Availability
Unnamed mapped stream or river and Wheeler Lake are mapped at or near the camp-area marker. This is map evidence, not a real-time flow report.
Backpacking camp
Upper Sandy Meadow Backcountry Area camp area
Mokelumne Wilderness / Carson Pass, California
About this place
This route reference lies at the mapped interior end of Sandy Meadow Trail 19E53 and represents legal dispersed-camping terrain, not a constructed campsite.
Use durable ground outside meadow, water, and trail setbacks; carry the Sandy Meadow permit entry and verify seasonal road, water, and fire conditions.
Water planning
Water at this camp
Natural water at or near this camp areaDrinking safety
Natural water is not verified potable. Filter and disinfect it or boil it according to the linked land-manager guidance before drinking.
Seasonality
Unnamed mapped stream or river is classified as perennial in USGS hydrography, but current flow still must be confirmed. Wheeler Lake is a mapped waterbody; USGS does not classify it here as seasonal or year-round. Confirm current level, access, and quality.
- Unnamed mapped stream or riverRiver or stream · at the camp areaMapped perennial source — verify current flow · Treat before drinkingOfficial source
- Wheeler LakeLake or pond · at the camp areaMapped waterbody — level and access can change · Treat before drinkingOfficial source
Fire planning
Campfire & stove rules
Permit + current order requiredCampfires
Upper Sandy Meadow Backcountry Area is an undeveloped backcountry camp area in Mokelumne Wilderness / Carson Pass. A California Campfire Permit is required for a portable stove or any otherwise-legal fire in Mokelumne Wilderness / Carson Pass. Use a gas, jellied-petroleum, or pressurized-liquid-fuel stove with a working shutoff valve; wood, charcoal, twig stoves, and campfires are allowed only where the current forest order and destination-specific elevation or named-area rules expressly allow them. Never treat an old ring as proof that a fire is legal, and do not build a new ring where fires are prohibited.
Backpacking stoves
Shutoff-valve gas or pressurized-fuel stove with permit. Use a gas, LPG, jellied-petroleum, or pressurized-liquid-fuel stove with a working shutoff valve. Twig and wood-burning stoves follow the campfire rule and are prohibited anywhere wood fires are prohibited.
Permit
Carry a valid California Campfire Permit for a portable stove or any otherwise-legal fire; the permit never overrides a forest closure, fire-danger order, elevation limit, or named-area prohibition.
Current restrictions
Check USDA Forest Service's current alerts and the selected trailhead posting before departure. The standing rule shown here remains subordinate to a newer emergency order.
Seasonal access
Closures & seasonal access
Carson Pass and Mokelumne Wilderness remain winter backcountry when snow closes or restricts Highway 88 spurs and high trailheadsPlace closure
No recurring date-based closure of Upper Sandy Meadow Backcountry Area is published. The source-connected approach conditions below and temporary emergency orders still control access.
Seasonal access
Source-connected approaches: Underwood Valley Trailhead, Sandy Meadow Trailhead. Carson Pass and Mokelumne Wilderness remain winter backcountry when snow closes or restricts Highway 88 spurs and high trailheads. Opening dates vary with snow, storms, and road work.
Before driving
Check Eldorado National Forest alerts, Caltrans controls, and the selected trailhead road and parking rules before departure.
Mapped approaches
Choose a trailhead for Upper Sandy Meadow Backcountry Area camp area
Each option has a sourced trail route to this camp area. Choose one to open its itinerary builder with this destination in context.
- Sandy Meadow Trailhead4.1 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- Underwood Valley Trailhead6.0 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 38.516650° N
- Longitude
- 119.981102° W