Camping › California › Bowman Campground
Bowman Campground
7 mi east of Graniteville, CA · No signal at camp
About Bowman Campground
Bowman Lake Campground is a very remote campground with limited services. There are 7 campsites with tables, fire rings and bear proof food lockers. There is no trash service. Bowman Lake is a large lake surrounded by rocky cliffs and scattered pines that are great for fishing and swimming. A few islands are found within the lake. Car top boat launch only. The road to access the campground is very rough, rocky, and narrow. **A high clearance vehicle is needed, and towing boats or trailers is very difficult and dangerous.** There are several stretches of the road where it is impossible for two vehicles to pass around each other and so if traffic is coming from both directions, someone will need to back up. Despite the difficult access, Bowman Lake is a popular, heavily used area.
- Managed by: USFS - Tahoe National Forest
- Where: 7 mi east of Graniteville, CA · 39.45932, -120.6124
- Winter: the road at camp is closed to cars in winter; plan to ride, ski or snowshoe in.
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman Campground | ATV road | at camp | 0.1 mi |
| FR 843-037-09 | ATV road | 0.8 mi | |
| Grouse Ridge Trail | Hiking | 1.1 mi | 10.4 mi |
| Lindsey Lake | Hiking | 1.6 mi | 4.5 mi |
| Bowman Mountain | Horse | 1.7 mi | 4.1 mi |
| Crooked Lakes Trail | Hiking | 1.8 mi | 3.4 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way shows rich detail, horizon to horizon.
Class 2 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 7.4 mi
Water fill-up: 23.4 mi