Camp Observer1 of 6 photos
Stumpy Meadows
Overview
Stumpy Meadows, on the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir, provides an enjoyable setting in a heavy conifer forest with easy access to an array of water activities.Campers come here to while away warm summer days on the lake and enjoy the sights and sounds of the great outdoors. The campground provides easy access to both hiking and biking trails.
The historic town of Georgetown is 15 miles away. In the 19th century, the town was a hub of the productive gold mining region, and residents proclaimed the town the "pride of the mountains."
Recreation
The crystal clear reservoir is stocked with both Rainbow and German Brown Trout, providing excellent fishing during the season. The lake is a grand place for a swim. Kayaking and canoeing are much enjoyed activities on the lake's clear waters. Slow-paced motor boating is allowed, but is restricted to a 5 m.p.h. speed limit.Facilities
Campsites are well spaced and offer ample privacy from neighboring sites. The reservoir is within a short walk, but no campsites have views of the water.Vault toilets and drinking water from spigots are provided. A boat ramp is located a mile from the campground.
Natural Features
All sites are shaded by groves of towering Ponderosa pine, fir, oak, and cedar trees. The campground is in Eldorado National forest, which boasts over 400 miles of hiking trails, an abundance of lakes and rivers for fishing and swimming, and incredible scenery. Here, the climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.Nearby Attractions
Take a drive on the El Dorado County Scenic Highway or visit the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.Charges & Cancellations
- 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.
- 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.
Camp site features
Across 38 camp sites:
- Fire pit: all 38 sites
- Picnic table: 37 of 38 sites
- Pets allowed: 37 of 38 sites
- ADA accessible: 5 of 38 sites
- Longest rig: 26 ft
- Largest party: 12 people
Directions
From Placerville take Hwy 49 N for 1/2 mile, turn right on Hwy 193 to
Georgetown. Take a right on main street in Georgetown and proceed 15 miles to
the campground.
From Auburn, Take Hwy 49 S to Cool, turn left on Hwy 193 to Georgetown, turn
left on main street in Georgetown and proceed 15 miles to the campground.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (59)
5 stars
32
4 stars
14
3 stars
5
2 stars
3
1 stars
5
Edna L
Loop:Stum
Site:037
Reviewed 14 days ago
Great other than there's a lot of loose dirt, so staying cleanish is a bit harder to do. There's a path to the lake but we didnt discover it till the last day. Bathrooms were pretty clean. no showers though
mark a
Loop:Stum
Site:012
Reviewed 20 days ago
Everything was very clean, nice shade at a lot of the sites ( not all ). We went mid week but quiet. Camp Host was very friendly and helpfull.
Vicki J
Loop:Stum
Site:029
Reviewed a month ago
Stumpy Meadows campground was a good experience for us. The campground is beautifully maintained. It's clean. The camp host and staff are friendly. There are nice hiking trails, and the lake is clean and full. There is a dump station across the street, which the staff makes available to RV'rs for a standard day use fee of $10, which was convenient. The hike down to the water is a little over a quarter mile and there is no boat ramp on the campground side of the lake. There are older overgrown dirt roads around the lake, which could be upgraded to provide greater access to the lake on the campground side, which would be nice. A nice alternative would be to provide campers with free passes for the day use area (including the boat ramp) for the duration of their stay.
Brian A
Loop:Stum
Site:038
Reviewed 2 months ago
Super clean campground, host was very welcoming, a lot of campgrounds have lengthy check in processes and rules i like how for the most part i was left alone to do as i please. Super pleasant experience i will definitely be back.
Brandon C
Loop:Stum
Site:029
Reviewed 2 months ago
Great host and super chill. Tight for trailers over 24’. But doable I have a 26’
Lama Y
Loop:Stum
Site:009
Reviewed 2 months ago
Our second time camping here. The roads are newly paved, bathrooms clean and host was friendly and kept the grounds quiet once 10 hit.
Andrew O
Loop:Stum
Site:009
Reviewed 2 months ago
The road through the campground is incredibly narrow, but it’s a really nice area.
Definitely pack bug spray, the mosquitos are very active.
The camp host, Dexter, is amazing! He was constantly making his rounds around the campground and made sure the restrooms stayed clean.
Michael S
Loop:Stum
Site:036
Reviewed 7 months ago
There were no food storage bear boxes provided and there were definitely bears in the area. I can't remember the last time I camped in a Sierra car camping campground that did not have bear boxes. Car campers are very unlikely to bring equipment to string up heavy food items like coolers. We were forced to store food in the car and half expected to awaken to the sound of safety glass being smashed. In fact, there was a bear in our campsite the next morning and we decided to pack up and leave after only one night. We will never camp at Stumpy Meadows again.
clay w
Loop:Stum
Site:019
Reviewed 7 months ago
Had a great time mostly due to the excellent campground hosts Jim and Deanna. Sadly, this campground is away from the lake which is beautiful once you actually get upon it. Can be a rowdy party crowd at times also.
Sujan G
Loop:Stum
Site:007
Reviewed 8 months ago
Lovely campground. Great location by the lake.
They just have vault toilets, other than that there nothing you can complain about.
Rachel C
Loop:Stum
Site:036
Reviewed a year ago
Camp host was absolutely wonderful. This particular space was extremely dusty, to where it got into every crevasse and actually hurt our hands, despite washing. On the second day, a terrible septic smell was emanating from the pit toilet and growing in range throughout the morning. Needless to say we left early. Really nice location though.
Philip W
Loop:Stum
Site:006
Reviewed a year ago
Parking spot was not very level for the trailer - bring blocks. Good open site, smooth, ok for tents. Neighbors kept cutting through our site to go visit their friends on the other side of us. Close to a water spigot.
Krissy G
Loop:Stum
Site:017
Reviewed a year ago
This was our 6th visit in 7 years (thanks, COVID). It was a great trip as usual. We have switched our routine from walking down to the beach, the walk back up in the heat can be rough. We now drive down to the boat launch ($10 parking but bathrooms and tables) or near the spillway (free) to put in the paddleboards and hang out for the day. There is a great hike in Georgetown if you need to swing by for ice. Check out the Traverse Creek Botanical Special Interest Area for an educational walk through a former Sonora Emerald mining claim. Signs along the trails are educational and break up the walk. This year, there was an issue with a bear at the campsite. It was small and easily shooed off, but it was an added daily nuisance. There are no bear boxes, so you need to be diligent about putting away food, trash, and washing dishes.
Samantha P
Loop:Stum
Site:026
Reviewed a year ago
Excellent campsite. Lake was not crowded at all. Camp hosts were excellent and helpful. Sites were clean. Lots of shade.
Pit toilets got a bit smelly over the weekend and some campers were pretty loud well past the quiet hours. No cell service.
The lake is great for paddle boarding or boating. Not really a beachy type of lake, so bring your watercraft and enjoy! A lot of fishing.
Jineshkumar T
Loop:Stum
Site:021
Reviewed a year ago
We had an amazing stay at this campsite! The grounds were clean, spacious, and well-maintained, with beautiful views all around. The bathrooms were clean mostly. The hose was super friendly and gave us free fire woods. We loved the quiet evenings around the campfire and the easy access to nearby trails and activities. Highly recommend this spot if you’re looking for a peaceful, family-friendly camping experience. We can’t wait to come back!
clay w
Loop:Stum
Site:021
Reviewed a year ago
Campground host was awesome. It was a very clean campground. Be aware that although the lake is beautiful, access is somewhat limited.
jillian m
Loop:Stum
Site:008
Reviewed a year ago
Great spot, quiet campground. enjoyed the scenery and area. No cell reception but that made it better. Swimming is off a trail not a beach, but cool nice water. Camp host kept restrooms super clean, and was super helpful. Will be going to Stumpy Meadows again!
Sara C
Loop:Stum
Site:024
Reviewed a year ago
Nice campground! Stumpy Meadow Lake was beautiful. Only issue was the mosquitoes were in full force! Cant deduct a star for nature, sooooo..
Elizabeth F
Loop:Stum
Site:016
Reviewed a year ago
We absolutely loved camping here. The only thing we didn’t like was the mosquitoes! They were out all day and night. Other than that it was beautiful and peaceful. We stayed in spot 16 with a truck and 26 ft travel trailer. Fit fine. We will be back soon
Tiffany C
Loop:Stum
Site:038
Reviewed 2 years ago
My group of 3 had a 2 night stay here, but left after 1 night. The vault toilets were overflowing and had not been cleaned, so we smelled all the foul odor every few minutes wafting up to our camp site.
We were also directly in front of a group of guys (around 10-12) who did not adhere to quiet hours and were yelling, laughing, shouting and making loud noises well past 1AM around a blazing firepit. There was a group next to us who asked them to quiet down, but they merely laughed it off. It was very disrespectful and we were unable to sleep the whole night. Being a group of only women of color, we were fearful of approaching these guys because they seemed very rude and aggressive. Usually, the campsite host will make rounds to tell groups to be quiet, but they were nowhere to be found.
Lastly, we tried that night we stayed over and the next morning to find the camp host with these issues. We were hoping to at least switch campsites to avoid these two issues. But, they were nowhere to be found and we walked around the entire campsite loop to look for them. Due to this disappointment experience, we decided to pack up and forfeit our camp site for the second night.
Jacqueline H
Loop:Stum
Site:010
Reviewed 2 years ago
I really enjoyed my stay. There were a lot of trees in our spot so getting a great star view didn’t exactly happen but it’s ok. There’s a dusty trail that leads to the lake. Spot ten is directly in front of the bathrooms, which were clean. If we had neighbors, you’d probably only be able to see the ones to your left. Host was friendly.
Josh F
Loop:Stum
Site:007
Reviewed 2 years ago
Camp Hosts, are absolutely amazing!!!! Lake was OK warm for the kids. Campsites were nice and spacious, the lower ones probably don’t hear the logging trucks early in the morning. Toilets were clean campsites were clean. Camp Hosts are some of the most friendly, hope to run into them again, either at stumpy Meadows, or a different campground around!!!
Joe T
Loop:Stum
Site:024
Reviewed 2 years ago
Camp hosts were super helpful. Clean bathrooms, well organized campground, water in reservoir was nice. Weather was brutally hot but the whole state was that way so I can’t say much about that
Dawn S
Loop:Stum
Site:021
Reviewed 2 years ago
We were at site 21 in June 2024. Plenty of room for multiple tents. A lot of sun during the afternoon though. You can walk down to the lake via a trail, but we just drove and spent the day there. It was easier than lugging everything down the trail. ..No cell service at all. You have to drive about 20 minutes before you get service so we would just go into town if we needed to call anybody. It was nice to disconnect. Camp hosts are super nice and kept things nice and clean. Sites are close together, but with enough space that you're not on top of the other people. .Lots of shade around and it was really hot when we were there, but the shade helped a ton.
Katherine C
Loop:Stum
Site:029
Reviewed 2 years ago
One of my favorite campgrounds!! Me and my best friend (plus a dog) stayed at campsite 29. I would say for a 6 person site it was on the smaller side and don't actually know if more than two tents would fit at the site. We did car camping so it was fine for us but if we did do tents it would have been really cramped. The site was really shady and from the looks of it majority of the sites were on a slope. It was more dirt/dusty versus wood/bark on the floor. I liked site 29 because it was spaced out from the other sites but it was a bit further from the bathroom and trash. The water was so nice, water was clear and perfect temperature.
The bathrooms were very clean and host was very friendly.
Alisha M
Loop:Stum
Site:036
Reviewed 2 years ago
Site was shady most of the day. Bathrooms close and clean. Slight road noise. Great camp host. Mostly flat. Large site. Would book this one again.
Tori H
Loop:Stum
Site:028
Reviewed 3 years ago
Great little wooded camp ground with easy enough access to a nice lake. Very clean. Wooded. Peaceful. Great camp hosts.
Justin L
Loop:Stum
Site:024
Reviewed 3 years ago
Decent and nicely shaded campground. Though the sites closest to the reservoir are bordered by a large trail which means people are walking through your site at all hours.
Kendra M
Loop:Stum
Site:025
Reviewed 3 years ago
I can’t believe I’m saying this but there were LOTS of roaches and extra long white pincher bugs everywhere! We started a campfire and the sun had just gone down and they were all over the campsite. I was so grossed out we contemplated leaving or sleeping in the car.
I’ve been to this campground several times before but I don’t plan on coming back again for MANY years due to the enormous bug population there. I expected lots of mosquitoes but roaches and long white pincher bugs that kept flicking towards our fire pit and our flashlights was too much for even a country girl to handle.
Dean M
Loop:Stum
Site:014
Reviewed 3 years ago
Campsites we’re fine. #13 was mostly sloped though. The reason for the FAIR rating was not being made aware that the water was not ready for drinking when we arrived. The email stating the water system was not ready was sent after we arrived at the campground (no cell service at Stumpy). The water was on when we got there, but then turned off the next day. We didn’t bring our own drinking water so we had to head down to Georgetown and buy some. It was a big inconvenience and kind of put a damper on the rest of the weekend.
Ryan P
Loop:Stum
Site:006
Reviewed 4 years ago
The campground is a little smaller than average but it is very well maintained. Bathrooms and water faucets were very clean. Available dumpsters for trash, although there are no food storage lockers (as long as your smart about your food, you should be just fine). The hosts were very pleasant and were even impressed with our camping arrangement/setup lol. All in all, this place is a gem, not too far from Sacramento, and really beautiful. This campsite in particular will be one that we visit again with its long driveway, flat area, and perfect shade.
Adrian A
Loop:Stum
Site:026
Reviewed 4 years ago
It’s a great spot to camp lots of shad and the areas are pretty spacious and the lake was close by!! It was amazing with the family!!
Barbara H
Loop:Stum
Site:036
Reviewed 4 years ago
We checked into our sites on a Friday. We purchased 6 camping sites months in advance. Upon arrival one of our sites was taken over by another family. We told the camp host and he blamed his clip board. My family was the last of our group to show up so we manged to share a site with other family members. Still haven't received our refund for the one site we paid for and couldn't use. Restrooms were relatively clean. A body of water is near by but it is a trek and the beach is covered in large rocks. Not meant for day use. There was also debris left from previous campers at our sites. Very dusty, probably won't visit again. We did drive a short distance to a small beach, that saved our trip.
WENDY C
Loop:Stum
Site:025
Reviewed 4 years ago
My sister and I went camping. We have been to the Group Camping, but not the Family. We both had a great time, and will be going again next year!
Shane B
Loop:Stum
Site:004
Reviewed 4 years ago
First off I want to start by saying the camp hosts we're absolutely awesome and accommodating they were able to put us in a better spot in the bathrooms were the cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen no smell and super clean it's a small drive to the day use area for $10 it's easy water access and easy to launch your kayaks definitely will be coming back soon and I like the idea of a 10:00 quiet time the camp host is on top of it and it is super quiet at 10:00 definitely will be coming back camping area is super clean and the hostess made it to where we would love to come back
Ashley M
Loop:Stum
Site:018
Reviewed 4 years ago
This was our 3rd time camping here and we love it! Awesome private sites and quiet campground. We look forward to our next trip here!
Taylor A
Loop:Stum
Site:026
Reviewed 4 years ago
The campground itself was nice. Some of the sites were wide open with plenty of space and others very close to one another with no clear boundaries between sites. The hike down to the reservoir was longer and steeper than we anticipated, but well worth it. The host was not particularly polite or inviting. There were only 4-6 sites filled when we stayed at the campground, the site directly next to us (within 10 meters with no clear separation between sites) was empty and so we used their table to dry our bathing suits/towels after a swim. The host came around and asked if we were going to pay for that second site (not in a joking manor). We will stay again, but only because the campground is close to our study site (academic field trip).
kathleen c
Loop:Stum
Site:010
Reviewed 4 years ago
Low star is because of camp host and noise level.
Otherwise great camping spot, close to the waters, lots of trails, dog & family-friendly. Unfortunately, we picked a spot next to loud campers who partied well after 1130. Camp-host didn't come around to tell them of the after-hour noise level or the allotted vehicle and person per campground. Really they should have gotten a much bigger campground with their 5 tents in one small camp.
larry s
Loop:Stum
Site:009
Reviewed 5 years ago
Ed and Vance run a great camping area.
Loving going there.
Scott W
Loop:Stum
Site:025
Reviewed 5 years ago
Camp hosts were rude and argumentative! Didn't want to allow a grandfather to park temporarily in an unoccupied site to visit his four year old granddaughter, for her birthday. The younger male seemed to be intoxicated. He was swearing in front of the couples children we were camping with! The couple and the camp host got in an argument! He then ask us all to leave! We weren't even there three hours! I wasn't involved in the argument! I had my own camp site. I was still asked to leave! Guilt by association I'm assuming! Requested a refund today on Recreation.gov and was denied! If you are planning on camping at Grumpy Meadows, be prepared for a confrontation!
Paul M
Loop:Stum
Site:033
Reviewed 5 years ago
Great place for a nice relaxing hump from sac. Lake was chill for isup’s and hiking. Camp sites were awesome.
Jeff R
Loop:Stum
Site:033
Reviewed 5 years ago
Unfortunately, we didn't catch that there was no shade in our spot, so, without the trees and the high temps (not something that can be controlled) , it was really hot.
Our spot - 33 - was a little tight for our trailer - we had about 5 feet between the door and the side of the hill.
The lake was nice, the only inconvienance is that we had to drive to the launch to get our boat to the lake.
stan c
Loop:Stum
Site:014
Reviewed 5 years ago
Nice low key campground. Clean restrooms and sites kept up. Friendly camp host. A bit disappointed to see trash at lake shore but not a fault of campgrounds. Like the lack of large scale RVers. Lake is a nice place to swim.
Mark P
Loop:Stum
Site:013
Reviewed 5 years ago
Ed was fantastic. Great support and open to our crazy adventures. We had 30 plus people in multiple sites and everything turned out great.
The amazing part was NO MOSQUITOS, NO SQUIRRELS.
Perfect weather, little dust.
Would recommend to all for a wonderful getaway.
Popularity
Quiet · 39%
Busiest in July, when about 39% of sites are booked. Based on 8 years of reservations.
