Loon Lake
Campground · California · 60 bookable sites ·
Managed by the USDA Forest Service
Eldorado National Forest (NF) · Open Access
- 60
- Bookable sites
- 67 ft
- Max rig length
- up to 50
- People per site
- 4
- Accessible sites
- 6,471 ft
- Elevation
Overview
Loon Lake Campground is situated on the south shores of Loon Lake, and attracts many visitors with its variety of campsites and beautiful waterfront setting. Popular activities include boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and exploring off-road vehicle trails.Recreation
Anglers delight in fishing for rainbow and brown trout, while boaters head out for water skiing. Five picnic areas in the campground and a day-use area provide visitors with nice lake views.Facilities
Campsites come with picnic tables, grills, campfire rings and bear-proof food storage lockers. Firewood is sold on-site.Natural Features
The campground sits just west of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (831) 245-6891.Nearby Attractions
The 18-mile Rubicon Jeep Trail begins nearby. An exciting stretch of scenic, un-maintained, rocky road awaits off-road thrill seekers.Charges & Cancellations
- .Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.
- Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation. Customers who cancel a GROUP overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee..
- Cut-Off Window: The latest date and/or time that you can make an advanced reservation or a change to an existing reservation. Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 4 days before your arrival date. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (see Late Cancellation below).
- Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.
- Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).
The facts
- 60 bookable sites
- 82 sites in total, including non-bookable
- 4 accessible sites
- Vehicles up to 67 ft
- Up to 50 people per site
- Loops: Ellis Loop, Equestrian, Fern, Fern Loop, Loop A, Loop B, Shadow Loop, Sites 1-4, Sites 15-25, Sites 46-51
Site types
- 49 Standard Nonelectric
- 22 Management
- 8 Equestrian Nonelectric
- 3 Group Standard Nonelectric
Amenities
- Campfires allowed
- Fire pits
- Picnic tables
- Shade
- Pets allowed
Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups, grills.
82 campsites at Loon Lake
Check-in 2:00 PM · Check-out 1:00 PM
| Site | Loop | Type | Entry | Surface | Max rig | People | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 026 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 54 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 027 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 028 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 59 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 029 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 51 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 030 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 59 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 031 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 54 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 032 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 46 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 033 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 60 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 034 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 67 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 035 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 48 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 036 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 44 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 037 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 46 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 038 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 56 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 039 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 51 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 040 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 60 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 041 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 59 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 042 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 54 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 043 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 45 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 044 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 61 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 045 | Ellis Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 35 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 071 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 072 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 073 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 074 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 075 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 076 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 077 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 078 | Equestrian | Equestrian Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 079 | Equestrian | Management | Pull Through | Paved | 40 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 054 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 055 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 056 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 057 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 058 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 059 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 060 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 061 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 062 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 063 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 064 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 065 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 066 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 067 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 068 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 069 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 070 | Fern | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 052 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 053 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 51 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 054 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 26 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 055 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 49 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 056 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 52 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 057 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 58 ft | 6 | ♿ 🐾 |
| 058 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 059 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 52 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 060 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 40 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 061 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 47 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 062 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 40 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 063 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 32 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 064 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 30 ft | 6 | ♿ 🐾 |
| 065 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 46 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 066 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 53 ft | 6 | ♿ 🐾 |
| 067 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 31 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 068 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 53 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 069 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 52 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 070 | Fern Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 30 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 011 | Loop A | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 012 | Loop A | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 018 | Loop B | Management | Back In | Paved | — | 6 | 🐾 |
| 033 | Loop B | Management | Back In | Paved | 20 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 005 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 48 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 006 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Paved | 50 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 007 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 57 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 008 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 52 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 009 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 60 ft | 12 | 🐾 |
| 010 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 52 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 011 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 012 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 53 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 013 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 45 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| 014 | Shadow Loop | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 60 ft | 6 | 🐾 |
| Equestrian Group | Sites 1-4 | Group Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 55 ft | 25 | 🐾 |
| Rubicon Group | Sites 15-25 | Group Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 20 ft | 50 | 🐾 |
| Chipmunk Group | Sites 46-51 | Group Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Paved | 35 ft | 25 | ♿ 🐾 |
Getting there
Take Highway 50 east of Placerville for 21 miles to Icehouse Road turnoff. Turn left and go 28 miles to a fork. Take the right fork 5 miles to the campground.
38.98333, -120.33000 · 38°58'60.0"N 120°19'48.0"W
Typical weather
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Low °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precip in | 7.1 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 7.1 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 10.8 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
Fees and stay limits
Recreation Fee: Recreation fees are the fees a visitor pays for things like overnight camping, a day-use pavilion, group facilities, a tour or a permit. Recreation fees vary by location and/or activity. Reservation Fee: A fee may be charged at the time a reservation is made to cover the cost of reservation services. This fee is in addition to the Recreation Fee and is non-refundable. Fees for camping, day use, group sites, cabins and lookouts: $8 if made on-line; $9 if made through the call center; $3 if made in-person.
From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.
More photos
Member photos
Common questions about Loon Lake
- Can you reserve a site at Loon Lake?
- Yes, Loon Lake is reservable through Recreation.gov.
- How many campsites does Loon Lake have?
- 82 sites in total, of which 60 can be booked.
- What is the maximum RV length at Loon Lake?
- 67 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
- Are pets allowed at Loon Lake?
- Yes, pets are allowed at Loon Lake.
- Are campfires allowed at Loon Lake?
- Campfires are allowed at Loon Lake. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.
Also listed by
Loon Lake also appears in other federal recreation data. Facts below are matched by name and location, not confirmed by Loon Lake's operator.
USDA Forest Service — data as of Aug 24, 2026
- Fee: $100.00 per night for up to 20 people.
- Expect to pay a reservation and cancellation fee when appropriate.
- No refunds for bad weather unless Ice House Road is not passable.
Restrictions:
- No pets are allowed in the building.
Camping near Loon Lake
- Loon Lake Chalet 0.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (CA) 1.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Red Fir 1.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Gerle Creek 3.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Van Vleck Bunkhouse 3.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
- South Fork Group - Eldorado NF (CA) 4.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Northshore Campground 1.3 mi · Campground
- Wentworth Springs Campground 2 mi · Campground
- Airport Flat Campground 2.7 mi · Campground
- Pleasant Campground 2.9 mi · Campground
- Van Vleck Bunkhouse 3.3 mi · Campground
- South Fork Group Campground 4.6 mi · Campground
Contact
- Phone 530-293-0827
- Email info@royalelkparkmanagement.com
- Book Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-05-02.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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