Two group sites tucked along South Fork Long Canyon Creek, built for groups who want genuine isolation. The drive is long, the amenities basic, but you get a heavily forested creek setting that feels genuinely remote.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Group
- 💵Fee per Night
- Free
- 📍GPS
- 39.05111, -120.46611
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 📞Phone
- 530-333-4312
- 🗺️Address
- CA
The Camp
Middle Meadows delivers what most group campgrounds promise but don't deliver: actual seclusion. The two sites accommodate 25 and 50 people respectively, each with tables, fire rings, grills, and bear-proof storage. Vault and portable toilets handle the basics, but there's no potable water due to contamination issues — bring your own or plan to filter from the creek.
The setting justifies the logistics. Large cedar, pine, and fir create heavy canopy along South Fork Long Canyon Creek, and the campground maintains that undeveloped feel despite the infrastructure. It's the kind of place where you hear flowing water instead of highway noise.
What to Know
The water situation deserves emphasis: bring enough drinking water for your entire group, or pack reliable filtration. If you're running low, Big Meadows Campground has potable water from faucets, but it's 2.5 miles northeast — not exactly convenient.
A swimming hole sits about 0.25 miles west of camp, which matters when you're managing a large group in summer heat.
Nearby
Hell Hole Reservoir provides the water recreation Middle Meadows lacks — less than five miles north with a boat ramp for launching. The reservoir handles boating and fishing, while Long Canyon Creek right at camp works for wading and basic fishing.
The isolation cuts both ways: you're removed from other campgrounds and the usual camp-neighbor dynamics, but you're also committed once you drive in. The access road reinforces the remote character, so plan accordingly for supplies and backup plans.