Wheeler Peak Campground

Wheeler Peak Campground is a developed 37-site campground at 9,886 feet, beneath Wheeler Peak. The National Park Service identifies it as the highest-elevation campground in the National Park System. Aspen, spruce, limber pine, a high mountain meadow and Lehman Creek shape the setting. Expect cold nights even in summer.

There is no potable water, hookups, dump station, shower or camp store, so bring drinking water and arrive equipped. Sites have picnic tables, fire rings and grills; vault toilets and trash service are seasonal. Reservations are currently required through Recreation.gov. Neither a vehicle nor its towed unit may exceed 24 feet on the winding Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and campground road. NPS lists some accessible campsites, but confirm individual site details before booking.

The Bristlecone Trail and Alpine Lakes Loop begin just outside the campground entrance. The accessible Sky Island Nature Trail is a shorter 0.4-mile walk. Take time to adjust to the elevation before heading higher into the alpine zone.

A one-way paved road follows the terrain through two loops and parking spurs to 37 sites, spaced about 100 feet apart on average. Lower sites sit along Lehman Creek among aspen and spruce, central sites face an aspen-bordered meadow with Wheeler Peak beyond, and upper sites are among limber pines. Some campsite surfaces are gravel or dirt and can be sloped, so check individual site details if level tent space matters.

The Forest Service built the campground between 1966 and 1971, while the land was part of Humboldt National Forest. Its curving road, parking spurs and separated sites follow campground-planning ideas developed in the 1930s, paired with mid-century Modernist design. The result is a layout shaped around the natural topography rather than a flat grid.