Camp Observer1 of 9 photos
Kit Carson Campground
Overview
Nestled in a forest of Jeffrey pines and aspens, Kit Carson campground is perfect for tent camping and smaller RVs. The west fork of the Carson River is located next to the campground, with several sites right next to the water. Great fishing and views! Kit Carson is exceptionally beautiful in the fall.Recreation
Visitors can explore scenic driving and photography along the Carson Pass Scenic Byway. Enjoy the splendor of fall with colorful foliage displays or fishing and boating in one of the several nearby lakes. Hikers are surrounded by trailheads within a short drive – Mokelumne Wilderness, and the Pacific Crest Trail, among many others. Whether it is rock climbing or exploring the canyon, outdoor enthusiasts will relish the options in this area.Facilities
This campground has drinking water, garbage containers, and vault toilets. Each campsite has a bear box, fire pit and picnic table. There is a camp host on site and firewood is available for sale.Natural Features
Kit Carson is situated on the west fork of the Carson River in Woodfords Canyon along Highway 88. In addition to the beauty of the river, the campsites are surrounded by quaking aspens and rugged canyon walls.Nearby Attractions
There are a number of nearby attractions that have something for everyone. Sorensen’s Resort has limited groceries and a restaurant. Lake Tahoe is within 20 miles; a trailhead for the Tahoe Rim Trail is within 5 miles; Grover Hot Springs State Park in Markleeville offers public soaking in natural spring-fed pools; numerous local restaurants and, for those who like night life, nearby casinos and theaters in Minden and Carson City, Nevada.Camp site features
Across 11 camp sites:
- Picnic table: all 11 sites
- Pets allowed: all 11 sites
- Longest rig: 45 ft
- Largest party: 6 people
Directions
From South Lake Tahoe, take Hwy 89 over Luther Pass to the 88/89 interchange.
Turn left on 88; go approximately 1 mile to campground entrance on your left.
From Gardnerville, Carson City or Minden, Nevada, take Hwy 395 to Hwy 88. Head
south on Hwy 88 for approximately 19 miles to the campground entrance in
Woodfords Canyon on north side.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (65)
5 stars
45
4 stars
10
3 stars
9
1 stars
1
Ricky W
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 3 days ago
Sites were all really clean and well maintained. Also, the camp host was a really nice guy and helped point us to some cool trails nearby. I will for sure be visiting here again!
Stacy K
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed 5 days ago
good site. quiet and has a cool path to the next site, which has a little fairy garden and an adorable note from a previous camper.
Stacy K
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:02
Reviewed 5 days ago
Stunning nature, small sites. Could barely fit 2 large tents. waterfront site still requires a steep walk down a slippery path to get to the water; where you have to cross boulders and a fallen tree to access the water. It was easier to walk down the road more and then access the river. Bugs were not bad. No cell service which
I don't mind. Highway makes a lot of noise and sirens nightly.
Justin Y
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed a month ago
Secluded get away, not many mosquitoes in Mid June
Kimberly C
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed a month ago
The camp host was very friendly and attentive. The bathrooms were very clean - they actually smelled good! I loved being adjacent to the river, from campsite #5 you can walk right down to it. And it was really convenient to walk across the street to Hope Valley Bar & Grill and grab some fresh baked goods and a cold pint. Loved it!
Daniel T
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:09
Reviewed a month ago
This was the cleanest campground I have ever been to!!! The campsite and toilets were spotless and the campsite was raked! Excellent spot to spend an overnight or a few days. Very quiet with only 9 spots and the host.
Keith J
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:10
Reviewed a month ago
This campground is in a beautiful setting, well-maintained and not too crowded. However, it is set very close to the highway, so there is a lot of traffic noise during peak travel hours.
Joshua M
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:06
Reviewed 2 months ago
Nice place. Host was awesome. A tad of road noise and the roads are a bit tight. Other than that it was great.
Albert M
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:02
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful basic campground. Toilet was clean. Fresh water was flowing from water spigots. The food locker was large enough for food, gear and personal items. The camp host was friendly and helpful. I was there the first week of the season so the river was flowing fast and the nights were cold including a hard freeze one night. Only a few of the camp sites had really good tent pads -- site 2 is one of those.
MB C
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:10
Reviewed 2 months ago
Very beautiful campground. Campsites had a lot of space from other campers making it very private.
Host was very helpful and welcoming.
Peter G
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed a year ago
Mark, the camp host was excellent . He kept the Campgrounds , bathrooms and all ver clean and was informative .
Campsites are good size and nice slots . The hwy noise is what it is but doable . Right on thew W Fork of Carson River for good fishing .
Stephen K
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:06
Reviewed a year ago
We had a great time at this small campground filled with pine and aspen trees. The host, Mark, was awesome and he keeps the campground and the restrooms sparkling clean. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend Kit Carson Campground. You won't be disappointed! And Mark deserves a raise!
Beccah W
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed a year ago
This campground is a hidden gem - lots of privacy, beautiful trees around each site, easy access to the river, and the cleanest pit toilets we’ve seen in a long time! Sites are not adequate for bigger tents and there is some road noise at night, but nothing we couldn’t work around. Camp host was attentive and checked in on us each day. Great stay overall.
Gloria D
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed a year ago
Clean spot, nice kept bathroom, lots of ants so not ideal for dogs. Excellent for hanging out by the river.
Gary B
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed a year ago
Our place to get away and enjoy the Carson River in relative peace and quiet!
Mike C
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed a year ago
Cozy campground with access to amazing fishing spots and beautiful meadows. We stayed at spot 5, which is isolated and near the river. The highway is close, but hardly noticeable at night - especially when it’s tent time. Bathrooms are pit, but really clean and actually smell great. Camp host is very friendly and gave some local knowledge about where to fish (which worked out). There is also a neat little spot across the street that has food and good beers on draft. Would definitely stay here again. The place isn’t isolated or sprawling, but for a convenient spot in one of the most beautiful locations in the Sierra I’d recommend it.
Donna F
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed a year ago
I was lucky enough to stay in site 8. Beautiful site. The campground was quite and clean.
Philip K
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 2 years ago
Great campground! Very helpful host and great location near everything the Carson pass area has to offer.
Gary B
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 2 years ago
In beautiful aspens with a fork of the Carson River running through it. Quiet and well maintained. Camp host Chuck keeps everything extremely tidy and clean, even the dreaded pit toilets!
Norman B
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:10
Reviewed 2 years ago
The overall condition of the campground was good. However, the bathroom had a lot of flies. The location is very close to the highway as well as being on a steep hill. Overall, it was a good campground to stay for a night.
Paul H
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:10
Reviewed 2 years ago
My wife and I camp here a few times a year, which is easy for us as it is only about a 45 minute drive from home. Small and somewhat hidden campground which is close to the road so you do get some road noise. The upper loop is definitely not for larger trailers of RV's, and is quieter than the lower loop. We can fit our 22' Mini Lite in most of the spots in the upper loop. If you have anything larger there are a few spots on the lower loop that can accommodate larger trailers but the tradeoff is more road noise. Some spots in the lower loop are first come first served, and are usually open when we are there. Pit toilets are generally clean, and potable water available throughout the campground. The Carson River runs between the campground and the road providing a nice spot for afternoon meanderings. Kit Carson has become one of our favorite getaways in the summer and fall.
Michael W
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed 3 years ago
We have visited this wonderful campsite many times over the years. It sits right by the river (plus!) and right next to the river is Hwy 88 (minus). The traffic noise isn't too bad and at night there is almost NO traffic but currently there is construction on the bridge right by the camp and crews can start very early there. Access to the river is very nice. Camp condition: Good but not great. The restroom near our site was out of toilet paper for our entire stay (but was clean otherwise). Never saw the camp host.
gael R
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:09
Reviewed 3 years ago
The campground is poorly maintained.
There was garbage on the sites and they were not cleared of underground.
The site 09 was way too steep to install even a small tent (maybe a one person tent would fit).
I won’t recommend this campground.
Stephen W
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:06
Reviewed 3 years ago
Close to hwy good and bad. Water and rest rooms close. Restrooms clean.
Glenn S
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed 3 years ago
Stay was generally good, except when I arrived at 9 PM there were people in my site. There was no signage indicating that the site was reserved by me, even though after speaking with the camp host the next day he confirmed my site had been reserved. Had to stay in an alternate site the first night.
Susan K
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed 3 years ago
We enjoyed our 4 day stay in camp site #8, which we thought was the best one in the campground. It was peaceful and more protected from the highway noise. There was a space for our trailer, a separate area with bear box, grill and table and yet a third area nestled in between giant boulders where we set up our "reading room". It was heavenly. Kimo was camp host during our stay and kept the restrooms neat and every thing else in order. We had no cell service, but we don't care. It is worth the tranquility of the location.
Taeyen S
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:09
Reviewed 3 years ago
Our host, Kimo, was such a wonderful person. He greeted the guests pleasantly and provided helped when we needed. We were surprised how clean the bathrooms were kept. We made reservation for campsite 9 and 6, but upon arrival we had to reserve site 8 because site 9 was too steep to put up a tent. 6 and 8 were great however. This is why I would give a 4 star.
Ryan P
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:09
Reviewed 4 years ago
Pretty solid campground, but a little close to the road.
Amy H
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:06
Reviewed 4 years ago
This is a well kept small campground with great hosts. It is near the highway but kind of hidden and the traffic is not that loud. Most of the sites including #6 where we stayed are shady and have some privacy. We were directly across from the host site but our site behind the pad was large and still felt secluded. There is a stream between the campground and the highway and there are many lakes and hiking trails nearby.
Jacob W
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed 4 years ago
Such a cute little site! If you are tent camping you probably don’t want a tent bigger than a 4 person size tent though (at least for site 5). We had an 8 person tent and had to set it up on the parking spot. But such a lovely river, great fishing, and the hosts were great! Will be returning
John C
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 4 years ago
Wonderful small campground in a great location. Good base for hiking and photography. Our site #11 was nestled between rocks and surrounded by Aspen and Jeffrey pines. Highway noise not intrusive.
Tim L
Loop:Lower Loop
Site:05
Reviewed 4 years ago
We had a great view of the river, and the camp host kept everything (including the bathroom) neat and tidy. Traffic noise from Hwy 88 quieted down pretty much at night. Day hikes to Meiss Meadow and Winnemucca Lake showed us great wildflower displays (mid-July). In the evenings we watched the sunsets and the changing colors at nearby Hope Valley. Overall, a fine camping experience.
Bruce M
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed 4 years ago
I enjoyed my short overnight camping trip here. While the CG is close to Ca-88 it’s not so close that you can’t enjoy some peace and quiet. I didn’t have any contact with the camp host but from what I observed they were on site Md had interaction with other guests.
The vault toilet was clean and the host were kind enough to have enough toilet paper. Also, the water spigot nearest the restroom had soft soap to wash your hands.
All the campsites except #1 looked nice. The drive pad for #1 looked to be in poor condition with broken asphalt and a steeper approach.
Jean D
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 4 years ago
This is a small campground in a great area. It's a short drive to Carson Pass, where there are wonderful hiking trails.
Nancy S
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 4 years ago
Unfortunately I had just an overnight stay. The campground was equally adjacent to highway 88 which was under major construction with an automatic stop light that allowed one way traffic only, and the river whose melodious sound of rushing water filled the air and blocked at least some of the traffic sounds. Coming from New Mexico, the sound of that water was such a treat! The camping sites were well kept, made unique by a variety of alpine trees, plants and gigantic (car sized) boulders. Wondrous contrast to the green space all around.
Camp hosts were friendly, had firewood for sale (self service), and the few neighbors I met were friendly. I
JoAnna D
Loop:Upper Loop
Site:08
Reviewed 4 years ago
Clean campground and bathrooms. Sites were well taken care of and spacious. Close to Lake Tahoe. Enjoyed hanging out and playing in the river.
Popularity
Moderate · 50%
Busiest in July, when about 50% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
