Closed early in 2020 Meadow Lake Campground is located 35 miles north of New Castle via the Buford-New Castle Road (County/Forest Road 245). The campground offers 10 campsites, all of which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. These campsites are suitable for tent camping and small trailers, with parking spurs of up to 16 feet in length. Facilities at the campground include picnic tables, fire grates, trash disposal, secure food storage, and a vault toilet. The campground includes several handicap accessible sites. This is a fee use area. Meadow Lake Campground is located just north of Meadow Lake. The campground is also a short distance from the Meadow Lake Picnic Area. The Picnic Area includes picnic tables, fire rings, a dock, boat launch, and restroom. The day use fee for the Picnic Area is waived for campground guests. Meadow Lake itself is located in a popular area for fishing, hunting, and OHV riding. The campground also provides an easy staging area for accessing numerous non-motorized trails in the southwest Flat Tops. Typical open season dates are May 28 to October 25.
From New Castle, travel north on the Buford-New Castle Road (County Road 245), starting from the northwest edge of town. Follow this road north for 28 miles to Hiner Spring; along the way, you will pass the White River National Forest boundary and the West Elk Trailhead parking lot. At Hiner Spring, turn right onto Forest Road 601 and proceed for 3.5 miles to Forest Road 823. Turn right onto Forest Road 823 and follow the road for two miles. Turn right to stay on Forest Road 823, and continue for another 0.3 miles to the campground entrance.
I find myself here often. Great place to just kill an afternoon with some friends and food, or just a little music and your thoughts. Great drive and scenery.
It was really nice. Had a great time there. Looking forward to seeing more of it in the future.