USDA Forest Service · California
Watson Lake Campground
USDA Forest Service · California, United States
- Cost
- No fees are required for this site
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 3,707 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · Verizon weak · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Tahoe City, California.
About
US Forest Service campground. Small, remote Forest Service operated campground located above Tahoe City in north Lake Tahoe. Pack out what you pack in. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 34° | 20° | 64° | 9 of 11 |
| February | 51° | 33° | 21° | 68° | 8 of 11 |
| March | 53° | 34° | 19° | 78° | 8 of 11 |
| April | 58° | 37° | 23° | 73° | 5 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 46° | 32° | 82° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 78° | 53° | 38° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 60° | 49° | 101° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 87° | 60° | 53° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 80° | 54° | 45° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 71° | 46° | 35° | 85° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 56° | 39° | 28° | 71° | 5 of 10 |
| December | 48° | 34° | 16° | 62° | 7 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Giant Gap · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 30 sites
- Shirttail Creek · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 41 sites
- Forbes Creek · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 2 sites
- Brimstone OHV Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Big Reservoir Campground · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2025-07-31. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.