Camp Observer1 of 7 photos
Wrights Lake
Notice
Due to the Wrights Lake Recreation Improvement Project, Wrights Lake Campground will be closed until July 31, but may open up to first come first serve if certain projects are finished early. After that, certain campsites may experience temporary closures. Please use caution while traveling through the Wrights Lake area as construction operations and heavy equipment will be present.
Trailheads and day use will still be accessible once conditions allow but may have temporary closures during this time.
Feb 27, 2026 – Aug 2, 2026
Overview
Wrights Lake Campground is situated in the timber belt, close to the lake shore, looking up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevadas and Desolation Wilderness. The area is well-known for its hiking, wildflowers and birding.Recreation
The campground provides access to the lake, where visitors enjoy trout fishing, swimming and boating activities. Motorboats are prohibited in the area.Hikers will enjoy access to multiple foot and horseback riding trails within 5 miles of the campground. Various trailheads, including Bloodsucker, Rockbound and Twin Lakes trails, provide access to Desolation Wilderness.
Educational programs are offered at the amphitheater, and mountain biking and off-road vehicle use is popular on Barrett Lake Jeep trail. Wilderness permits for day hiking are available at the trailheads, and overnight hiking permits are available at Pacific Ranger Station.
Facilities
The campground offers dozens of campsites for tent and RV camping. Several sites offer sweeping views of Wrights Lake.Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills, and firewood can be gathered in the area. Accessible vault toilets. A camp host is available during the daytime.
Natural Features
At nearly 7,000 feet in elevation, the campground is surrounded by pine and fir trees with a grassy understory. Wildflowers bloom throughout the spring and summer seasons.Some sites are nestled among giant boulders, providing privacy for campers. The campground is close to Wrights Lake, a 40-acre body of water popular for its serene and quiet atmosphere.
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 65 camp sites:
- Fire pit: all 65 sites
- Pets allowed: 14 of 65 sites
- ADA accessible: 45 of 65 sites
- Longest rig: 99 ft
- Largest party: 12 people
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
Take Highway 50 east of Placerville, California, for 11 miles. Turn left onto
Ice House Road and continue for 9 miles, then turn right onto Wrights Lake tie
road. After 2 miles, turn left onto Wrights Lake Road.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (127)
5 stars
72
4 stars
35
3 stars
11
2 stars
6
1 stars
3
Jerylle B
Loop:Wrig
Site:066
Reviewed 7 months ago
Wrights Lake is a beautiful place to camp offering so many outdoor experiences from hiking to fishing to kayaking and paddle boarding. The major problem with our experience over the last 10 year is that there are some issues with booking. We go the same time every year and have found that a group from SF also go at this time but have devised some system where they can reserve 14 sites making it almost impossible for others. We usually rely on their canceling 7 of the 14 days they book. And yes many of the sites stand empty and are never cancelled or used. I wish the reservation system would look into how this group is able to book so many sites when we try at exactly 7 am on the opening day.
Arvid O
Loop:Tent
Site:010
Reviewed 8 months ago
Wrights lake tent camp ground has been my choice for several years. The restrooms are usually well cleaned. It’s also close to the lake. Something needs to be done to keep large trucks with self contained camper shells and Rv’’s from occupying the tent spots. TENT CAMPING ONLY SHOULD BE ENFORCED. .
Matthew W
Loop:Walk
Site:052
Reviewed 8 months ago
Wrights Lake Campground is an absolute gem.
My wife, Kate, our cattle dog Rue, and I had the most peaceful, unforgettable stay here. The lake is crystal clear, the trails are stunning, and the whole place feels like a secret slice of alpine paradise.
Coming back here meant even more to me—I promised myself as a kid that one day I’d return, and being here again truly fulfilled that dream. Sharing it with Kate and Rue made it even more special.
We spent our mornings walking along the shoreline with Rue happily leading the way, and our evenings soaking in the quiet beauty of the mountains. The campsites are clean, serene, and perfectly spaced for privacy. Whether you’re hiking, kayaking, or just relaxing by the water, this campground has something special that stays with you.
A childhood promise kept, a dream come true, and a place we’ll always return to. ❤️⛰️🐾
Julie D
Loop:Wrig
Site:021
Reviewed a year ago
Campground is great. Sites are not crowded together. Parking pads are a bit small in some sites for RV.
Dominick D
Loop:Tent
Site:006
Reviewed a year ago
Wrights lake campground is beautiful. It’s quaint, quiet, spacious, and teaming with wildlife. The only issue my girlfriend and I had was the weather, we had checked Kyburz but should’ve been checking South Lake Tahoe as there was a rainstorm everyday we were there, which is not something we were prepared for. This is to no fault to anyone but our own. We still managed hike to an alpine lake, kayak the length of Wrights in to the back creek which was like something I’ve never seen before. The creek is deeper than a majority of the lake, as an avid fly fisherman this was a crazy sight as the width of the creek was maybe 12 feet max. I have Verizon and she has T-mobile, neither of us had service which is cool with me because I go out to the woods to unplug. All in all, we’re looking forward to coming back. It was really a great trip and an awesome memory we’ll cherish for a long time.
Megan O
Loop:Wrig
Site:022
Reviewed a year ago
I love this campsite. So peaceful and the sites are nicely spread out. Usually a pretty respectful crowd. Lots of access to great hiking nearby.
noel s
Loop:Tent
Site:001
Reviewed a year ago
Reservations are tough to get but once there it’s very quiet. Weird.
Deanna A
Loop:Wrig
Site:059
Reviewed a year ago
We've been going to Wright's Lake for 27 years. It's my favorite place having grown old with my friends and family there.
We heard there are going to be some renovations. I recommend adding a another bear box to the group site number 56. We had to rent another site just to store our food.
The bathroom near 56 was stinking for the first time and lock for the trash dumpster was nearly impossible to remove and replace.
Laura E
Loop:Walk
Site:053
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful, peaceful lake with access to some great hiking. We did have a bear visit our campsite, so be sure to be dilgent about cleanup and putting everything away!
Michael B
Loop:Wrig
Site:026
Reviewed a year ago
This is a nice spot and very nice campground. Well maintained and the sites are separated enough for a little privacy.
Gary G
Loop:Wrig
Site:045
Reviewed a year ago
Very clean and quiet camp with water nearby and tons of hiking, One of my favorite places.
Gary G
Loop:Wrig
Site:035
Reviewed a year ago
Gorgeous lake and some of the best hiking trails in Northern California! Camp was super clean and quiet!
Kate W
Loop:Dblk
Site:031
Reviewed a year ago
We had a quiet beautiful campsite. Just lucky since it always depends on neighbors and generators. We kayaked everyday. So beautiful.
One suggestion- this campground is one of the most sought after in the sierras. It is fully reserved within minutes of opening reservations. However when we arrived, there were so many campsites vacant for days although the campsite said reserved. I think campers with 2 week reservations leave for several days during the week and return for weekends. I suggest this campground limit reservations to 1 week maximum at time of reservation to be fair and open to more campers.
Dwight M
Loop:Wrig
Site:063
Reviewed a year ago
Well-spaced and kept campsites provide privacy and relaxed camping and close access to the shallow and not-too-cold lake offers the kids lots of recreation entertainment.
Robert B
Loop:Wrig
Site:033
Reviewed a year ago
The campsite and campground were clean and quiet. The toilets were clean and the other campers respectful
Curtis H
Loop:Wrig
Site:059
Reviewed a year ago
EVERYONE CAMPING AT WRIGHTS WERE IN SUCH A GOOD AND POSITIVE MOOD AND WERE SUPER FRIENDLY! LOTS OF SMILES AND LAUGHS~THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND THE WATER LEVEL ELEVATED~AWESOME!!....AND MUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE TWO YOUNG FELLAS ACTING AS CAMP HOSTS~VERY HELPFUL, INFORMATIVE AND TOOK THIS OLD MAN-ME!- UP TO THE "ENCHANTED POOLS"- A GREAT TIME TO BE SURE!!!
Ana Lucia C
Loop:Tent
Site:006
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful location and the campsites were great. Not too close together, had access to water, fire ring, picnic table and bear boxes. Lots of restrooms and they were in good shape and clean.
The camp host was not so pleasant, and we had a bad experience when we were accused of squatting on a site without a reservation. The camp host apparently did not have access to up-to-date reservation information. We had reserved a site that had a cancellation. Camp host was quite rude. Thankfully the person who had cancelled the site was actually camping on the site next over and they came to our aid.
Alisa W
Loop:Wrig
Site:063
Reviewed a year ago
We were so pleasantly surprised by this campground. It was spotlessly clean. The bathrooms were kept tidy. This is one of the quietest campgrounds that I’ve been to in a long time. We were in spot 63. It was huge and private. The only negative I can say is it was extremely difficult to back a 20 foot trailer into it. There were many obstacles. Otherwise, it was wonderful. So many activities nearby. Short walk across the road to the lake for kayaking in paddling and swimming. And lots of trails for hiking. Definitely bring bug spray!
Mary Ann T
Loop:Tent
Site:006
Reviewed 2 years ago
Beautiful, peaceful (most of the time). The reservation system is still not fixed. I had so much difficulty getting a campsite! It took weeks to piece together five days at the end of August. Forget trying to get one the day exactly 6 months to reserve a site exactly to the second. We camp in the tent only side of campground because we only use a tent and don’t like motor home generators. I checked every day while there by driving to where I got cell service to see if there were any cancellations. The day of leaving I did not check. That was the day the campsite opened up. But, we had already packed up. Maybe people should have to confirm their reservation to keep the campsite a week in advance. If they do not confirm, they lose their campsite. That seems much more fair to all of us. The camp hosts were great! They shut down what appeared to be a grown men fraternity reunion that was raging their first night. They left the next day. But, the whole camp ground lost a nights sleep as a result. I was a zombie the whole next day. Thus, lost a day of planned activities as a result. The other option is to make that part of the campground part of a lottery system.
Brian W
Loop:Wrig
Site:067
Reviewed 2 years ago
Camp was quite clean, people were friendly.. and LOTS of bathrooms. Camp Host was friendly when I randomly ran into him on the Lake shore.
Some apps show the trail not completely going around the lake, this is wrong. You can go completely around. Lake is quite pleasant in the early morning hours.. very few people out and about, very quiet and peaceful.
RIchard F
Loop:Wrig
Site:035
Reviewed 2 years ago
Campground and hosts were terrific. Everything camping should be: Peaceful, clean, very positive and supportive hosts, beautiful place.
John J
Loop:Wrig
Site:032
Reviewed 2 years ago
Always a great time in August, to many mosquitos in June!
Beth Z
Loop:Wrig
Site:048
Reviewed 2 years ago
The campground was very nice. Campers were surprisingly quiet and latrines were very clean.
Dawn M
Loop:Walk
Site:041
Reviewed 2 years ago
So beautiful here. The campground is also really clean and spread out. It's beautiful!
Maddie V
Loop:Tent
Site:003
Reviewed 2 years ago
Such a beautiful, quiet campground. Wildflowers are in full bloom rn. So many good trails to hike. Perfect lake to paddle board on.
Naomi G
Loop:Walk
Site:043
Reviewed 2 years ago
Loved our walk-in site. Brought a fold-up wagon to move our stuff from the car which made it painless. Absolutely quiet at night other than an occasional dog bark. Despite the neighboring walk-in sites being completely reserved, no one used them while we were there. Fantastic hiking and birding nearby. Flies (including biting flies) and mosquitoes were around but not terrible. Permethrin-treated clothing and a bit of DEET took care of them.
Tracy M
Loop:Walk
Site:041
Reviewed 2 years ago
I arrived at site 41, a walk in one, for a 2 night stay. a group of 5-6 kids had set up a volleyball court right next to my site and were screaming at the top of their lungs. I was not thrilled to say the least, esp when I realized they were camping literally 20' from my site at 42 (uhh, why not set up by your own campsite?!). after hauling in a bunch of gear, I decided to check w camp host who informed me that site 51 was available. after exploring the campground , I personally decided I much prefer the walk in sites as they are much more private and secluded (50 is not, however). camp hosts are new and don't seem to know much about the area, but friendly and helpful enough. lovely area for hiking and swimming ; I would definitely return.
Charlotte A
Loop:Walk
Site:053
Reviewed 2 years ago
Wrights Lake is a beautiful location and starting point for several day and backcountry hikes. We reserved the walk-in sites (#52 and #53), but ended up spending all our time at #52. It's a big comfortable site for multiple tents whereas #53 is quite small. There's a trail from the site to the lake which was an easy hike for adults, children, and old dogs. The lake was a comfortable temperature but mucky at the bottom. I give this only a fair rating because: (1) the mosquitoes are plentiful and voracious; (2) campers play music or drums until late in the evening (Why? I’d like to listen to the wind in the trees, the birds, and the sounds of nature. I almost went to the camp host and complained…but I hate complaining.); and (3) the facility itself seems run down and not well maintained (e.g., no toilet paper late in the day on a Wednesday and the amphitheater is a human hazard). It would be nice if they remodeled the amphitheater and had evening events to engage kids and adults about our environment. It’s pretty but I’m not sure if we’ll be back.
Harry W
Loop:Wrig
Site:067
Reviewed 2 years ago
Main campground was very well maintained. Campground hosts were very attentive and personable.
Overall, the Wrights Lake facilities are declining steadily, probably due to a lack of preventative maintenance and lack of funding from USFS. Sad.
Caroline P
Loop:Wrig
Site:048
Reviewed 2 years ago
I am so happy to have Alex and Juana as the new camp hosts on the RV side! What a refreshing change! They were always happy, friendly, and delightful to be around. Thank you Royal Elk for hiring these two...I hope they stay for a very long time.
Lorie B
Loop:Wrig
Site:038
Reviewed 2 years ago
Campsites were in good shape and bathrooms stayed clean . Camp just Alex and his wife were the best we have had!
Gary G
Loop:Wrig
Site:035
Reviewed 2 years ago
Land of many opportunities with clean grounds and restrooms.
Terry P
Loop:Tent
Site:001
Reviewed 3 years ago
Nice place to go and well maintained. I've been going there for 64 years on and off.
Steven A
Loop:Tent
Site:018
Reviewed 3 years ago
Camp Manager/Host from Aug. 28-30 was soooo helpful and friendly. Campground was super clean and the water was fresh and cold for my swims. As always, the drinking water is excellent. Beautiful stay as always
Kristi S
Loop:Wrig
Site:045
Reviewed 3 years ago
Camp Host is wonderful. Sites are clean and plenty of room to park a 25 foot Trailer and a truck. Best kayaking and hiking ever.
Alba P
Loop:Tent
Site:005
Reviewed 3 years ago
Great campground with beautiful surroundings. Well-maintained bathrooms and sites. Very peaceful, will definitely be back.
Turid R
Loop:Tent
Site:018
Reviewed 3 years ago
This visit, unlike past visits, suffered from the remnants of Hurricane Hillary. It rained for three of the four days I was there. Many of the campsites were unused, possibly because of an earlier notification about road word, or because of the rain.
Rebecca M
Loop:Wrig
Site:036
Reviewed 3 years ago
The reservation system is failing. This is a very impacted, hard to get into campground and yet when we were there all but 2 sites said "reserved" and a good 1/4 - 1/3 of them were empty. I talked to the camp host about why a site booked for a week or more but sitting empty for the 4 nights we were there was still showing reserved. She said they (the camp hosts) had been so hassled by a camper the previous year who came 4 nights after his reservation started and found someone else occupying the site, that they no longer "release" the site even tho the reservation system very clearly says the reservation will be forfeited if someone is not there. I think the camp hosts should be empowered to release sites and update the booking system appropriately. It's wrong for them to sit empty like that.
Matthew L
Loop:Tent
Site:018
Reviewed 3 years ago
Nice and quite camp ground. No trailers or Rvs in the upper loop. Nice hiking in the area. Mosquitos are an issue, but they are everywhere in the Sierras. We'll be back
Caitlin W
Loop:Wrig
Site:030
Reviewed 3 years ago
The interface between Rec.gov and the company that manages the first-come first-serve campsites is horrible. We arrived to our reserved site on a Thursday, and then immediately sought a camp host to help us find which sites would be available for the following two nights. We believed (according to the (Rec.gov site) that there were FF sites available.
We were told by other campers that two camp hosts were gone, with simultaneous days off.
After an hour of searching, we found the only camp host, up by the visitors’ center. At first he couldn’t help us, blaming Rec.gov because they only tell the camp hosts which sites are available once every three days. Finally he was able to show us a couple sites that “might” be available the next day. The next morning, it took us until late morning to finally secure a FF site after lots of confusion between camp hosts and campers. Mind you, there WERE FF sites available, but hosts couldn’t be sure of which ones, or for how long, because of bad communication from Rec.gov.
Extremely stressful, confusing, mixed messages, and time-confusing.
Camp hosts are very stressed by the new FF system, with no phone numbers or internet access for them to know about what’s been booked and what’s available on a day-to-day basis.
After we found a spot, with the help of the host, the rest of our time at Wright’s Lake was blissful. As it should be.
Cynthia H
Loop:Tent
Site:018
Reviewed 3 years ago
My husband and I had a terrific time at Wright’s Lake. The lake itself is so calm and peaceful. The views are breathtaking. We use the word dreamy to describe the place. The campsites were very spread out with enough room at each campsite to not feel like we were crowded by our neighbors. Overall an excellent experience. We look forward to going back with our entire family.
Popularity
Very busy · 89%
Busiest in July, when about 89% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
