Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)

Eldorado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Pollock Pines, CA, CA

Price: From $36 per night

Price range: $36–$72 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (53 reviews)

Season: May through October

23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 and 31 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), take the Loon Lake fork. Swimming and Fishing Boat Ramp at Loon Lake Campground Picnic Area (5 sites) at the Loon Lake Boat Ramp Rubicon OHV Trail (summer) Hiking and horseback riding in Desolation Wilderness, permits available in Recreation.gov or the Placerville Ranger Station on Highway 50, Exit 54 in Camino. Day use permits area available at the Loon Lake trailhead in the summer and Placerville R

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing, Boat Launch

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

Well-maintained lakefront campground on Loon Lake with paved road access suitable for all RV types. Highly rated by campers (4.5/5 stars) for cleanliness, helpful hosts, and scenic lake views with excellent sunsets.

Wildlife alert: Humboldt's Flying Squirrel, California Ground Squirrel, Douglas' Squirrel, Green-tailed Towhee, Western Tanager, Mountain Quail, Gopher Snake, Northern Rubber Boa

Insider tips for Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca): Book early as this is a popular federal campground Fully paved road access makes it accessible for any RV type despite lack of hookups Permits for Desolation Wilderness hiking and horseback riding available at Placerville Ranger Station on Highway 50, Exit 54 in Camino

Skip Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) if: You need RV hookups—campground has none. You require year-round camping—seasonal operations May through October only. You want privacy—reviewers note limited tree cover and visible neighboring sites.

Best time to visit Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca): May-October — Official operating season per RIDB data.

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)

Cell signal at Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) (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›Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) — photo 1
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) — photo 2
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) — photo 3
Eldorado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)

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Pollock Pines, CA, CA★ 4.3 (53 reviews)From $36/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 and 31 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), take the Loon Lake fork. Swimming and Fishing Boat Ramp at Loon Lake Campground Picnic Area (5 sites) at the Loon Lake Boat Ramp Rubicon OHV Trail (summer) Hiking and horseback riding in Desolation Wilderness, permits available in Recreation.gov or the Placerville Ranger Station on Highway 50, Exit 54 in Camino. Day use permits area available at the Loon Lake trailhead in the summer and Placerville Ranger Station year‐round.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites1 sites
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

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—campground has none✕ You require year-round camping—seasonal operations May through October only✕ You want privacy—reviewers note limited tree cover and visible neighboring sites

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Fully paved road access makes it accessible for any RV type despite lack of hookups

Permits for Desolation Wilderness hiking and horseback riding available at Placerville Ranger Station on Highway 50, Exit 54 in Camino

Best: May-October

Official operating season per RIDB data

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: Humboldt's Flying Squirrel, California Ground Squirrel, Douglas' Squirrel, Green-tailed Towhee, Western Tanager, Mountain Quail, Gopher Snake, Northern Rubber Boa

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-644-2324· Eldorado National Forest
Getting there →

23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 and 31 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), take the Loon Lake fork.

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 Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) cost per night?+
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) costs $36–$72 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) open?+
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)?+
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)?+
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) 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 Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) open, and what are check-in times?+
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Northshore Brochure & MapSite 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★ 4.3 (53)
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 Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) cost per night?+
What season is Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) open?+
Does Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Red Fir

Twin Bridges, CA

From $125/night

Loon Lake

Twin Bridges, CA

From $36/night

Loon Lake Chalet

CAMINO, CA

From $20/night

Gerle Creek

Pollock Pines, CA

From $36/night

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Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca) — Eldorado | CamperWatch