Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Orangevale, CA has a lot to offer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Orangevale. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$38 / night
"The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6."
"Place the cash ($28 a night) in the envelope and put it in the post that’s on the parking entrance."
"About 50 tent only sites, some just feet from the lake. RV sites are farther from the lake on mostly level gravel pads with picnic table, fire rings, and a trash can at each site."
"I pitched a tent in site 43 right next to the lake. Excellent place."
$30 - $99 / night
"If you have some extra time, be sure to check out Marshall Gold Discovery Park, home of Sutter's Mill, and the nearby wine country."
$50 / night
"Wicked August heat, BUT there’s the lake!
5 Stars — were it not for the SLOBS who preceded us!!"
"I come here with my family every year around 4th of July. I would book way ahead for busy holidays like that.
The water level really varies on the year."
"I did feel the camping spots need some maintenance because the fire pits and bbqs are non functioning, we had to build our own fire ring. And the broken glass....... man it was everywhere!"
"We visited Camp Far West for one night on a quick trip looking for somewhere remote, nearby, and slightly warmer during the winter months. It was green and beautiful. "
$20 - $150 / night
$45 - $100 / night
"The sites were mostly all at a slant so it was a bit uncomfortable in terms of the sleep situation."
"We brought our paddle board and we’re walking distance to the lake front. Lake was quiet, trails well maintained and facilities were cleaned regularly. Will definitely stay here again."
LegendGeneral: Normally, there are 18 designated sites that are reservable only from May 1– October 15. What we didn’t know until we arrived was that only Sites 1-7 were open after this date; fortunately, only two other sites were occupied when we arrived at 5:30 pm on a Monday in late October. The access road is about six miles of curvy, hilly, and narrow (sometimes only one lane) pavement. There is a sign prohibiting trailers; our 18-foot camper van did fine but anything much larger would definitely be challenged.
Site Quality: Many of the sites are more suitable for tent campers. The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6. We lucked out with Site 6 – it was large and level and directly across from the vault toilets. A fire pit/grill, large concrete picnic table, and bear box complete the site (although there was a fire ban in effect).
Bath: Only one vault toilet was open, and it was very clean. It was cleaned again the next morning.
Activities: This campground is located on the North Fork of the American River. In season, this campground would be very popular with rafters; there is a raft launch and takeout area close to the campsites. The river was crystal clear and beautiful.
This was a small but beautiful campground. We were surprised that we had a semi-decent cell signal ranging from 1 to 2 bars (Verizon).
GuideBeautiful sunsets. No showers. Bathrooms are clean. Some sites are rather small and have little flat ground. Pics on website are tough to see when booking. Lake to most sites is a drive, but there are a few campsites on the lake. Many sites are on hill, you walk up the hill or down a hill with stairs. Lake has day use area, but also a dock area for camping folks. Lots of mosquitoes. They have a fire are to cook, no fire ring, have a bear box and picnic table. Some sites have plenty of shade while others are just plain sun so be prepared.
Water is nice temperature and super clean! Nice to kayak, paddle, boat (they have boat ramps), fish, swim. Beach areas are rocks with weeds, but pretty.
GuideThis 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. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.
One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!
Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.
Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.
Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.
RangerGetting there: Once you get off the 50 from where ever you're coming from it's another 45 minute drive on windy roads. Best to try and arrive during daylight as signs are scarce and many roads look overgrown, it would be easy to get lost at night. Campsites: The campsites are fairly spacious but close together. Each campsite is allowed 1 car for free, additional cars are $7 per night. Also not listed when booking is if you bring a dog they'll tax you $1 per night per dog. All the campsites provide a nice very large picnic table, a bear boxes (big enough for about 2-3 coolers), a grill, and a large fire pit. There are shared restroom areas scattered all over the campgrounds so one will always be within a short walk. The restrooms are coed, have TP, and is little more than a hole in the ground. No sink for washing hands or a dish washing area so bring your own wash basin. A potable water spout is located outside of each restroom. The Park: It's ok. There are a lot of lakes around. It get really hot up there. What to do: Go out on some hikes. Bring a kayak and chill at one of the lakes. Hope you drove a Jeep up here because this is 4x4 land and you would be in good company revving your engine and trying to drive up some rocks.
GuideBeautiful view of the lake, level plot, toilets, picnic table, potable water, fire ring, grill, recycling stations and large dumpsters. Dog friendly too. This campsite has everything you need to enjoy a nice evening by the lake. However, booking online or by phone is a pain in the ass. If you toussle around with the website, you'll see what I mean. We were also unable to reach anyone by phone.
They do not do walk-ins for campsites on Fridays or Saturdays. We came on a Sunday and were able to set up camp and leave our stuff to hit the grocery store in Pollock Pines. I think it was $45 for the night but very well worth camping in an established zone for the first time in a week! We drove into our site in a Ford E-350 and next to us was a converted schoolbus. Many SUVs as well. The camp host was on premises as well.
At the time of this review, the store across the check-in gate, Sly Park Resort, was closed until further notice.
TravelerSome of my family has camped here in the past at one of the tent sites. We decided this time around to reserve one of their cabins. We stayed at the Diamond P cabin which has the best view of the lake within this group of cabins. You can walk to the lake (it’s about 100 yards) from this location. Though it does fill up fast (by 11am it was pretty full). They have a large portable toilet there for use. We spent our time at the pool which is near the flushable toilets and the ice cream parlor, restaurant, and camp store. The pool goes from 3.5’ ft to 5’ back to 3.5’ ft.
The cabin was great. Two bedrooms, each with twin bunk beds and a full bottom bunk and twin above. Small bathroom with shower, mini fridge, hot plates, microwave, and dishes. Dining table and futon in the living area. Nice wide front porch to sit on and enjoy the view, communal tables and bbq for all the cabins. This unit also had a swamp cooler to help manage the heat.
Check in is 4pm and check out is 11am. There is also a small game room with a pool table, a baseball field, paddle boats, and kayaks to rent.
The down side is how quickly the easiest access to the lake fills up. Everyone has to drive over from the tent RV site to access the water. There are other places you can drive and park to get to the water, but there it a drop off into the water from there vs a gradual walk in.
LegendGeneral: 132-site Corps of Engineers campground on New Hogan Lake. No hookups.
Site Quality: Varies. Most are back-in, but some are pull-through. Most sites are generous in size, providing some privacy. More than a few are not level (do not pick Site 107 if you need anything close to level!). We had reserved Site 80 but ended up taking Site 100. Pads are all paved but narrow; large RVs might be challenged navigating these driveways. A picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and grill complete the site.
Bathhouse: They really could use some TLC. No soap or towels and not all the showers were functional. I chose not to try the functional one as it had seen better days!
Activities: We saw several boats on the lake and there is fishing. Not sure about other activities as we just enjoyed relaxing at our campsite by the lake!
We were there on a Thursday in early May, and it was fairly quiet. No ranger or other camp host that we saw. However, on the weekends and in the summer, it looks like it would be a much different story (but we prefer the off-season!). Yes, the bathrooms may have been janky, but who are we to complain when it costs just$10 (with the Golden Access Pass). Beware of goose poop– it is everywhere! And while you definitely won’t hear road-noise, you will hear honking geese!
GuideWe tent camped in this state campground for two nights. The campground is well shaded (good luck with solar). It's small with only 23 sites. Perfect weekend getaway for Northern California families, about 3 hours from Bay Area.
Next to a beautiful state operated historical park with lots of open space, tall ancient oak trees and two easy trails. Open space great for games, frisbee, soccer, or setup a volleyball net. Grass is mowed. Many shaded picnic tables. We enjoyed hiking the South trail, which is about 1/2 a mile with nature markers matching to an information guide. Kids will enjoy going inside the roundhouses (teepee like structures). Stop by the free museum. The ranger was very knowledgeable and engaged the kids well covering the history of artifacts.
Pros
- Very clean bathrooms. They were cleaned and sterilized twice a day according to the ranger. Flush toilets. Hot water showers, requiring coins (change machine).
- Campsite host on site. There are also rangers nearby at the park.
- Sites reservable
- Very close to Black Chasm Cavern, which is a paid guided tour cavern. Kids can search for fossils and minerals in the water trough next to gift shop. Just buy a bag of dirt.
- Two trails: a short South trail near the campsite and a longer North trail.
- ADA site and many accessible areas & bathroom
- Campfire rings and tables at campsites. Each site appeared to have a flat tent spot available.
Cons
- You can hear cars and trucks going by at night on nearby Pine Grove Volcano Rd. Not too bad, but does take away the ambiance of being in the outdoors. This is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
- Some of the sites are close together. They are closer than appear on camp map. Another reason for 4 out of 5 stars.
- Dogs cannot go on trails. They can only go to open fields at historical park and campground, which is plenty for dog walking.
- Water spigots are shared among multiple sites (not one per site). No hookups.
Our family would definitely go again.
ScoutWe've used other campgrounds since, but we always wind up coming back to Ice House. It's far enough away without being a all day drive, and it's right on the water.
The boat ramp is right in the middle and you can get anything from walk in tent sites to family sites big enough for an RV and a large group. There's a resort a few miles down the road so you can get ice and supplies.
Most of of camp sites have pretty good shade, and with a little strategic placement you can make sure your tent isn't baking in the evening.
They've been installing bear boxes, so if you're a motorcycle camper you don't have to worry about where you're going to store your food overnight. Water spigots are rarely more than a short walk from any camp site.
Really, all that's missing is RV hookups, so people tend to run their generators. The 10:00 noise cut off is usually well enforced, so the nights are very peaceful. I've even seen a few black bears roaming through my camp sites over the years.
All in all, Ice House is a great, well maintained and peaceful campground that keeps me coming back.
Tent camping near Orangevale, California offers a variety of scenic spots perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape into nature. With options ranging from serene lakeside retreats to adventurous riverfront sites, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Orangevale, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Orangevale, CA is Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.
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