Alpine Meadow Campground sits in the Truckee Valley. It’s also known as Martis Creek Lake Campground.
After spending a night at the North Fork Campground in Emigrant Gap, we visited the Alpine Meadow Campground.
Each campground offers a unique and different experience.
Tucked behind the Truckee Tahoe Airport, the Alpine Meadow Campground is accessed by heading south on N Shore Road, making a left onto Martis Dam Road, and then making a right onto Aline Meadow Camp—where you’ll find the group of campsites in a large loop.
Twenty-four campsites are available and the campground.
The US Army Corps of Engineers beautifully maintains the campground along with the nearby Martis Creek Lake and dam that provide flood protection for the nearby area.
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Setting Up Camp at Alpine Meadow Campground
Before we check-in to campsites at the usual 2 pm, we generally like to get lunch somewhere first. We grabbed some charcuterie and sushi from Safeway and had a nice little picnic at the Truckee River Regional Park before making it to camp.
On our arrival, we were excited to find the campsites were rather large and spacious. Many sites sit distanced from neighbors, which makes for a peaceful experience.
Our specific site #16 was located in the back of the campground and butted against a large field of forested trees and animal trails. Although close to the Truckee Tahoe Airport, we didn’t find the noise of occasional plane landings and takeoffs to be offensive. Some do!
Campsites have picnic tables, food lockers to avoid destruction from bears, campfire rings, grills, lantern posts (with hooks), water spigots with potable water, vault toilets, and parking is paved. The campground is also pet friendly, and our cell service was good with the provider AT&T.
Fighting the Sun While Camping
A drawback to our particular campsite (#16) was only one large tree in the central area, leaving the chained-down picnic table and most of the site unshielded from the summer sun’s heat for much of the day.
Although Truckee is one of the coldest places in the country, on average, the sun at high altitudes is rather intense.
With the one tree and some ingenuity, we used a tarp to cover our picnic table and give some respite from the sun. Note, however, that most of the campsites have plenty of tree coverage offered.
When we returned home, we immediately purchased a 10’x10′ Coleman Light and Fast Instant Canopy for our next camping trip. It was on sale at Target for only $80 at the time, and it’s already priceless. We recently used the canopy while camping at the Hampshire Rocks Campground near Cisco Grove, and it was terrific. Fast to setup and gives us immediate shade when arriving at camp over central picnic tables.
Coleman does not sponsor me, but I’ve been impressed by the canopy for the price.
Fishing at Martis Creek Lake
Only a short walk outside of camp and down a dirt road, you’ll drop into Martis Creek Lake, where catch-and-release trout fishing is allowed (barbless and bait-less fishing only).
I was snubbed on catching any fish, but it was a fun experience fishing at Martis Creek Lake.
There’s a trail that makes a loop around the entire lake, although it can be difficult to get to the water’s edge in some areas due to thick shrubs and bushes. I fished from shore, but there were a few kayakers and small fishing boats launched and trolling the waters.
After we fished for a bit, we headed back to our site #16. We ate foil meals, made coffee with our new portable aluminum kettle, tasted some whiskey, and looked at the stars.
I also had the perfect chance to try out my new Solo Stove Lite that my uncle gave me! It burned hot and was fun to continue loading with sticks and twigs.
At the same time we were camping, a large church group of kids was also camping in a group of sites. During the day, the sounds of kids playing were welcoming and community-friendly, but as soon as it hit 10 pm, lights were immediately out for all campers – and the silence became a bit disconcerting.
As a personal preference and with a rowdy little dog, I prefer camping where there’s some form of white noise as coverage. A river, the ocean, or even road noise all help me to have a better night of sleep.
Making the Final Tally at Alpine Meadow Campground
Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Reno are all close by Alpine Meadow Campground if you’re looking for a central place to set up basecamp and explore from there.
Next time I visit, I might bring a mountain bike to explore the surrounding roads and my camera to capture some wildlife.
There are no showers at this campground.
And another note of warning: if you’re camping in bear country, leave the citronella oil candles at home. They attract bears!
