Crocker Guard Station offers something unusual in the campground world: you can actually sleep inside a 1912 Forest Service building, complete with four bedrooms and ten twin beds. Set in a small meadow surrounded by pine forest at 5,700 feet, this historic rental sits ten miles northeast of Portola with Lake Davis just three miles away.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Developed
- 💵Fee per Night
- Free
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 🏔️Elevation
- 5,700 ft
- 📍GPS
- 39.89353, -120.42368
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 📞Phone
- 530-832-1076
- 🗺️Address
- CA
The Station
The guard station itself tells the story of early Forest Service operations — built in 1912 to house personnel, then converted to a fire station until the 1980s. Today's visitors get the full building: kitchen, dining room, living room, and that large fenced front yard that works well for families with kids. Propane powers the lights, cook stove, and heater, though you'll need to bring your own drinking water and bedding. Cooking utensils are provided, but there's no refrigerator.
The setting delivers on that Eastern Sierra solitude promise — a meadow near an aspen grove with pine forest all around. Star gazing works well here, though Reno throws some light pollution into the mix.
The Adjacent Camp
Crocker Campground sits next to the guard station with ten free sites equipped with tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. It's a solid backup option or overflow space if your group exceeds the station's ten-bed capacity.
What's Nearby
Lake Davis Recreation Area sits three miles away and handles the water sports — fishing, boating, swimming. The five-mile dirt road route gets you there directly. Fall brings hunters to the area.
Portola supplies the basics ten miles south: stores, services, restaurants. The Western Pacific Railroad Museum there claims to be the largest railroad museum in the west, with train rides and a gift shop.
Contact the Beckwourth Ranger District at (530) 836-2575 for reservations and specifics.