Buck Meadows

Buck Meadows (formerly Hamilton's and Hamilton's Station) is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California, United States. It is located 2 miles (3 km) east-northeast of Smith Peak, at an elevation of 3,015 feet (919 m). The population was 21 at the 2020 census. Buck Meadows lies just south of the Tuolumne County line. It is on State Route 120, 11 miles (18 km) east of Groveland. The ZIP Code for this community is shared with Groveland (95321), and wired telephones work out of Groveland's telephone exchange with numbers following the format (209) 962-xxxx. The official U.S. Geological Survey coordinates for the community are 37°48′46″N 120°03′52″W. The area is named for Buck's Meadow 37°48′43″N 120°07′07″W which lies at the corner of SR120 and Smith Station Road. According to The Big Oak Flat Road, a variant name for the area was Hamilton's Station. This may have referred to the name of a stagecoach stop. 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of U.S.F.S. Buck Meadows Fire Station, "Rim of the World" overlooks the canyon containing the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. Further east, visitors on hot summer days can cool off at a Stanislaus National Forest picnic area called "Rainbow Pool". The area is on the south side of SR120 2.25 miles east of U.S.F.S. Buck Meadows Fire Station. This community is home to Lucky Buck Restaurant on SR120. Southwest of town, the U.S. Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest fire lookout at Smith Peak overlooks the area. A U.S.F.S. campground and fire station are also present in the community. The Pines campground is located at 37°49′05″N 120°05′36″W.