The area is named for Buck's Meadow 37°48′43″N120°07′07″W / 37.81194°N 120.11861°W / 37.81194; -120.11861 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.[6] 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.
Buck Meadows started as a stage stop called Hamilton's established by Alva Hamilton in the 1870s.[4] A post office operated at Buck Meadows from 1915 to 1925.[4]
The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 15 households, out of which 2 (13.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6 (40.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, none had a female householder with no husband present, 1 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were no unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and no same-sex married couples or partnerships. 8 households (53.3%) were made up of individuals, and 4 (26.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07. There were 7 families (46.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.29.
The population was spread out, with 7 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, none aged 18 to 24, 9 people (29.0%) aged 25 to 44, 8 people (25.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 7 people (22.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.5 years. For every 10 females, there were 21 males. For every 1 female age 18 and over, there were 2 males.
There were 37 housing units at an average density of 21.2 per square mile (8.2/km2), of which 4 (26.7%) were owner-occupied, and 11 (73.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 63.3%. 5 people (16.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 26 people (83.9%) lived in rental housing units.
^ abcdDurham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. ISBN1-884995-14-4.