Camp Observer1 of 3 photos
Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (CA)
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.
Facilities
Nearby Attractions
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (831) 245-6891.Charges & 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).
Camp site features
Across 24 camp sites:
- Fire pit: all 24 sites
- Pets allowed: 21 of 24 sites
- ADA accessible: 1 of 24 sites
- Largest party: 12 people
- Equipment: RV, Tent, Trailer
Fees
* Recreation Fee: Recreation fees are the fees a visitor pays for things like overnight camping, a day-use pavilion, group facilities, a tour or a permit. Recreation fees vary by location and/or activity.
* Reservation Fee: A fee may be charged at the time a reservation is made to cover the cost of reservation services. This fee is in addition to the Recreation Fee and is non-refundable. Fees for camping, day use, group sites, cabins and lookouts: $8 if made on-line; $9 if made through the call center; $3 if made in-person.
Directions
23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 and 31 miles north on Ice House
Road (Forest Road 3), take the Loon Lake fork.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (58)
5 stars
35
4 stars
11
3 stars
7
2 stars
4
1 stars
1
Oksana G
Loop:Loop 1
Site:5
Reviewed 3 days ago
Loved staying here and would come back. Our host John was great. Very friendly and accommodating. The campsite was clean and ready for us. Bathrooms were very clean as well. There's no shower, just an fyi.
We stayed at Loop 1, site 5. It was the closest one to the road. It was not an issue, since we were there Monday and Tuesday night, so there was barely any traffic. Just a few Rubicon jeeps going by here and there. But, if you stay there during one of the Rubicon events, might get more noisy, from what I was told.
Site 5 is not only closest to the road, but also to the woods. Bears live there and we could here them grunting in the evening. It was more cool than scary (my son thought so. I stayed awake half the night lol). Just make sure to secure your food properly in a special food storage locker, and never have any food inside your tent.
The lake is gorgeous. Water was a bit too cold for my taste but I still got in and it was great. There are lots of rocks in the water, so may not be ideal for very young kids, however I did not explore every access to the lake.
Overall - incredible experience. Serenity, beautiful nature, very peaceful camp (most people stay very quiet and respectful), so you can hear all the nature sounds - a perfect place to unplug and reset. We'll be back:)
Celeste P
Loop:Loop 2
Site:21
Reviewed 4 days ago
I love this campground, we have visited twice and each experience was delightful. We stayed in 21, it’s near the restrooms and had lots of space! Restrooms were clean as well. 9/10 overall
Bronwynn H
Loop:Loop 2
Site:15
Reviewed 14 days ago
Camp host were wonderful. The bathrooms are the best smelling and clean.
Meredith D
Loop:Loop 2
Site:22
Reviewed 15 days ago
Beautiful campground. The bathrooms are kept remarkably clean.
Sabrina L
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed a month ago
Campground was clean, we stayed at site 11 and it backed up to the lake for a beautiful view. Dog friendly!
Diane G
Loop:Loop 2
Site:16
Reviewed 7 months ago
Very nice location on the shore of Loon Lake. Off grid, quiet, peaceful. At one of the entries to the Rubicon Trail.
Met a lot of nice people.
No cell service, no WiFi. The spots are on the expensive side. No hookups, though there are water spigots, clean pit toilets, accessible.
RV and tent camping.
RV'ers, please do not dump your gray water in your spot before departure. It is a violation and it's just plain bad manners.
Pete C
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed 10 months ago
Nice, small campground with excellent lake views and access as well as easy access to the Rubicon.
SR J
Loop:Loop 1
Site:8
Reviewed a year ago
Enjoyed our stay very much. Campground Host Mike was wonderful.
Christina G
Loop:Loop 2
Site:21
Reviewed a year ago
Amazing campground! Site is about 30 ft from the lot. Close to lake access. If you have issues with road noise, might not be for you as the rubicon trail brings a lot of vehicles out past the site. Will be back!
Stephen C
Loop:Loop 1
Site:13
Reviewed a year ago
I loved the location. I loved the host and the condition of thr pit toilet. I was at a group campsite and would never have stay at then again. As there was a group campsite near us too whose group did not abide by the silence at 10 pm rule and although did not play music. Made lots of noise. One night until 3.30 am
Michael K
Loop:Loop 2
Site:21
Reviewed a year ago
Do not make a reservation on the week of arrivals for the Rubicon Jeep event. Way too many vehicles kicking up way too much dust on campsites near the road. Beware of very windy conditions on the lake when kayaking. Fishing is poor.
Philip W
Loop:Loop 1
Site:10
Reviewed a year ago
Great spots with close access to the lake. Small, quiet campground.
Julia S
Loop:Loop 2
Site:14
Reviewed a year ago
Well cared for campground with very friendly host, not to mention amazing views.
Joshua R
Loop:Loop 2
Site:20
Reviewed a year ago
Great campground! Some sites are on the smaller side and close together but it is very clean and upkept!
Marianne D
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed a year ago
Our site (#11) was rather small/narrow, right on the road and only one flat tent site, so I had to put my second tent on a slight slope below. But this site did offer a nice view of the lake and very easy access to the lakeshore. It was pretty windy most days, due to where the campground is located on the north side of the lake. The camp host was very friendly and nice, and firewood is available from them. The (vault) toilets were clean and well-supplied.
John C
Loop:Loop 1
Site:3
Reviewed a year ago
Camp host was great, worked with us to swap spots away from a noisy neighbor.
Paul N
Loop:Loop 2
Site:24
Reviewed a year ago
Wonderful small campground. The road” I e House “ is always being worked on so take your time.
Ekaterina M
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful lake, clean and spacious campground. It was windy during my stay in June, and there are no hiking trails nearby - only a walk along the beach. Still, it’s an amazing and peaceful place to connect with nature.
Aleksey M
Loop:Loop 2
Site:24
Reviewed a year ago
Spot was listed for 2 tents, but actually would only fit one 4 person tent. Very small spot.
Yesenia A
Loop:Loop 1
Site:5
Reviewed a year ago
Pros: nice lake, clean and restocked restrooms, paved roads, lakefront
Cons: no showers, no privacy from other campers, small camping spaces, not many trees for shade
Samantha O
Loop:Loop 1
Site:2
Reviewed a year ago
Our spot was perfect, spacious for 11 of us was able to fit 5 tents and still had plenty of room close to the lake only Cons was no cell service , no showers
Elizabeth s
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed a year ago
While the lake's beauty is undeniable, our trip hit a snag due to some misinformation. I really think clearer signage, like 'No Camping Beyond This Point,' would help. The small campsites meant a lot of people ended up camping outside the designated areas, which could be easily avoided with better guidance or renovations to make the sites larger idk I dont carry a measure tape with me and when your checking out sites seeing others do the same thing its very misleading and honestly the smallest campsites I've ever been to either way we still enjoyed our time.
Carson G
Loop:Loop 2
Site:25
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful location, well kept campground, and unparalleled scenery. Main drawbacks were lack of shade at the site (#25), and constant loud noise of off road vehicles and people target-shooting extremely close to the campground. The site is close to an OHV trail, so some noise is expected, but man, there were hundreds of vehicles ripping by all day and into the early evening. The shooting was unacceptably close to the sites and really detracted from the serenity.
Joe G
Loop:Loop 2
Site:20
Reviewed 2 years ago
An amazing location and the limited number of spots makes for a quiet experience. However, with the campsite being so small, you should really consider making this a non electric campground, with the exception of the host. You already have the constant barrage of big, loud trucks speeding past the campground all day so there’s no need for the added disappointment of someone running an obnoxious, construction rated generator all day long. This was our experience, but fortunately, the awesome camp host was able to let us switch spots so we could move further away from the noise.
Host was awesome, lake is gorgeous, bathrooms in good shape too. Too loud.
Jeff R
Loop:Loop 2
Site:17
Reviewed 2 years ago
Campground host was awesome. Campground was clean and quiet. Bathrooms were clean.
Rachel H
Loop:Loop 2
Site:24
Reviewed 3 years ago
I normally camp on the other side of the lake. But this campground was good, clean bathrooms, water spout, a few “covid” campers who have never gone camping kept leaving the vault toilets open leaving doors open so flies kept going in one side. The bears definitely come to the camp at night. We had a bear try to get in our dog pen.
Nicole P
Loop:Loop 2
Site:20
Reviewed 3 years ago
This campsite is well taken care of and has beautiful views of the lake. I would definitely stay again!
Judy G
Loop:Loop 1
Site:2
Reviewed 3 years ago
So beautiful and peaceful up there. The restrooms were amazingly clean and not smelly at all.
Mike S
Loop:Loop 1
Site:11
Reviewed 3 years ago
Great campground, much smaller then Loon Lake, far more quiet. Quite exposed though, not much shade.
Vince T
Loop:Loop 2
Site:15
Reviewed 3 years ago
Northshore campground @ Loon Lake is beautiful. The majority of the sites have plenty of space for trailers and tents. There are only two major draw backs, limited shade and the selfish dispensed campers on the weekends.
Daphne M
Loop:Loop 1
Site:3
Reviewed 3 years ago
We had a lot of fun at this campground, it is beautiful and so nice that it's so close to the lake!
Ken W
Loop:Loop 2
Site:21
Reviewed 3 years ago
Campsite 21 was right on the main road. I had to walk through 2 other camp sites right next to it for access. There was no parking spot for site 21 either. I’ve camped all over the State of CA for 50 plus years and wouldn’t recommend this site. That said, the rest of the campsites looked good and Loon Lake was beautiful.
Lisa M
Loop:Loop 2
Site:17
Reviewed 3 years ago
NO HOST at Northshore Campground
Host located at Loon Lake Campground 2.5 miles away.
Without a host bathrooms rarely had toilet paper.
Many groups held conversations and played music until 2a-3a
Firecrackers set off at all hours of the night
Many dogs off leash wandering unattended
Piles of Garbage left outside of dumpsters
People washing dishes and clothes at spigots
This was our first visit and very disappointing but hoping it was an anomaly. Willing to give this campground one more try because it's that beautiful.
Lance I
Loop:Loop 2
Site:16
Reviewed 4 years ago
Great destination. Campground has well maintained sites with excellent views of the lake. Close to the start of Rubicon trail and many other excursions. Camp host was very helpful.
Tom H
Loop:Loop 2
Site:24
Reviewed 4 years ago
We expected the campground to be first-come-first-served, just like it was the last time we stayed there 2 years ago. However, the night before our stay, we discovered that we had to make reservations for all RV sites except for a single remaining first-come-first-served site. We ended up having to reserve for a shorter stay than we were originally planning on due to everything already being reserved. Then, once we arrived, we found that the campground was 50% to 75% full. Apparently a lot of people reserve sites and then never show up to use them resulting in a fully reserved campground without a full complement of actual people. We would prefer that this campground (North Shore Campground at Loon Lake, California) revert back to first-come-first-served.
Norma R
Loop:Loop 1
Site:8
Reviewed 4 years ago
We had site 8, a double site. Cost 4x more than a single with an old person’s pass. The parking area was huge. The camp site was not. With 2 of everything except one huge fire ring, there was only enough room for 1 large tent. The camp ground is great for RVs. Restrooms were clean. Water was non existent until our last day. Not sure why water wasn’t turned on until half way through the season. Nice view of the lake. The site was relatively close to Icehouse rd which normally wouldn’t be a problem but 7/25-30 is Jeeper Jamboree weekend. Noise from 4 am to midnight. The lake was great for kayaking and SUPing.
Dave A
Loop:Loop 2
Site:16
Reviewed 4 years ago
Beautiful lake! bring a SUP or a kayak. Visit Bassi falls and Wrights lake.
Julia S
Loop:Loop 1
Site:5
Reviewed 4 years ago
Very nice campground, right on the water with amazing views.
Bernadette L
Loop:Loop 2
Site:25
Reviewed 4 years ago
The Northshore Campground Loon Lake is beautiful! Big clean sites with easy access to the lake.
Patricia M
Loop:Loop 1
Site:6
Reviewed 5 years ago
The drive up Ice House Road is a long haul, a bit curvy, but doable with our 38’ RV towing a jeep. The other option is to drive in from Georgetown, not as curvy.
Great campground for long RVs that have slide outs. We had a 38’ with 3 slides and our site #6 was plenty wide and room to park our 4 door jeep next to the RV in the site. The campground seems to have been built for large RVs so access is good. Very close to the beach and water access. Clean alpine lake to swim/kayak or whatever you like. Very quiet campground. There’s is spotty cell service at the campground but you can drive about 10-15 minutes back down Ice House Road to get good service.
The access to the Rubicon 4x4 trails is about 1/2 mile down the road from campground. I would definitely stay up there again.
Patricia S
Loop:Loop 1
Site:5
Reviewed 5 years ago
The site was small barely enough for a tent. Campsites are geared more toward trailer camping. Camp host was super awesome and let us know of some free sites down the road that were close enough so that we could still use the amenities ie lake entrance, garbage bins etc. We forged the rental and just stayed there even though we paid for the reservation. We enjoyed the time we spent in the area.
Lacey L
Loop:Loop 1
Site:8
Reviewed 5 years ago
Love Loon lake. It’s my favorite lake. I’m irritated that the map online is outdated and incorrect. I thought I booked a site in a completely different location. The camp grounds have been completely redone and are beautiful. I would give the camp grounds, bathrooms, and camp host a full 5 stars. Unfortunately, there isn’t even a note online saying their campground map is outdated and they didn’t even give their camp host a printed updated version of the campgrounds to handout. I will say Recreation.gov app did not provide a map at all however on the EDC website they have the outdated map still posted which is what we went off
Nancy P
Loop:Loop 1
Site:4
Reviewed 5 years ago
Beautiful place to camp. The campground wasn't full, maybe because there are lots of double sites which you can't get a discount on. But nice trip, quiet, beautiful view of lake. They now have potable water there which is a big plus. Only thing was there was lots of street noise from all the four wheelers going to and from the Rubicon Trail. I give it 5 stars!
Maria B
Loop:Loop 1
Site:6
Reviewed 5 years ago
Very clean especially the restrooms. Hosts are very kind and welcoming.
Popularity
Busy · 62%
Busiest in July, when about 62% of sites are booked. Based on 3 years of reservations.
