Loon Lake

Eldorado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Twin Bridges, CA, CA

Price: From $36 per night

Price range: $36–$72 per night

Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (162 reviews)

Season: May through October

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.The 18-mile Rubicon Jeep Trail begins nearby. An exciting stretch of scenic, un-maintained, rocky road awaits off-road thrill seekers.Anglers delight in fishing for rainbow and brown trout, while boaters head out for water s

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Bear Boxes, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

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

Loon Lake Campground sits on the south shores of Loon Lake with a beautiful waterfront setting and variety of campsites. Popular activities include fishing for rainbow and brown trout, boating, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding.

Wildlife alert: Flying squirrels, ground squirrels, mountain quail, gopher snakes, and northern rubber boas are documented in the area.

Insider tips for Loon Lake: Book early as this is a popular federal campground Bring your own water and waste management—no hookups available Equestrian campers note: keep horse trailers under 15-20 feet and vehicles on asphalt only

Skip Loon Lake if: You need RV hookups—only self-contained RVs are suitable. You prefer year-round camping—seasonal operations only May-October.

Best time to visit Loon Lake: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Loon Lake Chalet (CAMINO, CA), Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) (Pollock Pines, CA), Red Fir (Twin Bridges, CA), Gerle Creek (Pollock Pines, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Loon Lake

Cell signal at Loon Lake (Twin Bridges, 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.

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

Loon Lake

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Twin Bridges, CA, CA★ 3.8 (162 reviews)From $36/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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.The 18-mile Rubicon Jeep Trail begins nearby. An exciting stretch of scenic, un-maintained, rocky road awaits off-road thrill seekers.Anglers delight in fishing for rainbow and brown trout, while boaters head out for water skiing.

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 RV67 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites4 sites
Bear boxesYes — at every site
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

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

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—only self-contained RVs are suitable✕ You prefer year-round camping—seasonal operations only May-October

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Bring your own water and waste management

no hookups available

Equestrian campers note: keep horse trailers under 15-20 feet and vehicles on asphalt only

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, mountain quail, gopher snakes, and northern rubber boas are documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-293-0827· Eldorado National Forest
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.

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.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Loon Lake cost per night?+
Loon Lake costs $36–$72 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Loon Lake open?+
Loon Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Loon Lake have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Loon Lake?+
Loon Lake can accommodate RVs up to 67 feet.
How do I make reservations at Loon Lake?+
Loon Lake 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 Loon Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Loon Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Loon Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Loon Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service ConcessionaireFacility Map & BrochureSite Transfer Policy
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★ 3.8 (162)
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 Loon Lake cost per night?+
What season is Loon Lake open?+
Does Loon Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Loon Lake Chalet

CAMINO, CA

From $20/night

Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)

Pollock Pines, CA

From $36/night

Red Fir

Twin Bridges, CA

From $125/night

Gerle Creek

Pollock Pines, CA

From $36/night

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