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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

Featured in: How far ahead do you need to book a campsite near Lake Tahoe?

  1. Home
  2. California
  3. Loon Lake

Camping at Loon Lake

Public campground · 57 campsites · 3 group

A forested campground near trout fishing, and hiking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Loon Lake Campground sits on the south shore of Loon Lake in Eldorado National Forest at about 6,500 feet, just west of the Lake Tahoe region in the Sierra Nevada. The lake-front setting shapes most of the activity here: anglers come for rainbow and brown trout, boaters launch for water skiing and exploring, and swimmers and shoreline picnickers take advantage of five picnic areas plus a separate day-use area with open views of the water.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 162 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 7 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 40 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • No hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Vault toilets
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 57 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 60 sites.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
065
standard nonelectric
––$36
026
standard nonelectric
––$36
042
standard nonelectric
––$36
006
standard nonelectric
––$36
035
standard nonelectric
––$36
052
standard nonelectric
––$36
013
standard nonelectric
––$36
034
standard nonelectric
––$36
040
standard nonelectric
––$36
074
equestrian nonelectric
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Accessible Boat Ramp
  • Campfire Rings
  • Drinking Water
  • Grills
  • Parking Area
  • Pets Allowed
  • Picnic Area
  • Pit Toilets
  • Vault Toilets
  • Water Spigot
Check-in
2:00 PM
Checkout
1:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)

Hookups (individual campsites): 57 no-hookup individual sites · group sites listed separately (3 no-hookup).

Location

ELDORADO
Open in Google Maps ↗

Loon Lake: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Loon Lake?
Longest RV site listed: 35 ft (39 of 55 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Loon Lake have RV hookups?
57 no-hookup individual sites · group sites listed separately (3 no-hookup) (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Loon Lake?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Loon Lake?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 35 ft (39 of 55 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 57 no-hookup individual sites · group sites listed separately (3 no-hookup)
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 9 pull-through, 55 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 65 paved site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 0 (61 reports), AT&T 0 (47 reports), T-Mobile 0 (22 reports)
Water
Listing Drinking water listed
Shade
Listing 1 of 65 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $30/night (live price once you pick dates)
Getting there
Listing ELDORADO (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite · Stay limits
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (162 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.

“We experienced good weather, good fishing all in a beautiful campground.”

Barry F 5 · Aug 2024 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

No sites offered for these dates

Middle Meadows

8.7 mi from Loon Lake (straight-line)
Tent sites · RV sites
Recreation.gov isn't offering sites Nov 13–15
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
Check with Recreation.gov

French Meadows

10.3 mi from Loon Lake (straight-line) 4.0 · 124 Recreation.gov reviews
Tent sites · RV sites
Check with Recreation.gov
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
No sites offered for these dates

Lewis

11.3 mi from Loon Lake (straight-line) 4.0 · 51 Recreation.gov reviews
Tent sites · RV sites
Recreation.gov isn't offering sites Nov 13–15
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

  • Meeks Bay Resort11.7 mi · Tahoma
  • William Kent Campground14.3 mi · Tahoe City
  • Fallen Leaf Campground15.7 mi · South Lake Tahoe
  • Spooner Lake State Park25.5 mi · Carson City
  • Village Camp Truckee25.9 mi · Truckee
  • Camp Nauvoo29.2 mi · Placerville

Explore nearby

  • RV rentals in California
  • Glamping in California

Guides for this trip

  • Camping at Yosemite National Park
  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
–
$36
054
standard nonelectric
––$36
043
standard nonelectric
––$36
070
standard nonelectric
––$36
063
standard nonelectric
––$36
061
standard nonelectric
––$36
057
standard nonelectric
––$36
008
standard nonelectric
––$36
044
standard nonelectric
––$36
005
standard nonelectric
––$36
077
equestrian nonelectric
––$36
010
standard nonelectric
––$36
064
standard nonelectric
––$36
053
standard nonelectric
––$36
029
standard nonelectric
––$36
055
standard nonelectric
––$36
068
standard nonelectric
––$36
031
standard nonelectric
––$36
030
standard nonelectric
––$36
069
standard nonelectric
––$36
012
standard nonelectric
––$36
039
standard nonelectric
––$36
078
equestrian nonelectric
––$36
038
standard nonelectric
––$36
058
standard nonelectric
––$36
014
standard nonelectric
––$36
037
standard nonelectric
––$36
073
equestrian nonelectric
––$36
059
standard nonelectric
––$36
011
standard nonelectric
––$36
028
standard nonelectric
––$36

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
    • Campfire night: firewood is sold at the gatehouse (per the listing).
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–4 hr · from $100/person
    • Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–3 hr · from $116/person
  3. Day 3 · One more stop, then head home

    • Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 49 sites take tents. See open sites ↑

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 40 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

CLEAN R-POD aka "FROG POD"**Solar Powered**Easy to USE**We Deliver to You**
CLEAN R-POD aka "FROG POD"**Solar Powered**Easy to USE**We Deliver to You**

Travel trailer · 23 ft · sleeps 5 · 18 mi from campground

$140/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
2022 Springdale 251bh
2022 Springdale 251bh

Travel trailer · 25 ft · sleeps 8 · 29 mi from campground

$180/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
Entegra Ethos Coach, Your Luxury Adventure Rental!
Entegra Ethos Coach, Your Luxury Adventure Rental!

Camper van · 20 ft · sleeps 2 · 86 mi from campground

$189/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Loon Lake

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise
Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–3 hr · from $116/person

Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours
Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–4 hr · from $100/person

Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Scenic Snowshoe Adventure in South Lake Tahoe, CA
Scenic Snowshoe Adventure in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr · from $110/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season May 28–Sep 5: per night
  • Off-peak Sep 6–Oct 10: per night
Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Loon Lake

For July weekends, book about 179 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 149 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May68 days ahead115 days ahead——
June150 days ahead172 days ahead98 days ahead159 days ahead
July149 days ahead179 days ahead94 days ahead176 days ahead
August122 days ahead173 days ahead79 days ahead177 days ahead
September121 days ahead181 days ahead54 days ahead151 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (10,964 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Clear Kayak Tour of Sand Harbor's Crystal Clear Waters
Clear Kayak Tour of Sand Harbor's Crystal Clear Waters

Lake Tahoe area · 2.5 hr · from $150/person

Lake Tahoe Evening Dinner Cruise
Lake Tahoe Evening Dinner Cruise

Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $170/person

Private Yacht-Class Boat Tour on Lake Tahoe
Private Yacht-Class Boat Tour on Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr · from $642/person

Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 10 min–12 min · from $139/person

Yosemite Grand Adventure - day tour from S. Lake Tahoe
Yosemite Grand Adventure - day tour from S. Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 14 hr · from $270/person

Compare site types

57 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7 · 3 group sites listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites (tent or RV)

Tent, van or small RV, no power

49 sites · $36, $72/night

Loops: Ellis Loop (20), Fern Loop (19), Shadow Loop (10)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Equestrian nonelectric

8 sites · $36/night

Loops: Equestrian loop (8)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Group standard nonelectric (group)

3 sites · $130, $160/night

Loops: Sites 1-4 loop (1), Sites 15-25 loop (1), Sites 46-51 loop (1)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15