KOA Coleville/Walker Meadowcliff Lodge offers sites that accommodate tent camping, RVs, and pet-friendly cabins along Highway 395. Pets must remain leashed throughout the property while owners maintain responsibility for waste cleanup. The campground maintains immaculate facilities with clean restrooms and showers, particularly appreciated by campers with pets needing to rinse off after outdoor adventures. Full hookup RV sites include water, electric, and sewer connections with options for 50-amp service. Tent campers enjoy designated sites with picnic tables and proximity to bathrooms. The campground remains open seasonally from March 1 to November 10, providing a convenient base for exploring nearby recreation areas.
Several pet-friendly alternatives exist around Coleville, including Topaz Lake Recreation Area where dogs are welcome at both hookup sites and primitive camping areas. The lake offers excellent opportunities for dogs that enjoy swimming, with designated shoreline access points. Campers note the clean grounds are regularly maintained despite occasional afternoon winds that can affect lakeside camping. Desert Creek Campground provides a free, more rustic option for pets and their owners, though without amenities like showers or toilets. Topaz Lodge RV Park maintains pet-friendly policies with leash requirements and provides full hookups for RV campers, while its proximity to the lake allows for easy access to water activities with pets. When traveling with pets during summer months, campers should be mindful of hot ground surfaces and ensure adequate shade at sites.
"Besides the beautiful scenic lake spot that offers fun on the lake during the day and star gazing at night it’s a well ran campground with amentities."
"Excellent location, stunning scenery, limited cell service, sounds perfect because it is. Fishing, exploring and just relaxing."
"We stays at the Coleville/Walker Meadowcreek KOA as a base camp during a recent trip to Mono County. We had driven by the campgrounds for years and didn't think to must about it."
"Every night they walked through the grounds to see how everyone was while drinking a glass of wine."
"Not sure why the directions say California when it’s in Nevada. Someone edited the map to a random place in California. I fixed it, if not google maps desert creek campground fixes it."
"Located in a nice canyon next to a creek. Stayed here one night. There are lots of different spots with fire pits once you get into the canyon. Lots of firewood as well."
$35 / night
"Camp host was a great help for local recommendations for day trips and directions to a general store about 40min drive away."
"We had both our dogs and never had to keep them on leash as the site site is pretty back from the road. We will come again but possibly stay in yurt."
"There are plenty of trash cans around the park. They are emptied almost daily. Pets are welcome. Dogs must be on leashes and picked up after."
"Decent little RV park that worked well for us as we were driving through and needed a place for the night. It’s surprisingly nice and cute considering it’s behind the Chevron and the casino."
$40 / night
"No fires are allowed, but you are right on the lake, with two docks and a beach with shade everywhere and amazing views, so who cares?"
$28 / night
"The views at the lakes are breathtaking. The campground is next to the smaller lake and has two sections."
"Dirt roads all the way in from Hwy 4 so be prepared for mild offroading and dust."
$24 / night
"Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing horseback riding nearby and of course relaxing."
"No camping is allowed at the hot springs themselves, but outside of the hot springs there are a few cleared out spots with fire rings where you can camp. "
"Lucky for me I don't mind sleeping in my car when necessary so I was able to enjoy the stay uninterrupted just a short distance from the spring itself."
TravelerThe area is nice, it is not near the lake but the lake is only a small drive away. The place is crowded and they pack you in here, but our site (113) was a nice place in the corner. There are much better sites with more room near the dog park if you are looking for more space.
GuideWe came into south lake to visit family. This campground is right in town but there’s enough space and trees to give it a natural setting. Bathrooms are great and it’s pretty quiet considering it’s popular. Looks great for families and there’s a dog park, pool and trails.
ScoutI really liked this place. I stayed a month and wouldn't have minded staying longer.
The General Store had lots of supplies, and they gave RV customers a discount on "souvenirs".
I didn't use the showers or restrooms (although I did pay the $10, refundable, deposit for a key).
The staff was extremely nice.
There are plenty of trash cans around the park. They are emptied almost daily.
Pets are welcome. Dogs must be on leashes and picked up after. (There were lots of people there with dogs and/or cats.)
The spaces are roomy and each space has a picnic table. However, there was no grass, except near the hotel and near the horseshoe pits. (So, no grass at the sites.) Also, there wasn't much shade. ☹️ Sites are quite level, and are graveled. Hookups were very accessible.
The view of the lake was beautiful. However, I had to drive about 5 miles (to the County Park) in order to actually get to the water. ☹️. This would have been very inconvenient, if I hadn't had a toad.
All in all, I really enjoyed my stay at this park.
ScoutIt’s a nice park with a store and lots of things to do (pool, tennis court, etc) but we preferred a campground down the road for cheaper for the views of the lake. It’s dirt here so be prepared for everything to get dirty or muddy! We paid for the 5.2gb wifi since ours is having trouble connecting. I’d stay here again but wasn’t my favorite, I liked the general store a lot, cute gifts and things! They do have a really big dog park which we loved too, the dogs also seemed to love it!
GuideGreat location if you want to be near Costco and the capital city. Great views of the Sierras and the Carson valley. Sites are narrow, about twice the width of your RV, and separated by chain link fencing. But all sites are perfectly flat, paved pull-throughs; easy in, easy out parking. Also electric, water, sewer hookup, cable and strong wifi and cell service. Sites are gravel, but the campground has nice grassy dog parks, clean bathrooms and laundry, and well-stocked store with propane refill. Pool and fishing pond were closed but looked great. We were there in early April 2021; with our binoculars we could see skiers at the top of Heavenly Mountain ski area!
GuideWe had a great time at this winter paradise!! South Lake Tahoe had gotten 20 inches of snow in the 14 days prior to our arrival, then got four more inches while we were there. Practice your backing up, the plowed snow made some of the pull through sites back in only!! The huge, beautiful trees made for some additional obstacles. The best part of our stay was the assistance we received from TERRY in changing sites and getting set up. The campground is close enough to all the activities in South Lake Tahoe. The plowed snow and ice made walking through the campground very difficult, but there wasn’t anyplace else you could put it. The dog park was great!! When you’re traveling with a Great Dane and Australian Shepard, that’s a big deal!! We’ll stay here again...maybe in the summer!!
TravelerDrove in and was greeted by an escort named Brett!!he showed us where to drop our tow and even helped us…..He helped my husband back into our site and made sure our slide outs were out and everything before heading off. Everyone waves and says hi as you pass by. I wish we had neighbors like this at home… They have a dog park for those fur babies, a store to get things you might’ve forgot and right out of the campground they have a few eating places and stores.(Taco Bell, pizza) paved roads so kids can ride bikes around the campground and a swimming pool! Beautiful scenery with tall trees!!! They have activities to do for everyone! Campground is kept very clean!! I know now why it’s hard to make reservations!! Keep being awesome Tahoe Valley Campground!!
LegendThis camp ground is smaller relative to some of the other camping options in the area, but still well maintained. It is close to the road but still quiet. Each site has a table, fire ring, and a food storage locker. There are two vault toilets. Bring your own water. You cannot reserve sites ahead of time.
If you want to experience the Yosemite area with your dog, camping in the Inyo National Forest is a great option, because dogs are allowed to join you anywhere you go in the area, as long as they are leashed or well trained to verbal commands. Since the Yosemite NPS does not allow dogs on trails, these national forest campgrounds are a better pet-friendly alternative.
If you like fishing, there are great fishing spots at the nearby stream and lake.
Because this campground is actually a part of the national forest, you can stay here for up to two weeks, in addition to the two week maximum enforced for camping within the NPS limits. So in total you could can stay in "Yosemite" for a month by combining camping at this site (or other nearby national forest sites) with camping inside the park, which is why we stayed here for a long rock climbing trip.
ScoutEasy to check in, sports are sizable. It’s an Rv park so the spots are side to side, communal firepit by the lake is really cool. Pet friendly as well. Would recommend!
Camping near Coleville, California centers around the West Walker River basin at approximately 5,000 feet elevation. The area experiences hot, dry summers with temperatures often exceeding 90°F and cold winters with occasional snow. Most campgrounds in this region operate seasonally from spring through fall due to winter closure of higher elevation access roads.
Fishing in local waters: The West Walker River provides excellent trout fishing opportunities throughout the camping season. At Sonora Bridge Campground, campers report "fishing is Awesome when the flow of the West Walker is slow. Not good after a thaw." Some sites have direct stream access with productive fishing spots.
Hiking nearby trails: Several trails of varying difficulty levels surround the Coleville area. At Grover Hot Springs State Park Campground, a camper mentioned "hiking with in a few minutes of the camp ground near where the Hot Springs facility is." Many trails offer views of the Eastern Sierra and access to alpine meadows.
Water recreation at Topaz Lake: Located just minutes from Coleville, Topaz Lake offers swimming, boating, and paddling. According to a visitor at Topaz Lake Recreation Area, "Lake offers boating, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, jet skiing, and swimming. Boat launch and fish cleaning are a good distance from camp sites."
Clean facilities at some campgrounds: Many campgrounds in the area maintain high standards of cleanliness. One camper at KOA Coleville/Walker Meadowcliff Lodge stated, "I would also like to point out that the bathrooms were the cleanest and nicest we have seen so far. A+ stay!"
Scenic views and natural settings: The Coleville area offers mountain vistas and riverside camping. At Highland Lakes Campground, visitors appreciate that "The views at the lakes are breathtaking. The campground is next to the smaller lake and has two sections. One is right by the road, fairly open and flat, and the other a bit up the hill, with sites that are more private, nestled around the trees."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The area supports diverse wildlife including birds, deer, and occasional larger mammals. Many campgrounds provide good wildlife viewing opportunities from campsites or nearby trails.
Weather can change rapidly: The Eastern Sierra is known for sudden weather shifts. A camper at Desert Creek Campground advised to "watch out for black widows in the corners of the bathrooms" and noted the "conspicuous absence of wildlife in the area."
Reservation policies vary by campground: Some locations require advance booking while others operate on first-come, first-served basis. Check specific campground policies before traveling.
Limited services in immediate area: Coleville and nearby Walker are small communities with basic services. One visitor noted, "Coleville and Walker are small communities with minimal options but has a couple of eating choices and a general store."
Seasonal operation: Most campgrounds close during winter months. According to reports, KOA Coleville/Walker remains "open seasonally from March 1 to November 10" while other campgrounds like Highland Lakes might only be accessible "from July to September."
Look for campgrounds with play areas: Some locations offer dedicated spaces for children. A camper at Topaz Lake Recreation Area mentioned "Grass area for kids playing or throwing the ball or frisbee. Horse shoe game area. Big lake side beach. You can set up badminton or beach volleyball."
Consider sites with easy water access: Kids enjoy water activities during hot summer days. According to one reviewer, "The creek is right behind the campground. Some good fishing in the deeper holes."
Choose dog friendly campgrounds near Coleville: Many families travel with pets and need appropriate accommodations. While pets are welcome at most campgrounds, policies vary regarding leash requirements and access to specific areas.
Pack for variable weather: Even summer nights can be cool at elevation. Prepare for temperature swings and potential afternoon winds, as one camper noted, "warm winds pick up in the afternoon so keep things tied down!"
Site size considerations: Some campgrounds have limitations for larger RVs. At Topaz Lake RV Park, a reviewer mentioned, "Plenty of space for our 34' travel trailer. Full hookups - water, electric and sewer and Cable tv, plus decent wifi."
Road access challenges: Access to some campgrounds involves narrow or rough roads. One camper warned, "The pads if you are pulling a trailer or in a RV are narrow. As are the roads. We watched several people come real close to dropping into a ditch."
Hookup availability varies widely: While some campgrounds offer full hookups, others provide only basic services. A visitor to Topaz Lodge RV Park shared, "I found the place easy, I needed to register at the main store, the lady was very nice, the price was right, $22/night with partial hookups."
Dump station locations: Not all campgrounds with RV sites offer dump stations. Plan accordingly for waste disposal during your stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Coleville, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Coleville, CA is Topaz Lake Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Coleville, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 143 dog-friendly camping locations near Coleville, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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