Best Campgrounds near South Lake Tahoe, CA

Beautiful spot 1/2 mile walk to lake, wild horses roaming camp, quiet & clean.

We have stayed at two other parks in Reno, both were just okay, from the number of sites to the actual crowding together of the sites. 

 Gold Ranch has very wide interior roads that make navigating easy with a toad. Sites are arranged nicely with a decent distance in-between. We had site 30 which was a pull in, motorhomes only. We had a view of the mountains to the west. The only drawback would be in the summer facing west,  the front windshield would have a lot of heat gain along with some interstate noise. Management was very responsive and considerate. We did have a camper that was allowing their dog to run loose and management responded promptly. We asked if we could extend our stay if needed. We did need to stay one extra day. I was prepared to move the Bird, but they had blocked our site for a few more days. No need to move...that was very considerate. This may not have happened in their busy season, but it was a welcomed! Only 15 minutes into downtown Reno. This will be our go-to when we are back in the area.

If you look at the map from Hwy 50 just south of Kyburz, you will see a green tag.  Hit that tag and it takes you to Bighorn Campground, not the location of the green arrow.

This is a construction zone and I raised a lot of eyebrows by rolling through it. Couldn't find a campsite because the road was blocked by construction vehicles.

Some friends of ours love North Fork Campground just off I-80 at Emigrant Gap, so we were going to try it on the way back from the California coast to Reno.  North Fork Campground was nice, and would have been a good place to spend the night, but felt a bit dark and tight with dense foliage along the beginnings of the North Fork of the American River.  We saw that Onion Valley Campground was just a bit further.  Nobody there, so we took a spot at the far end of the campground next to the meadow.  Very peaceful for a short afternoon stop and a morning departure.

Right off the main road with minimal traffic noise. So beautiful, open, and feels safe. Late March is hot in the day and a little cool at night. Family friendly.

The housing development is right off the campsite and I think they’re starting to push it into where you would camp. Construction vehicles everywhere. People called the fire department on are campfire and a fire truck showed up. They said it wasn’t their jurisdiction if we could camp there so we stayed and got woken up at 8:00 am by a very angry man saying we had 15 minutes to get out or he’d call the cops. Don’t camp here unless you’re looking for a crazy night.

The road up to Iowa Hill is terrifying- especially in the dark. We camped in our 4runner as we got there when it was dark and there was so much glass and shell casings everywhere from what seems to be a local shooting area. the town nearby is a bit eerie but fun to explore. it worked for one night! No amenities, but a bathroom and paid campsite down the rugged road so come with everything you need. Hike nearby with waterfall is beautiful

We came for an overnight after a run of wet weather and it was a little bit muddy. We were prepared for it and the host and helped us pick a good spot so ended up not making any difference. The alpacas were plentiful, the views were good and it made for a good night.

Newer showers and bathrooms than any other rv park in Reno. Very little foliage but that is the desert. Large and expensive laundry facility $4.50 for a load. Paid $59 for a back-in 30 amp site full service. Lots to do in the hotel other than gamble and as a camper you can use the hotel amenities - curling, pool, hot tubs, etc. We had fun in the Escape Room and Sensology games. Great views of the mtn range.

Found this on iOverland. The toad leading up, cuts through a nice neighborhood, has many inverse speed bumps, so take it slow. Once you get to the area you’re navigation tells you you have to walk from there, keep driving through, in between the water tanks and it’ll start to get a little rough, but manageable, even for a small fwd vehicle (saw one in the morning). The sign says closed during the winter, but there were people still coming to hike and explore. Very quiet night, just the water from for the fenced off collection pool system going all the time. Just stayed one night. Arrived at dusk and left after breakfast.

Just off of 80 @ the Mustang exit, east bound side. Industrial area, so trucks going by, mostly during the day, but occasionally throughout the night. Good, clean spot to rest for a night. Adjacent to the river

I am a 12 year old and I had tons of fun. Me and my friends were up there and there was conveniently a campground available in there same campsite. We went in the summer and the water was perfect! We went fishing and caught crawfish in a trap underneath the bridge near the front. Overall the staff were really nice and it was a great trip. I recommend it!

Came on a Saturday around 4pm, there were 2 other campers other than me so it wasn’t busy at all. No service for at&t. Overall had a good stay here with my 2 dogs