Camping at Fremont Peak State Park
Posted by James Savage, on May 5, 2024.
For our first camping trip of the year, we kicked things off by going to Fremont Peak State Park over Earth Day weekend. This was a new spot for us, and one not too far from home, while still nicely out of the way. Joining us was a small group, with just Nicole camping overnight, while some other friends stop by for lunch. Plenty of clear skies meant great views from the peak, although nighttime temperatures were a little uncomfortable (around 45°F). Overall, the trip was a little underwhelming. I don’t think we found the right hiking trails for a great view, though the view from the campsite itself was still very good.
When: April 19-21, 2024
Campsite №: 11
Elevation: 2,700 ft. (823 meters)
Campground Rating: 3.5/5 ★
Friday
In spite of a busy Friday schedule, we got on the road by a decent time. The drive was just over an hour, with the last half hour spent slowly driving along 12 miles of winding mountain roads. Very scenic, and probably best done during the day. This was also our first camping trip with Myke’s new Rivian, which handled everything perfectly, although it was also nearly as wide as the road in some places. Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic.
We arrived at our campground just as the sun was setting, and our impression was mixed. It appeared overgrown with weeds, lacked much flat ground for tents, and where the ground was flat we found it churned up with animal and insect burrows. We managed to find enough room for the two tents we had, and our big tarp made me worry slightly less about what might be underneath us. Aside from a small area around the fire pit though, it was really hard to get anywhere through all the plants. Even our picnic table had been mostly taken over! We were still in the middle of California’s rainy season, so I’d be curious what the same spot looks like once things dry up and die back.
Nicole arrived shortly after, followed by Harris (who just stopped by for dinner). To keep things simple I went with hot dogs and s’mores. The sun setting really brought out the chilly temperatures, which our fire could barely competing with. Temperature continued to drop through the night, making sleeping difficult. Even with Chelsea, who makes a decent space heater, I found myself wishing we’d brought more blankets.
Saturday
After a rough night’s sleep, temperatures finally started to rise. We took advantage of this, and ignored the sunrise to catch a bit more sleep. Or at least we tried. After taking Chelsea out at 09:00, she was rather insistent that it was now time for breakfast, waking us up a couple more times in protest, until we gave in.
Breakfast for humans was light. I got a new Jetboil kettle last year, which has been great for speeding up coffee in the morning. Myke made scrambled eggs, while I reheated some bacon that I’d cooked off before we left. We hadn’t made many plans for this trip, so we mostly hung out around camp and relaxed. I brought along the socks I’m still working on knitting for Myke, while he worked on a presentation.
Lunch was likewise simple: an easy charcuterie spread which included some cheeses (bought during our trip to Amsterdam in March), whatever crackers I had in the cupboard, and a store-bought veggie tray. Afterwards, we went for a short hike along the “valley view” trail. I had high hopes for the scenery, but the path mostly meandered along well-shaded switchbacks before turning back towards camp. There was supposedly another trail up to the top of the peak, though we didn’t find it. The park also included an observatory, which during the spring and summer hosts talks on astronomy, but only during certain moon phases. Unfortunately, it was too bright while we were there.
After hiking we hung out around the fire pit once more, while getting a start on dinner: pie iron pizzas. As expected, the sunset from this campground was spectacular, with bold red and oranges. From the right angle you could even see all the way out to the ocean.
Day 3: Sunday
After another cold night, we woke up a bit earlier on Sunday. Myke and I had plans to drive up to Tahoe, so we wanted to get home and get turned around fast. We had a quick breakfast of pop-tarts and yogurt and tore down camp. Being so high up, there was quite a bit of dew on everything, so we had to wait until the sun was up to really dry out our equipment first, but otherwise it was a smooth trip. The Rivian had plenty of charge left, and Myke’s newly purchased totes made packing in-and-out a breeze.
Conditions
Friday: 63-46°F, Sunny
Saturday: 66-46°F, Sunny
Sunday: 67-48°F, Sunny
Peak UVI: 9
Sunrise: 06:25
Sunset: 19:43
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous