If I'm the first to review, I can't wait to read the rest that are sure to follow for this great…read morecampsite!
Camping is hardly a primitive activity anymore. It's more like sleeping outside, which is totally cool, but you still want to have that feeling of being off-the-grid, away from it all, in the midst of nature. With more people enjoying the activity these days, that is getting harder and harder. So for those of us seeking the traditional camping experience, we need to be a lot more selective, picking sites that provide privacy, plenty of personal space, and a natural setting we can enjoy.
The Chilcoot Campground is just a few miles outside of the Frenchman's Lake Recreation Area, and approx. 5 miles up HWY 284 from the turn off Highway 70, about 40 minutes from Reno. It's heavily shaded by towering trees, offers large sites, and has flush toilets and running water too. If that isn't enough reason to stop here, the campground also has several amenities that make it a whole lot of fun. For starters, Little Last Chance Creek runs the length of the campground, and there are even sites that back right up to it. It doesn't move that fast, so swimming and wading are both options, and there are even some small brook trout to be caught, if you have the patience. There's also a path that runs along the creek, offering everyone in the campground access to the water. The path eventually takes you out of the campground, following the creek, offering some opportunities to get a bit of privacy from the other campers, and there are some great pools just outside that looked perfect for swimming!
This campground has sites available through online reservation, but also offers first-come first-served sites as well, which is a rarity in CA. Some sites border the highway, which I wouldn't recommend, but many are partially secluded and nicely separated from the neighboring sites. Each one has a picnic table, fire ring, and you'll find a water spigot nearby for rinsing water too. The sites that border the creek are primo, as are the others on the far end of the campground, so check online to see what's there.
We stayed in site 13, which was sweet! The front area was well situated with the picnic table placed appropriately, where it would receive the most shade, with the fire ring right next to it. We had ample room to setup our large camp stove, and our supplies. The site also had two large areas to setup tents, both of which were pretty well surrounded by trees, which blocked the views of other campers in adjacent sites and kept the tent cool in the hotter times of the day.
On top of all this Mike, the Camp Host, was AWESOME! He really treated the whole place like it was his baby and made sure every inch was clean and clear, and guests felt right at home.
I've passed this campground a million times before, but I'll never make that mistake again. It's a whole 15 minute drive to get from there to the far end of Frenchman's for fishing access, and a lot less people than in the Lake's campgrounds, meaning you can really enjoy relaxing there.
