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William Kent Campground

Overview

William Kent Campground is conveniently located on Lake Tahoe's west shore, a few miles south of Tahoe City. It straddles the highway and features not only a large area in which to camp, but also a day-use area that is popular among visitors.

Recreation

Just minutes away from the campground, 22-mile-long Lake Tahoe provides sunbathing, swimming, boating and water skiing. Anglers can look forward to healthy fish populations of kokanee salmon and mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout.

The campground is also ideal for people planning a full day of bike riding around Lake Tahoe. Bike trails that traverse the western shores of Lake Tahoe begin near the campground.

Facilities

The campground offers dozens of campsites, available for tent and RV camping. Each is equipped with tables, campfire rings and grills. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Each yurt provides a cabin-like space for a family of five or six people. The yurts sit on a wooden platform interior furnishings include a futon and bunk beds with mattresses. Cooking supplies and bedding are not provided. The tent and RV sites have paved parking aprons. Each yurt and standard site has a bear-proof food storage locker, campfire ring, pedestal grill and picnic table.

Natural Features

William Kent Campground is situated in a residential area, alongside a busy highway. The campground has more than 80 sites, each surrounded by tall pine, cedar and fir trees.

Many of the sites are secluded with evergreen shrubs and the terrain, with its shallow gullies and low ridges, helps to keep each site separate from neighboring sites.

Contact Info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (530) 541-1537 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

A day-use area is located across the street from the campground for lake access and other water activities. Tahoe City is less than 5 miles away.

Charges & Cancellations

Rules & Reservation Policies

As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations.

Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites.

Booking Window

For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility.

Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees

Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation.

Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies.

Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location.

Late Cancellations

Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival.

Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply.

Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee.

Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee.

Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge.

No-Shows

Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date.

If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.

Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund.

Refunds

Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure.

Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location.

Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card.

Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy.

Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure.

Recreation.gov Billing Information

Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777."

Changes to Policies and Procedures

Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July 

Camp site features

Across 81 camp sites:

  • Picnic table: all 81 sites
  • Pets allowed: 78 of 81 sites
  • ADA accessible: 4 of 81 sites
  • Longest rig: 57 ft
  • Largest party: 6 people

Directions

William Kent Campground is 2 miles south of Tahoe City on California Highway 89.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

Ratings (629)
5 stars
420
4 stars
131
3 stars
42
2 stars
18
1 stars
18
Steve H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:076
Reviewed 3 days ago
Barakat Ali F
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:019
Reviewed 4 days ago
We had great experience camping here, as it is near the lake and has a nice beach. The fun part is when the big bear comes out for food 🐻
Cassandra S
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:041
Reviewed 5 days ago
Great campground minus meeting a bear twice. Centrally located: market and sandwich shop across the street. Lake access was nice. Guard your food with your life. A bear frequents twice daily.
Ingrid A
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:029
Reviewed 5 days ago
the camp hosts were amazing! helpful, supportive. The bear is coming through camp twice a day, becoming a daily nuisance instead of an occasional surprise.
Dan W
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:014
Reviewed 6 days ago
If you like wildlife, you've found the right place. William Kent allows you to see bear up close and personal. Boo, who I was told has been coming around for over a decade, has stepped up to a whole new level. Boo comes through camp 2-3 times a day. Typically during the breakfast and dinner hours. Opening car doors, sitting on the picnic tables and doing as bears do---enjoy the feasts brought from unsuspecting campers. Why forage for berries when you can eat hot dogs, hamburgers and s'mores. The camp hosts take their job seriously. Don't let a cm of your tire touch that dirt or suffer a $500 fine. Treat your bearbox like a refrigerator and be quick about preparing and consuming your meals. Otherwise, face the wrath of "Boo".
DAVID M
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:054
Reviewed 7 days ago
The Folks acting as Camp hosts are very nice and helpful.
Cendan D
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:076
Reviewed 8 days ago
Very convenient, slightly crowded, there are bears
Arash K
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:067
Reviewed 8 days ago
Great campground
Edwin K
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:035
Reviewed 10 days ago
Be prepared to not be able to have a campground fire in the evening unless your comfortable hearing your neighbors yelling and banging pots and pans because every night one or more of the 4 known problem bears will enter your campsite. This is true even if you have put all food away properly..we cut our stay short after two nights of the bears entering our campsite. The campground host said they have reported the problem to CA Fish and Wildlife but so far no response...they also think the bears will not bother anyone outside?? Most horrible experience in many many years of camping for us, my son was traumatized and says he won't camp again.
Karen G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:019
Reviewed 11 days ago
The camp hosts and gate personnel were so nice and very accomodating. They helped adjust my reservations so I didn't have to move around and were very understanding. Sites 19 and 21 are pretty steep - requiring quite a bit of levelling blocks. The sites are so nice and shady and the campground is very well maintained.
Lizbeth B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:029
Reviewed 13 days ago
Beautiful campsite with clean bathrooms. Wish there was a bit more space between you and the other campsites but it was ok. Camp hosts were very nice and the other campers respected quiet times. There’s a market across the street if you forget anything which was very nice to have as well.
David Line L
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:021
Reviewed 14 days ago
Very clean and level campsite.
Sudheer G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:030
Reviewed 16 days ago
Excellent access to the beach.
Oleskandr M
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:028
Reviewed 18 days ago
Great camp, on of the best in Lake Tahoe
Juan Esteban G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:031
Reviewed 18 days ago
All good!
Deanna B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:074
Reviewed 18 days ago
William Kent is one of our favorite campgrounds. The staff is outstanding and they keep the grounds pristine and always have great communication. The sites are in outstanding shape compared with other campgrounds and pretty level. The lengths are accurate and easy to get into. Bathrooms are clean and bear boxes in every spot as far as I know. We use solar so we need some sun and 74 was pretty good and we topped off with our small generator. Water is available near the dump station when you come in. The small beach across the street is really cool. We love it here!
Genelle T
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:044
Reviewed 18 days ago
Avoid cabin side of campground.
Ryan W
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:009
Reviewed 18 days ago
Loved it. The location is close to the beach, a market, and bike rentals (if you don’t bring your own). The sunsets are beautiful, and a few moments walk from the campground, to the ocean.
Justin F
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:031
Reviewed 18 days ago
The hosts were incredible people. The campgrounds were extremely clean and beautiful. What a wonderful place to stay.
Todd K
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:056
Reviewed 19 days ago
This review is I’ll be short, since as I arrived at my campsite around 4pm for an overnight stay, an unreported mountain thunderstorm formed to rain down upon me. The campsite looked nice, and was blocked off well enough from other sites, but I spent my whole night in my tent, reading and listening to the rain fall onto my tent. The bathrooms were ok for campsite bathrooms, although there were strangely no mirrors in there. I’d recommend a stay here.
Cynthia O
Loop:Yurts
Site:080
Reviewed 20 days ago
Awesome campground and walking distance to lots of stuff. The yurt was so comfortable and fun! Large campsites with plenty of parking.
Arthur S
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:025
Reviewed 20 days ago
Great campground with lake Tahoe beach park, market, and jet ski rental across the street. Not ideal for those who wants to camp in 100% woods. But nice place for those who wants to be closer to the civilization.
Kristen H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:033
Reviewed 21 days ago
We try to spend a week or so here every summer. It’s beautiful, across the street from the lake, and although definitely what we call suburban camping, sites are spaced out nicely so it doesn’t feel crowded. When lake swimming no longer works for a shower, there are showers at Meek’s Bay Resort.
Barbara W
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:079
Reviewed 21 days ago
We were able to get a last minute spot, reserving site #79. It was a great location and very easy to back in our 22ft travel trailer. Location, even though within the Tahoe City limits, was so quiet. Camp hosts were great, very knowledgeable and supportive to needs. My old negative would be no hot water or soap in the bathrooms. If I had to chose just one it would be soap and cold water.
Jon G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:014
Reviewed 24 days ago
Caretakers are keeping this place clean and organized.
Jon G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:061
Reviewed 24 days ago
Caretakers keep this place working.
Jon G
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:055
Reviewed 24 days ago
The caretakers are fabulous!
michael m
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:058
Reviewed 24 days ago
Nice campground, all paved. Good restrooms, sites are far apart. A short walk to the Lake and to restaurants. Sunntside and Fireside for breakfast. Small stone covered beach at the lake. Bike trail nearby and bike rental nearby. Friendly host.
Linda H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:045
Reviewed 25 days ago
Great location across from lake and restaurant and market. Bike paths right there- Truckee River path was gorgeous. Original site #45 was too unlevel for our van, staff was very helpful with our transfer to a level site #17.
Linda H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:045
Reviewed 25 days ago
Wonderful, updated roads and flat sites, we were in #9. Great little market in Baker.
Linda H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:045
Reviewed 25 days ago
Wonderful, updated roads and flat sites, we were in #9. Great little market in Baker.
Linda H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:045
Reviewed 25 days ago
Wonderful, updated roads and flat sites, we were in #9. Great little market in Baker.
Linda H
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:045
Reviewed 25 days ago
Wonderful, updated roads and flat sites, we were in #9. Great little market in Baker.
Ronald C
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:072
Reviewed 25 days ago
Friendly staff excellent service, site 72 huge spot, it's a problem this campground area no shower.
Aslinur K
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:039
Reviewed 25 days ago
Great campsite with a large, flat area that's perfect for a tent, and we were also able to comfortably set up our pop-top camper van. It's also conveniently close to the bathroom and running water without feeling too close. The driveway is only wide enough for one vehicle, so plan accordingly if you're traveling with multiple cars. The site does back up to someone's backyard, but there are plenty of trees that provide privacy and block most of the view. It was quiet all weekend, making it a peaceful place to relax. Nice table, fire pit with large bear box. We also enjoyed being walking distance to the beach and camp host was very friendly.
Becky A
Loop:Yurts
Site:080
Reviewed a month ago
Our William Kent Yurt was delightful, clean, seemingly new furnishings with a very comfortable mattress that we really appreciated. I love tent camping, but since it has become difficult to get up and down from our air-mattress, staying at a yurt has become our compromise between tent camping and a motel. Thanks so much for our lovely stay. Oh, and the William Kent hosts were delightful, Becky A
Bryce C
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:012
Reviewed a month ago
Lots of bear activity. Very close to a water accessible beach and market (within walking distance)
MELANIE O
Loop:Yurts
Site:080
Reviewed a month ago
We stayed at a yurt which was very cute. Nice set up for 4 adults. We had a bear come nearby and actually climbed in an open car window. Heed the warning and store all your food!!!
Lance B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:004
Reviewed a month ago
Campsite was beautiful. Restrooms were clean. The hosts were friendly and helpful. Good and other amenities where within walking distance. Bus stop at the entrance of the campground which was very convenient. Would definitely stay again.
Darrel T
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:050
Reviewed a month ago
Best location on the West side.
Linnette C
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:017
Reviewed a month ago
Great location across from lake. Clean campground with lots of pine trees. Even saw a bear!
D.D. B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:064
Reviewed a month ago
The campground itself was beautiful. We loved the spaciousness in our camping spot (#64), the beautiful forest, close restrooms and close access to the lake. HOWEVER, we did NOT love the very loud and very late night party going on in one of the privately owned cabins that line the side of the camp in front of our campsite. We had not been here before and didn't realize how densely packed everything is around this campground, including the busy main road. With all of the beautiful trees and spacious campsites, it normally wouldn't be an issue, I am sure. However, we just happened to be staying at a campsite close to the road AND when that group decided to throw their loud, very late night party. We are grateful for the flushing toilets and (cold) running water. However, warm water, soap and paper towel availability would have been nice. Also, the women's restroom was down to only one working toilet in the bathroom closest to our campsite. Having two working toilets would also have been really helpful. Again, it is a beautiful place to camp and close to the lake, with it's "own beach". Just know it is close to private residences (bring ear plugs in case you need them), a busy road (again, a use for the ear plugs) and that the bathroom situation could be improved upon.
Cynthia D
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:030
Reviewed a month ago
We had a great stay here. The road through the campground is a bit narrow in spots and required careful maneuvering, and some of the sites are not very level, but it's a beautiful campground and a great location. The beach right across the main road is a good kayak launching spot and the West Shore bike trail runs right past as well. There is a small market across the road as well as the Sunnyside Lodge with their large deck for outdoor dining on the lake. This campground is high on our list of places to come back to.
Ashley V
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:053
Reviewed a month ago
Bathrooms were well maintained and camp hosts/personnel were very friendly. Some campers were pretty loud after 10pm curfew but not more than maybe 30 min to an hour after the 10pm curfew.
Erin P
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:052
Reviewed a month ago
Clean, beautiful, flushing toilets, nice location for biking and hiking. Small beach rocky and shaded gets too crowded. Cute restaurants and coffee shop near. One camp host super nice! The other camp host really cranky. If you have a larger trailer, make sure you get one of the larger spots or else can be pretty impossible to park. I would recommend!
Nancy B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:008
Reviewed a month ago
Bathroom poor maintenance bench table unusable tent site too rocky
Dan F
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:011
Reviewed a month ago
The camp sites and bathrooms were very clean. However, I think it would be nice to have loaner life-jackets at the WILLIAM KENT beach for swimmers/paddlers that either forgot theirs or don't have one.
Evonne M
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:025
Reviewed a month ago
Site #25 was perfect for our 21'TT and truck. Nice, clean flushing bathroom steps away, yet out of view. The campground hosts were very pleasant and helpful. They keep the entire campground immaculate.
Gary P
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:052
Reviewed a month ago
Nice and quiet campground. Great location a short walk to the lake with beach access. A few good restaurants are within within walking distance. Bike trails near the entrance will take you along the lake to Meeks Bay or along the river to Pallisades.
Sounak B
Loop:William Kent Campground
Site:031
Reviewed 2 months ago
Awesome location close to the lake but away from crowds. Very close to Tahoe City for EV charging. You need to find good sites which are aplenty. Some campsites close to the perimeter are next to homes.
Popularity

Very busy · 92%

Busiest in July, when about 92% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Location
PO BOX 9047
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA 96158

Camp Sites

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