Overview

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

Recreation

• 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.
• Loon Lake Chalet rental cabin, reservations required.

Contact Info

Important Notices

• Travel Notice: Starting May 2024 and continuing through September 2024, Ice House Road will be undergoing repairs. There will be traffic delays so plan your camping trip accordingly.

• Bears frequent the area. Keep all foods, soaps, and garbage properly stored.

• Keep family pets on a leash at all times.

• Forest Order No. 19-15-01: Prohibits camping for a combined total of no more than 14 days during a calendar year (January-December), forest-wide. Visitors may book campsites annually but the maximum stay may not exceed a total of 14 days each calendar year (January-December)

• Please Note: One (1) vehicle per single site. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee.

• Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. Call (530) 644-6048 for local information and conditions.

• Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

• Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

• Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov. 

• There is a fee to move from a reserved site to a first come first serve site. Site Transfer Policy 

• Click here for more information on the Eldorado National Forest

Available Activities

• Boating - Boating
• Camping - Camping
• Fishing - Fishing
• Hiking - Hiking
• Horseback Riding - Horseback Riding
• Off Highway Vehicle Trails - Off Highway Vehicle Trails
• Picnicking - Picnicking

Directions

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

Cancellation Policy

<ul> <li>Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.</li> <li>Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation.</li> <li>Cut-Off Window: The latest date and/or time that you can make an advanced reservation or a change to an existing reservation. Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 4 days before your arrival date. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (see Late Cancellation below).</li> <li>Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.</li> <li><strong>Refunds</strong>: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).</li> </ul>

Contact Information

Phone: 530-644-2324

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip