Ice House

Eldorado National Forest

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. The trees fill the air with a vanilla aroma and it's the tallest known pine tree in the country. To date, the tallest Ponderosa measured was an impressive 268.35 feet tall.

Amenities include a picnic area, drinking water faucets, vault toilets, showers, and a dump station. Firewood is sold on-site and a nearby resort offers a restaurant, gas and limited groceries.


The facility was newly renovated in 2022.

Need to Know

• 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. Food must be stored in approved containers

• No electric/water/sewer hookups at this facility

• 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 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 and collected at the campground.

• 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.

• First Come First Serve sites remain listed as FF for the entire season. They will not show occupied/available as the status of these sites is ever changing. You must be on site at the campground to claim a FF site. No guarantees upon arrival that these FF sites will be avaiable.

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

• Click here for more information on the Eldorado National Forest

Natural Features

Some campsites at Ice House are right on the shoreline while others are set back just enough for plenty of shade from towering ponderosa pines, cedars and Manzanita bushes. The reservoir spans 700 acres at 5,500 feet elevation.

The area is part of the Eldorado National Forest, which stretches across the famed gold mining territory of the 1800s. Its climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

Nearby Attractions

Head to Bassi Falls, which can be reached via a 1.2-mile hiking trail. The glorious waterfall cascades over a 109-foot granite cliff.

Recreation

Enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating on Ice House Reservoir. Rainbow, brown, and trout swim in these waters. A boat ramp is located on-site.



Hike or bike on the Ice House Mountain Bike Trail, which stretches for 3.1 miles along ridge tops and shaded northern slopes. The trail boasts views of the reservoir and the Crystal Range.

Changes & Cancellations

• Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.
• Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation.
• 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).
• Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.
• 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).

Contact Information

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ELDORADO CA

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 831-245-6891

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

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.

Available Campsites

• Site 002, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 013, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 057, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 065, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 072, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 079, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 050, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 038, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 041, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 014, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 068, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 042, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 036, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 010, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 039, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 040, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 005, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 055, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 074, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 077, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 046, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 059, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 076, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 070, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 073, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 063, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 029, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 019, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 044, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 056, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 045, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 032, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 075, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 049, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 066, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 043, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 051, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 009, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 061, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 045, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 022, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 071, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 027, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 015, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 053, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 028, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 044, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 011, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 024, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 023, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 064, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 047, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 018, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 026, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 052, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 078, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 033, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 039, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 080, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 054, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 012, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 021, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 041, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 016, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 034, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 058, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 030, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 069, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 062, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 003, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 048, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 004, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 031, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Walk To
• Site 017, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 037, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 008, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 025, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 060, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 006, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 042, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 046, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 081, Loop Boat Ramp, Type Rv Nonelectric
• Site 040, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 035, Loop Boulder Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 020, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 007, Loop Meadow Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 047, Loop Upper Loop, Type Standard Nonelectric

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