Loon Lake

Nice peaceful spot. Few cars go by, but it’s tucked away enough.

My wife and I love Loon Lake. It is a beautiful mountain lake located far enough away from the crowds to get some peace and quiet. Not a bad site in the campground.

You should definitely check out Loon Lake right off on I-50 but the road to get to it is on ice house road which is about an hour drive. Also, is next to the known trail that people 4x4 is call Rubicon Trail.

Loon Lake was beautiful and such scenery to enjoy. Big rainbow trout and camping was amazing if your going in as a group.

We stayed at sites 15 and 17 during the week. It wasn’t too crowded since school had just started and burning man was happening. These two sites are right on the road next to the toilets and trash bins. Some smells and lots of noises and foot traffic, some 4x4 traffic as well. Otherwise we had a short path to lake front and could keep our floats and boats tied up close by. The site was incredibly rooty/rocky - just be careful moving around at night! I pulled my van into the spot, while others tent camped. Lots of space and convenient. The water was chilly, the weather was pleasant (personally could have enjoyed a few degrees hotter), and there was a massive bug hatch blanketing the water with flying ants. Lots of bats flying around us at night. Dogs loved the site - we had a couple little ones and some hounds. I used an electric trolling motor inflatable boat to cruise around the beautiful lake. There is some road traffic/noise across the way and planes fly right over. The elevation made exercising surprisingly difficult here, including swimming! Overall wonderful camp trip.

I love Loon Lake. It is beautiful. The campground wasn't so great. I was in site 31. My picnic table was half height because it had been sinking into the ground. Good thing I didn't have to use it. The vault toilets were almost full (kind of disgusting). To make things worse, one of my neighbors thought everyone in the campground should listed to their music all day! No peace and quiet here. This part of the campground (sites 1-34) seem to be old and in a need of some improvements. Sites 35-53, which was further away from the lake, was much nicer, long paved parking areas, spaced further apart, newer picnic tables. The boat ramp area was very nice and not too crowded.

This is the spot for ATV riding and four wheel drive vehicles. The views are breathtaking. I remember camping here as a kid, before there was a campground.

This was a pretty big campground, and it was pretty full when I got there. But, the campsite I stayed at (45) was tucked far enough back from the loop road and had tons of bushes, so I felt like I was the only one there. There were rv's with larger groups on either side of me, but I couldn't hear a thing. The hiking trail was right behind my site, and I took full advantage of it, wandering through the backcountry. It was short drive to lake, like 5 min. With as many people as there was in the campground I thought there would be lots of people on the lake. Not so! I shared the lake with only a couple of other people. It was an amazing camping trip!

Beautiful and very peaceful lake.

Loon lake is a beautiful place to camp.

Just returned from a weekend getaway to Loon Lake. We (2 people, 1 pup) stayed two nights at site #25 at Loon Lake Campground. Perfect location for daytime fishing and nighttime stargazing.

Highly recommended!

Highlights: Clear skies (above the smoke from wildfires) and crystal-clear water (warm) made for the perfect escape from the valley smog and smoke. The drive from Sacramento took less than the estimated 2hrs (even on a Friday night at 7 p.m.) and we arrived just before dusk.

Campground: Easy to find and easy to navigate. campsite was clean and flat enough for one tent. the table was slightly broken but not enough to cause any problems. definitely bring something for shade. Bathrooms and water spigots were nearby and you can cut through the back of the site to the Loon Lake trailhead for a nice hike around the lake. For lake access, look for trail near site #29.

Lake: Warm, clear water with sandy/grassy beaches all around. No luck fishing but the lake was stocked with trout late July so sure it was just us.

Considerations: Don't stay at site #25 if using more than one medium tent. Bring extra ice and supplies–the nearest market was too far to justify a trip (40+ mins one way). Drive around the lake to Rubicon 4X4 trailhead. Saw so many beautiful Jeeps and off-road vehicles.

we came up on a whim with no reservations and ended up getting a spot in the parking lot right by the water. Pet friendly. Beautiful sunsets!! It was difficult getting our rig though the sites but we managed. You are required to have life jackets with you on the water.

The lake and surroundings are absolutely gorgeous, but we had cut our camping trip short due to meat bees (Labor Day weekend, 2016). There were TONS of them! They were all over our campsite, the campground, and the waterfront (which is a short walk from the sites).

Also note, there’s no cell service in the area, and finding the campground can be a little challenging. We drove past it the first time.

If you have a large group (up to 50), Loon Lake Campground is a great option! The group camping is separate and private from the rest of the camp that is located right on the water. The big group campsite has individual sites within. Lot's of room and space.

I have come here for years and it's a great spot only the locals seem to know. There are 2 paid sites, one right when you get to the lake and one past the dam on the back side, but in-between there is plenty of free sites that are much nicer in my opinion! After you cross the dam you can pull off anywhere to camp for free up until the next paid sites, then there are a few sites after the paid campground also. I have never camped at the paid sites, so I can't speak for them. They are a little too close together for my tastes. The free sites are primitive with no tables, faucets or bathrooms, but the bathroom is a 5 minute walk/drive to the nearest campsite down the road if you really need one. They do have fire pits and plenty of room to spread out if you don't like camping on top of your neighbors like the paid sites, and I think they have better views and waterfront access. They are large sites for big groups and will easily fit 20+ people. The sites right after the dam go right to the water, and the ones past the campground (on the back side) are on a hill overlooking the water. You can also camp on the island for free if you boat in all your gear. The water is clear (but cold) and lots of good fishing and swimming here! The Rubicon trail and desolation wilderness start just past the last dam and sometimes there's a bit of traffic from the off roaders, and many people go shooting here as well, but a great place to camp overall! Gorgeous views everywhere and not too crowded. It can get cold at night because of the high elevation but so worth it to not have the crowds like the campgrounds farther down the mountain. Holiday weekends will fill up by Thursday, so go early to get a spot! Other weekends you can always find one on Fridays or sometimes even Saturdays. Plenty of parking anywhere on the road for extra campers. Make sure to stop at the ranger station at the bottom of Ice House road for a fire permit. You will need one! Bassi falls is down the mountain a bit but a great spot to hike and swim nearby!

My family had a great time on the Rubicon & camping on the lake. My little brother caught his first fish here! Great memories.

Okay, I have been coming to Loon Lake since I was a kid, still love the area at 40. I have been to a lot of beautiful places but this is still my favorite. I love this lake... it's clean, clear and with not a ton of motor boats. It takes a little extra time to get there, most folks stop at Union Valley or Ice House, but the extra time is worth it! It's a great place to paddle and find a quiet place for a swim. Also, a great place to take hikes, you can head into Desolation Wilderness from a trail heads starting in this campground. The campground is rustic but well maintained (okay I'm biased... my dad has been the host for the past 7 years!), it is dry camping so be prepared. There is water faucets, pit toilets, camp fire rings, picnic tables, bear boxes and you can by wood from the hosts. The campground is typically open Late May/Early June (depending on snow melt - this year will be mid-June) through mid-October. I have stayed up there during the summer and fall. I have also snowshoed up in this area in the winter months.