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Badgers Den at Camp Richardson Resort
Overview
Badger’s Den Campground provides a Lake Tahoe and Camp Richardson Resort experience unlike any other. Featuring beach access, and all the amenities you can think of within walking distance, guests get to bask in the remarkable beauty of Tahoe without sacrificing the resort experience. The campground has 66 single standard tent sites and 18 standard double tent sites. Each campsite has a bear-proof food locker, picnic table, and fire pit with cooking grate. Tent camping only in this campground. No RVs allowed.
Recreation
Historic Camp Richardson Resort offers everything wonderful about outdoor recreation in Lake Tahoe. Recreational activities include biking, camping, fishing, hiking, sandy beach access, boating, paddling and more!
Facilities
Badger's Den Campground is nestled in the beautiful pines of the Sierra Nevadas. A short 10 minute walk to Lake Tahoe along a paved bike path. There is a Bar and Grill, General Store with Deli, Full Service Marina, and Ice Cream Parlor on site.
Each site is equipped with a picnic table, campfire ring with grate for cooking, and a bear-proof food storage locker. Tent sites have paved parking pads. Accessible flush toilets and coin operated showers are available.
Tent camping only in this campground. No RVs allowed.
Fire wood and camping supplies are available for purchase at the General Store.
Check in is at the Eagle's Nest Campground Kiosk located across HWY 89. On-site security, Property is staffed 24 hrs.
This is not a pet-friendly resort. Only service dogs accepted.
Natural Features
The resort’s unrivaled location on Lake Tahoe’s southern shore offers access to breathtaking natural wonders at an elevation of 6225 feet. Guests are surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe, the towering Sierra Nevada mountains, and the lush, fragrant forests of the surrounding area. The resort’s scenic beauty is a constant invitation for outdoor activities, from hiking and biking to water sports.
Nearby Attractions
Tallac Historic Site, Emerald Bay, Pope Beach, Baldwin Beach, Fallen Leaf Lake, Mt. Tallac.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (530) 494-2228.Camp site features
Across 84 camp sites:
- Largest party: 12 people
- Equipment: Tent
Directions
Badger's Den Campground is located 3 miles south of Tahoe City, on California
Highway 89 (Emerald Bay Road).
From Sacramento, take U.S. Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe and proceed north
past the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Highway 89 (the "Y"). Look for
the Camp Richardson Resort sign on the right side of the Highway.
From North Shore (I-80, Reno, Truckee) take Highway 89 or U.S. Highway 50 to
South Shore.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (102)
5 stars
47
4 stars
21
3 stars
12
2 stars
14
1 stars
8
Amanda F
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:19
Reviewed 14 hours ago
Will be staying at Badgers Den again as soon as we can. Ozzy the security guard was the absolute highlight of our stay. Such a great man and the information he shared definitely added to our stay. The bathrooms were well maintained and the staff was very accommodating and kind. They worked diligently to help resolve issues and they always greeted us warmly. Everything was well maintained and it felt like coming home for us. We hated leaving. Even with all the bear activity, our young kids felt safe and enjoyed their first tent camping experience immensely. My husband has been camping at Camp Richardson his whole life and now my children are excited to join the tradition!! Can’t wait to come back!! See you soon Fuzzy and Ozzy!!!
Kathleen P
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:45
Reviewed 2 days ago
We have been camping here for 4 years and everything has been perfect except the quality of bathroom cleaning and servicing has decreased significantly. By 4pm there is no toilet paper, the garbages are overflowing and the bathroom is filthy. It continues into the morning, still no toilet paper or seat covers and filthy. They NEED to be cleaned more often, like 6am and 4pm. Filthy!
KRISTIN I
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:15
Reviewed 3 days ago
This was an amazing campground that was surprisingly quite and close to everything Camp Richardson has to offer! Can't way for our next trip!
ELIA K
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:40
Reviewed 5 days ago
There was a group of college students talking and playing music after 2 am my husband told them to be quiet and still keep going. There was no surveillance regarding the 10 pm quiet time
Kristiana W
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:47
Reviewed 5 days ago
It was interesting to watch the young bears tour the campground. Everyone please be bear safe.
James Arvid F
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:51
Reviewed 7 days ago
The campground rules state the maximum number of vehicles and tents. I followed your rules and even purchased an extra campsite and vehicle passes for my family. However, on 7/18 and 7/19, I observed on site 54 at least 8 vehicles, with four parked intentionally in the dirt. They were still there Sunday morning. This was not the only site with more than five vehicles, and there were sites with 8 or more tents throughout the week. I resent paying nearly $500 extra to comply with the rules when they are not uniformly enforced. Actually, there was no enforcement, and I obviously was duped into paying extra. I have pictures of the violations. 8 vehicles, four in the dirt, maybe two with passes.
Also, if you are going to post that shower tokens are $1, how do you justify charging $3? Can't you afford a new sign while charging $3? Does anybody in management understand supply and demand? You raised shower prices so high, nobody is using them.
Do you realize people use the restrooms for an hour while charging their devices? right? Why not install charging stations and make some money off of their credit cards?
Would it be so difficult to remove the locking hardware from the bathrooms and put in slide bolts? Probably could do every restroom for under $100 total.
Remove the towel dispensers; most are broken anyway, and install blowers.
It is obvious you care about the lodge and RV park. Badger's Den........forget it; clean the bathrooms once and forget it.
Why is there a light but it doesn't work at night?
I should get a refund for all the extra parking passes I purchased, and for the other five nights I purchased as well at Badger's Den.
After thirty years of coming to Camp Rich, it is getting worse every time. I hope the family realizes how horrible it has become and we camp elsewhere. The only redeeming quality is the ice cream shop.
Armando M
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:73
Reviewed 10 days ago
we had a bear encounter almost every night we stayed at this campsite 😂
Taryn C
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:5
Reviewed 11 days ago
We had a wonderful time, but must say the weeds were out of control in the Aspen loop…. It was quite annoying. But bathrooms were good and we were thankful to see security making its rounds.
Gabriel H
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:81
Reviewed 13 days ago
Dear Camp Richardson Administration,
I recently stayed at Camp Richardson for five nights and wanted to share both positive feedback and serious concerns regarding the Badger camping area.
First, the positives: I truly enjoyed the ice cream shop, general store, restaurant, and lodge. Being able to watch the World Soccer Match on the lodge TV was a great experience. The early‑morning coffee service was also wonderful and very appreciated by early risers. These amenities added real comfort to my stay.
However, the conditions in the Badger campground were troubling. During my visit, multiple large family groups—often 15 to 20 people—occupied single campsites and frequently overran neighboring sites. They walked directly through smaller campsites without regard for etiquette or personal space. Quiet hours were not observed, and there appeared to be no security presence to enforce them.
More concerning were repeated violations of bear‑safety rules. Many groups did not use the bear lockers and instead left food in coolers tied shut with ropes. As a result, bears entered the campground nightly. From midnight until around 5 AM, bears raided these exposed coolers, triggering car alarms and causing loud disturbances several times each night. This made sleep nearly impossible for everyone in the area.
It was alarming that these issues continued every night without intervention. The overcrowding and lack of enforcement created unsafe conditions for both campers and wildlife.
I strongly encourage Camp Richardson to enforce campsite occupancy limits, quiet hours, and proper food‑storage rules, and to increase security presence—especially at night. These steps would greatly improve safety and the overall experience for all guests.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,Gabriel Hernandez
Silvia V
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:38
Reviewed 14 days ago
Very clean campground, the lake area is Beautiful, the workers at his campground are so polite, pleasant .!!!
Ed T
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:12
Reviewed 14 days ago
Lake Tahoe is stunning, Camp Richardson is great. Tent camping is full of bears daily, car horns at night trying to scare off bears, lights and air horns so not much sleeping.
Jung L
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:68
Reviewed 15 days ago
My only issue is the kids that were camping close to us. They were taking loud till 2am in the morning and no one came to quiet them down. Disappointed that people don’t care about the quiet time and no one enforces it.
Natalie H
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:3
Reviewed 16 days ago
Wonderful camping experience! Loved Camp Richardson. Our site was clean and safe! Trip was fantastic! We rented bikes and rolled to the beaches and rented kayaks and paddle boards . We were close enough to town that we could drive to the store if we needed anything. Really enjoyed the quick walk to the little coffee shop where you could charge your phone and get caught up with wifi periodically. Kids enjoyed the ice cream parlor. Everyone was so friendly everywhere we went. This was a great experience.
Natalie H
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:3
Reviewed 16 days ago
Wonderful camping experience! Loved Camp Richardson. Our site was clean and safe! Trip was fantastic! We rented bikes and rolled to the beaches and rented kayaks and paddle boards . We were close enough to town that we could drive to the store if we needed anything. Really enjoyed the quick walk to the little coffee shop where you could charge your phone and get caught up with wifi periodically. Kids enjoyed the ice cream parlor. Everyone was so friendly everywhere we went. This was a great experience.
Jared H
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:77
Reviewed 17 days ago
Bear in trash. No sleep that night. I have a younger kid who was pretty shaken up and we had to make last minute changes with no refund. Camp does not manage bears well, and they go through most nights. They were able to get into the locked dumpster, with trash just laying there in the morning until a camper cleaned it up. Nice campsite, just not the best managed.
Linda T
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:9
Reviewed 17 days ago
The bears come to the campground in the mornings and in the evenings. I've camped at Camp Richardsons for many years and have never experienced bears roaming around in the mornings. You expect them at night, but now you have to make sure all food is secure right after you have breakfast & well before night fall. At night the car alarms, blow horns & people yelling at the bears can go on all night long. It's no longer an enjoyable camping experience at this campground.
Amber A
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:34
Reviewed 18 days ago
Our camping site 34 was a bit small and very close to campers behind us. Would be great for a group site. However overall everything was great. Clean toilets, dish washing station. The store had great selection, the sandwich’s were amazing and shareable. Coffee shop was amazing. The ice cream parlor had large and delicious portions. The lakefront restaurant had great food and live music, fun bar atmosphere. The camp resort offers everything you might need and more. We will be back!!
Jacqueline Q
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:11
Reviewed 19 days ago
Camp Richardson was amazing! We had #11 and it was a great spot! It had trees and were able to rent bikes and hang out at the beach. Perfect little getaway.
Lisa K
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:39
Reviewed 20 days ago
Love the campground. Always clean with lots of friendly campers!
Sabrina S
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:24
Reviewed 21 days ago
Sites are understandably close by there was a bear in the area all night and came right into our site the restrooms were cleaned and stayed stocked with items very close to the lake
John W
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:40
Reviewed 22 days ago
Not enough showers or bathrooms for a campground that large.
Sandy K
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:8
Reviewed a month ago
What I enjoyed about this campsite is that it's very close proximity to everything you need. There are kayak rentals nearby, an ice cream parlor, a general store, the lake/water are all within a short walk. There are shower buildings as well. Bears do visit the campsite regularly. We were there for 3 nights, 4 days, and we saw 3 different bears. They are not afraid of humans or even the Bear noise sound horn. They mainly stay clear of humans, they don't seem aggressive, but they also don't seem afraid, so just lock up everything. We were surprised that the bears came out early. We saw one at 3pm one day, then later that night a second one, much larger, around 9:30pm, and then another one around 6pm broad daylight the next day. No harm no foul, one just took some bread off our camp table bc we hadn't packed things away for the night since it was 6pm at night and we were just prepping for dinner. So just something to keep in mind. Bathrooms are clean, there are flushable toilets, sinks, and mirror. There are water spigots near the bathroom but not near the campsites. Down side is that the campsites are stacked on top of each other, you're right next to your neighbor, so not much privacy.. tends to get loud but everyone respects the 10pm curfew and turns down their music.
Eldad B
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:11
Reviewed a month ago
All was good except the toilets. not cleaned, no soap, etc
Noemi L
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:50
Reviewed a month ago
It was the first time we couldn't sleep; bears ate some of our supplies, and we couldn't sleep any night because everyone kept setting off alarms to scare them away—there was a lot of shouting at night, the bathrooms didn't work, and there was no hot water. Despite all that, my children really enjoyed the beach and the beautiful views, and the service from the motel receptionist was wonderful.
Trevor O
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:67
Reviewed a month ago
Great location to pope beach and not too loud with the vehicle traffic. The negatives were partially working showers with ice cold water, clogged toilets in women's and men's bathrooms, and no toilet paper or cleaning for 3 days despite complaints to the office. For the price and inconvenience of everything just get an airbnb or go backpacking. If you want the beach proximity it's great.
Trevor O
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:78
Reviewed a month ago
No one cleaned the restrooms Saturday to Tuesday. One toilet was clogged in the mens and two in the women's with no toilet paper the entire time I was there. The showers also were cold the entire time. What is the point of us paying so much for a campsite that advertises showers and a bathroom. I rather backpack or book a hotel. The price of this is not worth it.
Alonso H
Loop:Aspen Loop
Site:1
Reviewed a month ago
We got 3 campsites, 2 sites were great but the 3rd one was horrible. No areas to put the tents. Huge potholes and slopes everywhere. We had to put all the people that should have been at that site with us.
Cherie L
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:73
Reviewed a month ago
This was our second time at the same camp site. The ranger was helpful in managing a bear walking through the camp sites and check-in staff were welcoming. The grass by the picnic table/ bear locker/ fire was pretty overgrown (knee-height) and a couple of tree branches extended over the fire area and tent area, requiring us to place our tent in a less convenient spot than we did last year.
Jacob M
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:40
Reviewed a month ago
Camp site #40 was very large & flat. We had 3 tents and there was easily room for 3 more. The bathrooms and showers were across the driveway from us, which was convenient, and the showers worked without tokens (not sure if this is always the case). Good tree coverage for a mix of sun and shade depending on time of day.
The campground was very loud. It is right next to the highway, so lots of road noise even after dark. Also there are lots of group sites, which brings in lots of groups of people who are also loud. If you are looking for a quiet wilderness setting, this is not it. If you're looking for nearby access to the lake and a lively summer experience, you might like it here.
Kyle K
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:30
Reviewed a month ago
Getting specific shower tokens was never mentioned to me at checkin. The showers didnt take quarters, and there is nothing that states how or where to get tokens. So after having to drive down to the general store, then being told to go to the hotel across the street to get the tokens, which was $2 for 1 token that got you 8 mins. After getting two tokens and finally getting to go take a shower, there was no hot water and it was freezing cold. Thanks
Daniel P
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:20
Reviewed a month ago
Camp Richardson is the best. Ive been visiting this resort for many years and it never disappoints. Great for families or couples or a single camper. Thanks for the great stay and we will be back!
Brian D
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:32
Reviewed a month ago
Wonderful location. Close to the beach, ice cream shop, general store, and coffee shop. Hot showers were not working much of my stay. Campground was loud due to construction and kids playing. Bear activity was high.
Sally B
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:36
Reviewed a month ago
Wonderful sites, clean restrooms, friendly bears!
Savannah R
Loop:Sugar Pine Loop
Site:18
Reviewed 2 months ago
Be prepared for the showers to not work and maintenance is no help when you tell them. Either the showers were broken or they were worked but there was no hot water. Maintenance employees are not knowledgeable about how the showers work, they thought the timer going off means the hot water is going out not realizing it’s the actual timer for the showers. There were several people who were complaining to them about no hot water or showers that don’t work at all and their resolution was to go across the highway to the other showers because,” those showers work great”.
Qudsia P
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:58
Reviewed 2 months ago
Great location, easy access, and friendly staff and knowledgeable. The only problem was there was only one running water by the bathroom area to wash dishes and vegetables otherwise everything was absolutely great.
Janelle B
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:64
Reviewed 2 months ago
Perfect campground for beginner camper or those with kids and want comfort. All the amenities (hot showers, very clean bathrooms, general store, ice cream parlor, on site restaurant, bike rentals, coffee shop) made outdoor “living” so convenient, fun and easy! We loved our stay and plan to come back! Plus only a 10 min walk to Pope Beach!
Yadira S
Loop:Willow Loop
Site:42
Reviewed 7 months ago
Best location possible to pope beach and fallen leaf. A lot of bear activity at night, be aware. Every night there’s a list 1-2 bears roaming around when everyone is sleeping. We still make it out yearly camp site.
Melinda S
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:79
Reviewed 7 months ago
My kids were on a multi state road trip and needed a place in Tahoe. I immediately thought of Camp Richardson and was lucky to get one of the least few tent sites. They had a great stay and the price was very reasonable. Thank you. #keepTahoeblue
Robyn P
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:84
Reviewed 7 months ago
Bathrooms had a constant ongoing sewage leak,constant wet floors in filthy toilet paper on floors.
I will never go back
Bin T
Loop:Cedar Loop
Site:73
Reviewed 9 months ago
We stay at the site 73, I believe. You need check-in before or after settle down your tent. Call the site for how to check in. It has a narrow juggled path walkable to the pope beach. The nearby restrooms have flush toilets. I remember it has plugs for your hair dryers. We didn’t use the plugs for safety concern, for not sure if it’s well maintained or not. The shower rooms with hot water are separated from the restrooms, kind of small but enough space just not for accessibility. This site also has many token operated bathroom with toilet and shower in the same room, more convenient and more privacy.
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