South Fork Group - Eldorado NF (CA)

We have stayed at this CG three years in a row. We always close but not lock the gate during our visit. However, during our latest stay, a Forest Service employee drove through the CG while we were there and he locked the gate on his way out, effectively locking in all of our group. I have previously had no reason to share the gate combination with our fellow campers since we don’t lock the gate while we are there. Had a fire occurred and I wasn’t there to unlock the gate, it could have been disastrous. So I recommend sharing the combination with all your fellow campers since.

When we arrived at our scheduled check in time, the gate was open. Fortunately, no squatters had set up camp. Additionally, the bolt that is intended to secure the gate closed and the boomerang-shaped piece of 1/4 inch steel plate that the two padlocks are to be hung from were poorly machined, making properly securing the gate difficult.

The campground is in good condition with a surprising amount of amenities, and the surrounding area is pretty. However, when reserving it, please note that the only thing on the website that shows you where it actually is is the driving directions. The map, longitude and latitude coordinates, and Google Maps (if you decide to cross reference), will all tell you that this campground is next to the Pacific Ranger Station, when in reality it is 25 miles NE by the Gerle Reservoir. We only found this out the day of our reservation, when we called the forest to ask for the combination to the lock on the campground. Speaking of which, the combination was not included in the reservation emails, and the combination we received from the person on the phone (who had to make their best guess) did not open the gate, so we had to park along the road and walk in around the gate. The road to the campground is also poorly marked, with no signage indicating its location until you arrive at the gate, and due to the layout of Wentworth Springs Road, it is very easy to turn off early and get lost. Thankfully, we were there for a night program, not actual camping, so we were able to leave around 10 PM, but if you do end up staying the night, I would recommend contacting the Forest early and trying to get these issues worked out so that you can safely get in and out, especially in case of an emergency.