Eldorado National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 1,240 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 55
- Longest rig
- 99 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 55 campgrounds shown
- Airport Flat CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Azalea Cove CampgroundJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Bear Group CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Big Meadows CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Big Silver Group Campground1 sitesJune – September
- Black Oak Group CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Camino Cove CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Caples Lake Campgroundlate June – September · Reservations accepted
- Capps Crossing Group CampgroundReservations accepted
- China Flat CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Dru Barner CampgroundJanuary – December · Reservations accepted
- Fashoda Campground30 sitesJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Gerle Creek Campgroundto 50 ft · 50 sites · Bear boxesJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Harvey West Cabinto 12 ft · 1 sites · Pull-throughOctober
- Hell Hole CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Ice House Campgroundto 45 ft · 90 sites · Pull-throughMay – October · Reservations accepted
- Jones Fork CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Kirkwood CampgroundLate June – September · Reservations accepted
- Lone Rock CampgroundJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Loon Lake Campgroundto 67 ft · 82 sites · Pull-throughlate June – October · First-come, first-served
- Loon Lake Chalet1 sitesReservations accepted
- Loon Lake Group Campgroundlate June – September · Reservations accepted
- Lovers Leap CampgroundJune – October · No
- Middle Fork Cosumnes CampgroundJune – September
- Middle Meadows Group CampgroundJune · Reservations accepted
- Mokelumne CampgroundJune – October · Reservations accepted
- Northshore Campgroundlate June – September · Reservations accepted
- Northwind CampgroundMay – October · First-come, first-served
- Pardoes Point CampgroundJune – October · Reservations accepted
- Pipi Campgroundto 35 ft · 73 sitesMay – October · Reservations accepted
- Pleasant CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Ponderosa Cove Group CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Red Fir Group Campgroundunknown – September · Reservations accepted
- Robbs Hut1 sitesYear round · Reservations accepted
- Sand Flat CampgroundJune – October · Reservations accepted
- Silver Fork CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Silver Lake Campground Eastlate June – October · Reservations accepted
- Silver Lake Campground Westmid June
- Sly Guard Cabinto 45 ft · 1 sites · ElectricYear round · Reservations accepted
- South Fork Group CampgroundFather's Day weekend – October · Reservations accepted
- South Shore Campgroundto 35 ft · 34 sitesJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Strawberry Point CampgroundMay – October · First-come, first-served
- Stumpy Meadows Campgroundto 26 ft · 39 sites · Pull-throughJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Sugar Pine Point CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Sunset CampgroundJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Upper Hole CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Van Vleck Bunkhouse1 sitesReservations accepted
- Wench Creek Campgroundto 35 ft · 102 sitesJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Wench Creek Group CampgroundJune – September · Reservations accepted
- Wentworth Springs CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- West Point Campground23 sites · Pull-throughJune – October · First-come, first-served
- White Azalea CampgroundJune – October · Reservations accepted
- Wolf Creek CampgroundJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Wrights Lake Campgroundto 99 ft · 77 sites · Pull-throughLate June – October · Yes
- Yellowjacket Campgroundto 30 ft · 58 sitesJune – September · First-come, first-served
Eldorado National Forest
Eldorado National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the central Sierra Nevada mountain range, in eastern California.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Mokelumne Wilderness104,395 acres
- Desolation Wilderness64,045 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
Drive to Eldorado the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.