Paul H
For Meadow Lake Campground: Reservation Dates: 7/25/2020 - 7/30/2020
Our reserved Site 12 had a pickup parked in it at 2:00 PM when we arrived to check in. Went looking for campground host and learned no Host was assigned for Meadow Lake CG this season (like 2019 I heard).
A pickup pulling a way too long travel trailer took over the abandoned Host site to take advantage of readily available potable water and dump connection that weren't locked. It's a free-for-all when no Host is present having enforcement authority.
CG flooded with day use people, so much so that on our Sunday arrival the person parking their pickup in our Site 12 spot said he did it because there was no other place for him to park and then fish for a while. They were nice, apologized, left at 2:30 PM, then we finally secured our reserved Site 12. I've read on Recreation.gov of others with reservations that had to leave as squatters wouldn't vacate their reserved sites.
Saw campers with license plates from CA, CO, OH, NM, NV, (SC?), TX. Heard the faint sound of a generator running at 4:00 AM and learned it was running all night. What about quiet hours from 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM? Well, there were so many campers wanting to stay at Meadow Lake CG, with no available sites, that dozens of them boondocked right off the main access road where it enters the CG. Ah, no quiet hours apply for those not staying officially inside the CG boundary.
So much day use traffic on the narrow and steep one lane road that 8 different times we had to perform evasive maneuvering to allow cars and pickups pulling campers much too long for this road to barely squeeze by our slide-in pickup camper rig. Bathrooms unkempt most of the time, no TP half the time.
Meadow Lake no more a "local's secret" that used to be moderately used by the day use people on weekends and sparsely used during the week. We will not be coming back as even the USFS management doesn't value this CG enough to provide a Host with rules enforcement authority to keep things under control and in good condition.
Posted Aug 27, 2020 by Paul H from Idaho Falls, ID. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
Neal Frankhauser
For Meadow Lake Campground: One of the best hi altitude campgrounds in Idaho... Well kept well preserved!!! The road can be a pain very rough ,,, But well worth the trip... It is a glacial fed lake pretty dang cold I mean really cold... I WOULDN'T go swimming the landscape is spectacular... Gilmore has its own history pretty neat old miners town ...WELL WORTH THE TRIP EVEN FOR A SAT.. PICNIC...!!!
Posted Jun 29, 2016 by Neal Frankhauser from Idaho Falls Idaho. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.
