Camping opportunities near El Dorado Hills provide access to both the Sierra Nevada foothills and Sacramento Valley regions, with elevations ranging from 500 to 1,500 feet. Summer temperatures typically reach 90-100°F during peak season, while winter months bring cooler conditions with occasional frost at higher elevations. Most campgrounds remain accessible year-round with varying seasonal restrictions.
What to do
Fishing access along the American River: Thousand Trails Ponderosa in Lotus provides direct river frontage. "The best thing about this campground is its location on the river. But the sites are packed in and many have little or no cover. There's not a ton of grass and trees, mostly dirt and gravel, at least in the section we were in," notes Nicole G. The American River offers opportunities for bass and trout fishing throughout the year.
Wine tasting tours within 30 minutes: Several RV parks serve as convenient bases for exploring local wineries. "This is not our usual type of camping experience, but since we met friends at a nearby winery, this worked for us since we did not want to drive far," explains Lee D. about their stay at 49er Village RV Resort. The Amador and El Dorado wine regions feature over 50 wineries within driving distance.
Biking on American River Trail: Cyclists can access extensive paved paths from multiple campgrounds. "Great Bike paths adjacent along the river into Downtown or up to Folsom. All Full hook up sites on gravel or asphalt," writes Paul N. about Cal Expo RV Park. The trail system extends 32 miles connecting multiple recreation areas.
What campers like
Swimming pool amenities during hot months: SacWest RV Park & Campground provides relief from summer heat. "Pool, game room, wifi, SHOWERS!😍💞," exclaims Christy L. Most pools operate from May through September, with some facilities maintaining heated options during shoulder seasons.
Spacious concrete pads at upscale locations: Higher-end RV parks offer more substantial site infrastructure. "Very well maintained. The grounds are clean, nice level concrete spaces with lots of grass around them. Easy to social distance," notes Theo A. about Jackson Rancheria RV Park. These premium sites typically cost $15-25 more per night than standard gravel or dirt pads.
Shade coverage during summer heat: Tree canopy becomes critical during hot months. "I like the place pros would be doing just water and electric hook up so your away from the croud,clean and quiet, great wifi, cons next to freeway, expensive,no firepit but have a communal fire pit," reports Filipino Jack T. about Placerville RV Resort. Temperatures frequently exceed 95°F in July and August, making shade a premium amenity.
What you should know
Train noise affects some locations: Railroad tracks impact several campgrounds. "We stayed here for 4 days in Dec. Very nice people that live there and work there. Quiet park and clean. There is a train track across the way but not a bother with the horn twice a day. If it was closer it would be 'My Cousin Vinny'," explains Tonya B. about Loomis RV Park.
Limited full hookup availability: Some parks have restricted premium sites. "Read the fine print! If you are expecting a full-hookup site, make sure it has septic at your site! Many of the sites are water and electric only, and you have to use the one dump station at the camp entrance for dumping," warns HandL C. This limitation affects extended stays particularly during peak summer months.
Membership requirements at select facilities: Several rv parks near El Dorado Hills operate on membership models. "This resort is part of Colorado River Adventures and is private. Very nice park with everything you could need. People in sales are nice too and not pushy. We didn't become members, but really like this resort in Pollock Pines," shares Lisa W. about Ghost Mountain RV Campground.
Tips for camping with families
Playground options for different age groups: Ghost Mountain RV Campground provides extensive recreation facilities. "Overall it is very familiar friendly. Pools, kids rooms and hot showers with laundry," notes Emmanuel L. Most campground playgrounds accommodate ages 2-12 with limited options for teenagers.
Educational mining activities nearby: Several historic mining towns offer panning experiences. "We stayed 4 days at this park and had the best time!! The kids loved the stocked fishing ponds, and even better was the immaculate 2 swimming pools and playground! Everyone was busy having fun the whole time and the grounds were perfectly kept," writes Syd D. about 49er Village RV Resort. Most mining experiences cost $5-15 per participant.
Walking trails suitable for children: Multiple campgrounds feature manageable paths for families. "This is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It's great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it's swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers," advises Kate A.
Tips from RVers
Cell signal strength variations: Connectivity differs significantly between locations. "We were in site 62 with 41 foot MH" is mentioned in the existing description, so instead: "We spent three weeks at Lake Minden and, to be honest, judged it too quickly. It's one of the smaller Thousand Trails parks, and when we first rolled in, we weren't sure it was going to be our kind of place," shares Bryce. Most foothill campgrounds experience spotty cellular coverage, particularly with Verizon service.
Tree clearance challenges: Overhanging branches impact larger vehicles. "This is a nice place to camp. It has a big pond you can go fishing in and it's quiet. The only thing that I could say needed to be updated is keeping the trees groomed unfortunately we scratched our motorhome coming into the park," advises Joe & Isabel M. about Thousand Trails Lake Minden.
Site leveling considerations: Terrain variations affect setup requirements. "Although our stay was great, our spot was not that great for our 40ft bus due to the tree limbs and the ground was very uneven, which made it difficult to level. We would stay here again, however I would make sure it's in a spot that's level," recommends Tonya B.
