Gerle Creek

Eldorado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Pollock Pines, CA, CA

Price: From $36 per night

Price range: $36–$72 per night

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (174 reviews)

Season: May through October

Gerle Creek Campground is nestled on the banks of the Gerle Creek Fork among a lush forest of hardwoods. The area provides lots of opportunity for fishing and water play. Hiking and biking are also popular.Gerle Creek Campground sits at an elevation of 5,300 feet, upstream of Gerle Creek Divide Reservoir.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/gerle-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Gerle Creek Campground is nestled on the banks of Gerle Creek Fork in a lush hardwood forest with excellent opportunities for fishing (brown and rainbow trout), swimming, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and biking. The campground features an accessible fishing dock and fully accessible interpretive trail with scenic views, earning a 4.7/5 rating from 90 Google reviews with campers praising the clean sites, helpful hosts, and beautiful setting.

Wildlife alert: Flying squirrels, ground squirrels, Douglas' squirrels, Western tanagers, American robins, Nashville warblers, common nighthawks, western rattlesnakes (crotale de l'Ouest), and Northern rubber boas present in area.

Insider tips for Gerle Creek: Book early—this is a popular federal campground that fills up quickly. Bring your own water and sewage setup; there are no hookups and the campground is suitable for self-contained RVs only. Firewood is available for purchase on-site; fire rings provided at sites. The Gerle Creek Interpretive Trail is fully accessible with ADA sections.

Skip Gerle Creek if: You need RV hookups (water, electric, sewer) — none available at most sites.. You require year-round camping — seasonal operations only May through October.. You prefer larger developed facilities — this is a 50-site federal campground with vault toilets only..

Best time to visit Gerle Creek: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only..

Nearby campgrounds: South Fork Group - Eldorado Nf (Ca) (POLLOCK PINES, CA), Loon Lake (Twin Bridges, CA), Robbs Hut (CAMINO, CA), Loon Lake Chalet (CAMINO, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Gerle Creek

Cell signal at Gerle Creek (Pollock Pines, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Gerle Creek
Gerle Creek — photo 1
Gerle Creek — photo 2
Gerle Creek — photo 3
See all photos
Eldorado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Gerle Creek

Share:
Pollock Pines, CA, CA★ 4.8 (174 reviews)From $36/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Gerle Creek Campground is nestled on the banks of the Gerle Creek Fork among a lush forest of hardwoods. The area provides lots of opportunity for fishing and water play. Hiking and biking are also popular.Gerle Creek Campground sits at an elevation of 5,300 feet, upstream of Gerle Creek Divide Reservoir.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV50 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites24 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesFirewood for Sale
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups (water, electric, sewer) — none available at most sites.✕ You require year-round camping — seasonal operations only May through October.✕ You prefer larger developed facilities — this is a 50-site federal campground with vault toilets only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground that fills up quickly.

Bring your own water and sewage setup; there are no hookups and the campground is suitable for self-contained RVs only.

Firewood is available for purchase on-site; fire rings provided at sites.

The Gerle Creek Interpretive Trail is fully accessible with ADA sections.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Flying squirrels, ground squirrels, Douglas' squirrels, Western tanagers, American robins, Nashville warblers, common nighthawks, western rattlesnakes (crotale de l'Ouest), and Northern rubber boas present in area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
831-245-6891· Eldorado National Forest
Getting there →

From Placerville, drive 21 miles east on Highway 50 to the Icehouse Road turnoff. Turn left and go 28 miles north. Take the left fork 3 miles to the campground.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Eldorado National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Eldorado National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Gerle Creek cost per night?+
Gerle Creek costs $36–$72 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Gerle Creek open?+
Gerle Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Gerle Creek have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Gerle Creek?+
Gerle Creek can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet.
How do I make reservations at Gerle Creek?+
Gerle Creek is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Gerle Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Gerle Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Gerle Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Gerle Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service ConcessionaireSite Transfer PolicyGerle Creek Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$36 /night★ 4.8 (174)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Gerle Creek cost per night?+
What season is Gerle Creek open?+
Does Gerle Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

South Fork Group - Eldorado Nf (Ca)

POLLOCK PINES, CA

From $100/night

Loon Lake

Twin Bridges, CA

From $36/night

Robbs Hut

CAMINO, CA

From $65/night

Loon Lake Chalet

CAMINO, CA

From $20/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$36–72 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability