Ice House

Eldorado National Forest — riverside, hiking

Location: Twin Bridges, CA, CA

Price: From $36 per night

Price range: $36–$108 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (166 reviews)

Season: May through October

Ice House Campground is surrounded by a mixed conifer forest on the shores of Ice House Reservoir. Just 12 miles from Riverton, CA, the campground offers hiking, biking, jet skiing and fishing. Ponderosa pine is a pleasing part of the surrounding region.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): strong signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: T-Mobile. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 100%.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Showers, Dump Station, Boat Launch, Firewood for Sale

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

Ice House Campground sits on the shores of Ice House Reservoir surrounded by mixed conifer forest with well-spaced sites separated by mounds and trees. Google reviewers consistently praise the friendly staff, clean facilities, and excellent recreation opportunities including swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, and biking.

Wildlife alert: Mountain lions present in area. Also osprey, white-headed woodpecker, calliope hummingbird, black-capped goshawk, California striped racer, and northern rubber boa.

Insider tips for Ice House: Book early as this is a popular federal campground Camp hosts at Boulder Loop and boat launch are reported as helpful and friendly All sites feature new bark and wood chips with good spacing and tree separation for privacy

Skip Ice House if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs. You're traveling outside May-October — seasonal operations only. You prefer developed campgrounds — this is a federal campground with vault toilets.

Best time to visit Ice House: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Silver Creek Group Campground (POLLOCK PINES, CA), Fashoda (POLLOCK PINES, CA), Sunset-Union Valley (Twin Bridges, CA), Big Silver Group (POLLOCK PINES, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Ice House

Cell signal at Ice House (Twin Bridges, CA): strong overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

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.

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Eldorado National Forest — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Ice House

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Twin Bridges, CA, CA★ 4.5 (166 reviews)From $36/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Ice House Campground is surrounded by a mixed conifer forest on the shores of Ice House Reservoir. Just 12 miles from Riverton, CA, the campground offers hiking, biking, jet skiing and fishing. Ponderosa pine is a pleasing part of the surrounding region.

Best for:HikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites2 sites
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesShowersFirewood for Sale
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsDump Station

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 — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs✕ You're traveling outside May-October — seasonal operations only✕ You prefer developed campgrounds — this is a federal campground with vault toilets

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Camp hosts at Boulder Loop and boat launch are reported as helpful and friendly

All sites feature new bark and wood chips with good spacing and tree separation for privacy

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 + 5G · 100%
Verizon
4G · 100%
AT&T
4G · 100%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain lions present in area. Also osprey, white-headed woodpecker, calliope hummingbird, black-capped goshawk, California striped racer, and northern rubber boa.

Location

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

From Pollock Pines, CA, take Route 50 east 8.3 miles to the Crystal Basin Recreation Area sign. Turn left at sign onto Icehouse Road and go 10.8 miles to the Ice House Campground directional sign. Turn right at the sign onto Forest Route 32, then go 1.1 miles to an intersection with a campground/boat ramp sign. Continue straight to 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 Ice House cost per night?+
Ice House costs $36–$108 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Ice House open?+
Ice House is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Ice House have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Ice House?+
Ice House can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Ice House?+
Ice House 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 Ice House?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Ice House is rated strong. Best carrier: T-Mobile. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Ice House open, and what are check-in times?+
Ice House is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service ConcessionaireSite Transfer PolicyFacility 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★ 4.5 (166)
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 Ice House cost per night?+
What season is Ice House open?+
Does Ice House have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Silver Creek Group Campground

POLLOCK PINES, CA

From $125/night

Fashoda

POLLOCK PINES, CA

From $36/night

Sunset-Union Valley

Twin Bridges, CA

From $36/night

Big Silver Group

POLLOCK PINES, CA

From $145/night

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