★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Alpine County
Drive-up · public land · Alpine County, CA · 38.76768, -119.87003
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Good boondocking spot between busy road and whitewater creek, nestled in beautiful mountains south of Lake Tahoe. No cell service. Ample room for multiple vehicles. Crude fire circles. No amenities, and no cell service. Recommended for a short stay if passing through the area.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 6,353 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- GGrocery2 mi
- MMechanic2 mi
- FFuel3 mi
- @Mail7 mi
- WWater11 mi
- LLaundry12 mi
- OOutfitter12 mi
- RxPharmacy12 mi
- HHardware12 mi
- PPropane13 mi
- ShShower13 mi
- DDump13 mi
- +Urgent care14 mi
- AAir-up52 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 2 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
6,353 ft
County
Alpine County, CA
Coordinates
38.76768, -119.87003
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureMerk Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townSorensens · ~1.8 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelFuel · ~3.0 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~13.4 mi
- GroceriesWoodfords Station · ~2.6 mi
- PharmacyCVS Pharmacy · ~12.3 mi
- Hospital / clinicBarton Memorial Hospital · ~12.1 mi
- Hardwareace hardware · ~12.5 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletCrystal Springs Campground · ~1.4 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletKit Carson Campground · ~1.5 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletHope Valley Campground · ~4.1 mi SW · USFS
- RestroomIndian Ck Res Rec Site-Toilt-1 · ~4.7 mi E · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Crystal Springs Campground~1.3 mi
- Kit Carson Campground~1.6 mi
- Scotts Lake Dispersed Camping~3.9 mi
- Hope Valley Campground~4.1 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Alpine County, CA). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Stay limits →Your first dispersed night →How to read this page →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →