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Meadow View Campground is a 6 space equestrian and family campground located 7 miles east of Doyle, CA and 11 miles north of Frenchman Lake.
While Meadow View is an equestrian campground you do not have to have horses to camp there. But, being that it only has 6 spaces means that it will be a pretty quiet spot to spend a night or two. I stayed for a couple nights during the first week of April and was the only one there. It is located along side a dirt road that connects to the northern end of Frenchman Lake so you might see some vehicles pass by on the weekend, and especially during the summer months, but otherwise it’s very quiet.
If you do plan to bring horses with you you’ll find paddocks just across the road from the campground. Their is an area where you can also easily pull in with a trailer to unload and turn out your horses. One complaint that I did read about was that you cannot see your horses from your camp spot, and that they aren’t right next to you. This made some people feel uncomfortable about wildlife coming around during the night and spooking the horses. I have also read the opposite and that people really enjoy the campground so I believe that it is a personal decision according to what you, and your horses, are comfortable with.
I did not find any designated hiking trails or anything like that. But I did do a nice hike up behind the campground and saw a bunch of deer. There are lots of game trails to follow as well as many interesting rocks and formations to see. Also, their is an old cabin next to the campground that you can explore. All in all it was a nice to walk around from the campground and check out what was nearby.
To get to Meadow View you have a couple of options. You can head North from Reno on 395 towards Doyle and once you get to Doyle you take a left onto Doyle Grade Rd. Or, you can go up past Frenchman Lake for a more scenic dirt road drive. Either way you will have a few miles of dirt road but going to Doyle first will have you on more highway than anything else. Going the Frenchman route provides for a more scenic drive. From Reno plan on about 1 1/2 hours of driving.
Meadow View is definitely not one of the rowdier campgrounds near Frenchman Lake. If you are looking for more going on around you then I would head over that way. If you have children with you then playing by the lake might be more fun, but if you just want a quiet and out of the way place then this could be a good option for you.
| Type | RV and tent camping |
| Roads | Gravel forest roads. Coming in from 395 is paved until 3 miles before you get to the campground. The rest is smoothly graded and wide enough for 2 vehicles to get past each other. |
| Elevation | 6100′ |
| Environment | Wooded. |
| Kid Friendly | Yes. |
| Dog Friendly | Yes, with leash. |
| Family Friendly | Yes. Not as much to do for the kiddos but I would feel pretty comfortable letting them explore around. Some fun rocks to climb on and it could be fun exploring the old cabin with them. If they are especially adventurous you could do that with them at night! |
| Activities | Hiking, equestrian camping. Dirt roads for street licensed UTV’s and Jeeps. If you are looking for more OHV or technical motorcycle trails you can go to Fort Sage OHV Area on the east side of Doyle. |
| Cell Service | None in the campground. 2 bars on Verizon while hiking up the hill in back. |
| Closest Services | Hallelujah Junction Market near 70 and 395. Gas and general store in Chilcoot. Shell station just north of Doyle on 395. |
| Facilities | Pit toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, non-potable water, bear boxes. |
| Hookups | NO. |
| Reservations | Yes, or first come, first serve. Camp host is on site or make reservations ahead of time online. Book early! From May 1 – Sept. 13 https://www.outdoorsinplumas.com/ |
| Contact | For more information and forest updates – https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/plumas/recarea/?recid=11202 |
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