$38
Big Cove
Total sites: 15
Available Today: 11 FF*
Available this Weekend: 1 FF*
Booking Window: 6 months
Available Today: 11 FF*
Available this Weekend: 1 FF*
Booking Window: 6 months
5,627 ft
80°F
53°F
53°F
no signal
Plumas National Forest › Beckwourth Ranger District › California
› Plumas County
› Chilcoot-Vinton
› Big Cove Campground
Big Cove Campground, CA - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map
Big Cove Campground is located in the Beckwourth Ranger District, Plumas National Forest (47 min northwest of Reno, NV) with an elevation of 5,627 feet. There are a total of 15 campsites. The campground is normally open from the end of May to the beginning of September. Sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 36 and 99 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Fees range from $38.00 to $71.00. Some amenities include shower, swimming, flush toilets. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, floating sports.
Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)
Campsite Reviews (38)
3.7 out of 5
| 5 star | 42% | |
| 4 star | 16% | |
| 3 star | 18% | |
| 2 star | 11% | |
| 1 star | 11% |
@PeterB9363957 · Camped on Jul 17, 2025 at Campsite #9
There was no shade but that was more my fault for not doing better research. The host was great an she helped us out the best she could. Big cove is a beautiful spot. we had fun regardless an will definitely be back in the future.
@MarkW2201412 · Camped on Jul 13, 2025
The campground has been largely free of litter. The sites are well spaced apart. The roadway through the campsites gets quite narrow in a few places, especially for longer rigs. The camp host is very helpful.Unfortunately, the faucets in the restrooms were non-functional and one restroom was out of order completely. For the amount they are charging for camping, maintenance issues like these are unacceptable.
@KathleenJ2321C · Camped on Jul 6, 2025
Great site and the lake was beautiful. A few of the other campers were not respectful of the quiet time. It would be great if they could fix the coin op shower set-up, the camp host isnt always available to pay/unlock the showers or buy campfire wood.
@GaryF7333860 · Camped on Jun 2, 2025 at Campsite #30
Great location, great campground host. One negative, they need to bring in a plumber to fix the sinks and open the other bathroom.
@RobinL3D37B171 · Camped on Aug 8, 2024 at Campsite #28
This is a fun place to camp.
@DustinC7739352 · Camped on Aug 4, 2024 at Campsite #34
Overall, decent campground, although it's difficult to plan with only some of the sites being reservable and zero cell service to make changes.
@MarieB7186093 · Camped on Jul 29, 2024 at Campsite #28
Nice campsite. There were no showers available until our last day there. They charge $4 per person to shower. The coin machine was broken. Nice shower when it was available.Also beware its meat bee season.
@DavidK6336379 · Camped on Jul 15, 2024 at Campsite #20
Overall the experience was good. Campsite was clean and we really liked our camp host Rita. She was very knowledgeable about the campground. The only inconvenience was the sink not working at the restroom closest to our campsite #20 but there was a bottle of hand soap available at the water bucket station outside of the restroom. We will definitely go back to Big Cove Campground!!
@DiannJ4065250 · Camped on Jul 4, 2024
Wasnt my favorite site here, but it got us out of town for the 4th, so that was great. I noticed this time that a large group of people set up a long line of shade tents on the beach and left them there for a couple days, which really limited access to the beach for other people, as it was directly beyond the walking path to the lake. It would be better if everyone could come and stake their own individual place out at the water for the day only.
@TammyM2556551 · Camped on Aug 18, 2023 at Campsite #12
Clean bathrooms, clean site! Overall a wonderful time!
@ValezkaLFBB88C · Camped on Jul 21, 2023
Restrooms are not as clean as they used to be. Dont leave your things at the beach, I have en seen it done many times, and of course the first time we decided to do it our paddle board got stolen.
@JonathanG61769 · Camped on Jun 8, 2023 at Campsite #30
One of our favorite places to camp. Rita the new camp host was amazing she keeps a tight ship. When we arrived our site had recently been raked around the fire pit and picnic table area clean of all needles pinecones and debris. Which was just a nice added touch. She stopped by periodically just to make sure everything was going well and to offer up her services if needed. Restrooms were well stocked with hand soap and toilet paper they were as clean as I have ever seen them. We are planning on making a couple of more trips out there to utilize one of the many first come first serve spots.
@DeniseS8638623 · Camped on Sep 2, 2022
Great host. Would like to see coin machine working in the showers and host should sell wood.
@OmarR6771183 · Camped on Aug 12, 2022
Everything was good, bathrooms and showers were nice and clean. We had a great time
@SummerB3979322 · Camped on Aug 5, 2022 at Campsite #37
New camp hosts are not friendly. I have camped here for years and was very disappointed in the camp host this year. I may not come back. The over flow parking for this campground was chaotic and no maintained. The dump station is $15 on top of their increased nightly rate.
@BrittanyW81539 · Camped on Jul 14, 2022 at Campsite #28
It was a beautiful location. We booked this site as a midway point in our trip home from the Redwoods and were pleasantly suprised at the beautiful lake tucked in the middle of nowhere Nevada. The reason we give only 2 stars is that the campsite did not enforce quiet hours at all. Unfortunately we were in between two large groups that partied well past midnight and then someone else turned their generators on at 6:00 AM. We did not appreciate being kept awake half the night - especially since we had young children.
@AmyG5673785 · Camped on Jun 17, 2022 at Campsite #11
Site 11 is closed off due to burn damage. We were moved to another double site which was so much better! Camp host was great and bathrooms were clean.
@AmyG5673785 · Camped on Jun 17, 2022 at Campsite #12
We had a wonderful time camping for Father's day weekend. The weather was crazy- hail and wind and some very cold nights! Lots of people ditched their reservations due to weather so the campground was pleasantly half empty and everyone around was having a good time. There is scarring from the Dixie fire through the campground and some sites are closed due to burn damaged areas. Bathrooms were super clean and the camp host was very sweet. We will be back again!
@DebraB3515095 · Camped on Jun 15, 2022 at Campsite #9
Great camp hosts, very clean restrooms. Disappointed to find out the showers were out of order, other than that we had a great time.
@RebeccaB760095 · Camped on Jun 27, 2021
We loved Big Cove!!!
@RebeccaB614 · Camped on Jun 27, 2021
We loved Big Cove!!!
@MatthewR956812 · Camped on Jun 24, 2021 at Campsite #30
Awesome campground with the best camp host I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
@MatthewR890 · Camped on Jun 24, 2021 at Campsite #30
Awesome campground with the best camp host I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
@JohnM582 · Camped on Jun 7, 2021
Camped at Big Cove. The campgrounds was nice, no problems there. The lake is now under new management. They are charging $10 a day to park at the fishing access points. It is call a day use fee. No discount for seniors. Campers still have to pay the day use fee. I have never been to a place where you have to pay to camp and pay the day use fee. We were there for 4 days. Would have cost us $40 to fish. We decided it was easier to park on the side of the road and walk to the lake. Will never camp at Frenchman Lake again.
@JohnM1144946 · Camped on Jun 7, 2021
Camped at Big Cove. The campgrounds was nice, no problems there. The lake is now under new management. They are charging $10 a day to park at the fishing access points. It is call a day use fee. No discount for seniors. Campers still have to pay the day use fee. I have never been to a place where you have to pay to camp and pay the day use fee. We were there for 4 days. Would have cost us $40 to fish. We decided it was easier to park on the side of the road and walk to the lake. Will never camp at Frenchman Lake again.
Other Campgrounds Nearby
We track all the sites so you don't have to.
Reservation Systems
Campsites Tracking
Campsite Reviews
Available Tonight
Available this Weekend
Cancellations Today
PRO $2.50/month
You're in Control. We never save credit card information or auto-renew subscriptions.
- Availability Map Search
- 3000+ Interactive Campground Maps
- Campground Virtual Tours
- Save Your Favorite Campsites
- Favorite Campsites Availability
- Campground Mobile Speed Test Maps
- National Parks, Forests & Ranger District Layers
- Wildfires & Air Quality Map Layer
- Satellite View Map Layer
- Campsite SMS Cancellation Alerts
- Rent your Property & Cabins
- Love's & Super Walmart Map Layers
- Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro Shop Map Layers
- Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) Layer
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Map Layer
- RV Propane, Parking, Dump, Water Map Layer
Pro is FREE for 7 days. (No credit card information required!)
Thanks to all our Supporting Members
@ChazInSoCal - CA
I just used PerfectCamp.com to book six consecutive August nights at the most popular campsite in one of the most popular campgrounds in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. That is not anything I could have accomplished anywhere else with the ease I did here! Thank you, PerfectCamp! I LOVE this site! You will find me on several other camping sites but the design, format, functionality, and personality of this the best. It’s fresh and clean.
@Wondering - Oregon
Wow! Woke up this morning to a notification that a favorite had opened at Paulina, and when I went to check, it was there. This membership just paid for itself in the first 24 hours I owned it. Couldn't take the site it conflicted with a trip already set, but it truly was there. Thanks Tons.
map icon in the lower right corner.
Map Settings
Reset
 Satellite |
 Wildfires |
 National Forests |
 National Parks |
 Air Quality |
 BLM |
 OHV MVUM |
 Love's |
|
Dump Stations
|
Water
|
Propane
|
RV Parking
|
 Super Walmart |
 Cracker Barrel |
 Bass Pro Shops |
| Price*: |
| Length: |
| Amps: |
| Elev: | feet |
| Temp: | °F |
| Down: |
| Up: |
*Earn our Leave No Trace badge to see our free camping sites.
🎉 Earn +5 marshmallows for adding your first favorite.
Use your earned marshmallows to enter our monthly giveaways or to get a Pro Subscription.
Show your commitment in keeping our forests healthy and protecting our public lands by earning the Leave No Trace badge.