Topaz Lake Recreation Area

Stopped here after crossing the Sierras from a South Lake Tahoe. The place was absolutely empty at the end of January but this year at least, the temps are really moderate (60's in the day, 40's at night). We had our pick of waterfront sites with great views of the mountains. My guess is this place is pretty packed during the rest of the year.

All in all, we enjoyed our stay here. Topaz Lake is beautiful, and it's a great place to go boating or fishing. There's a large rock outcropping that campers can climb from the park and get a bird's eye view of the lake with the mountains beyond -- very picturesque.

There is a 2-RV dump station (free for campers) that has easy access, and the place is very quiet, at least in the off-season. There were days we were the only people there in April.

We had 3 minor complaints:
1. Partial hookups (water and electric) are $35/night, and boondocking is $25/night. It seems like a steep cost.

2. The sites are shallow. We had to park our towed car to the side at a weird angle to make room for our 32' motorhome.

3. The road the park is on, Topaz Park Road, descends narrowly and steeply from Route 395. Take it very slow, and possibly even downshift to go easy on your brakes. The speed limit is only 25, and we found it hard to stay within that limit.

I'd give this campground 5 star if it weren't for the challenging layout. Thankfully there was no one here on this clear but Chilly first day of October. Stubby sites are meant for pickup campers, trailers less than 20 feet. We made it work for our 23.6 foot trailer after a few tries and frustration.

However there are not showers, a heated clean restroom and free dump station. It might be less lovely on a busy got summer day but right now we welcomed the electric hookup on this 26 degree night.

Registration process for RV sites only happens over the phone with a credit card between 9 and 4:30. Dry site users can use the machine at the kiosk.

Great LTE service by the dump station. At the sites, just weak 3G.

Stayed here one night while heading south. No one around. We were the only ones at the place. Power is still on but water is turned off for the winter. Beautiful location with the sunsetting over the mountains.

There were high winds in the evening and morning. Good location bad dumping and water. 2 way hookups cost $30. Camped here in 32’ class a

I really like the desert mountain scenery here. It is a 2 part campground - one area with just a pull in and no hook ups and the other with larger spots and hook ups. The rest rooms were clean. There is a boat launch.
The water can get too much algae later in the year, so go early. There were lots of people fishing. We did a lot of paddling. You can check out my adventure on youtube. Have fun! Shana/Project Outdoor Life
https://youtu.be/0qoy3nBo87I

We chose to stay in one of the sites with power and water $40 a night. $20 for no power and water. Nice level sites close to the lake. April 1 2022 only 3 sites occupied.
Flush toilets, free showers, nicely maintained. Free dump site.
You can also camp around the lake ( primitive) on shoreline.
I’ll be back with my kayak next time.

There's a pay kiosk as you pull into the campground...pay for your dry camping or hookup spot and then, if you want the really good dry camping (which is closer to boondocking), immediately turn left, south, and drive up a gravel road to the south side of the lake. Keep the boat launch far to your right to find the correct road. There are about four or five really nice spots which you will see along the shore.

The other dry camping is to the right, North, and sits amongst the hookup spots. These pitches are very much like an RV park, side by side--whether you have a hookup or not. But the lake is pretty and if you come when I did there was hardly anybody here. (A Thursday night in late April)

My site quality rating was for the North camping area.

Camped here on my way home from Glacier National Park over the weeks of 9/8-10/2023. It was over the weekend, so I was expecting a full campground. It was. The sites were close together, but neighbors were all very nice and sociable, and respectful of the quiet hours. The dry camping sites all had a great view of the lake. Water is available from a spigots strategically placed between various sites.

My only cause for concern were the number of clueless pet owners. I camp with my dog and have no issues with people camping with their pets. However, the number of dogs that were off leash was truly disappointing. Most of those camping with dogs did not have their dogs on a leash. These pet owners allowed their dogs to run all over the beach, into other campsites, etc. A number of dogs were barking either at each other or their owners for attention throughout the day. I am happy to report that at night the dogs were silent.

If I were to camp here again, I would try to avoid the weekends and hope for less loose doggies!