southwest of Lake Alpine, Big Meadow offers breathtaking mountain views and wildlife viewing opportunities including marmots, squirrels, coyotes, and deer. The campground serves as a convenient base for exploring nearby recreation areas, with Lake Alpine and Spicer Meadow Reservoir just a 15-minute drive away offering fishing and water activities. Popular activities include picnicking, birding, and hiking. A four-wheel-drive road leads two miles down to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River. The campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis for individual sites with a limit of 6 people, 2 tents, and 2 vehicles per site. The group camp accommodates up to 50 people and 20 vehicles and requires reservations through Recreation.gov. There is no on-site host, but Forest Service employees make daily visits. Some traffic noise may be apparent in sites close to the highway.

Directions

From Arnold, California, take Highway 4 east for 25 miles to Big Meadow Campground. The campground is located on the south side of Highway 4, nine miles southwest of Lake Alpine, adjacent to Big Meadow Group Campground before Spicer Road.

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