Thousand Trails Ponderosa, near Lotus, California, is a lively campground that offers a mix of outdoor fun and essential amenities. With sites that cater to tents, RVs, and even cabins, it’s a solid choice for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors while still having access to comforts like drinking water and electric hookups.

The campground is situated right next to the American River, making it a prime spot for swimming, fishing, and floating. Many visitors have praised the beautiful river views, with one camper noting, “The view of the river made up for it.” There are also trails nearby for biking and hiking, so you can explore the stunning surroundings at your own pace.

While some campers mentioned that the sites can feel a bit packed, the friendly atmosphere and access to a pool and store on-site help create a welcoming environment. Just keep in mind that during peak times, it’s wise to plan ahead and secure your spot early. Whether you’re looking to relax by the river or embark on an adventure, Thousand Trails Ponderosa has plenty to offer for a memorable camping experience.

Located in the beautiful foothills of the Sierras, **Ponderosa RV Camping** is ideally situated on the South Fork of the American River, the most popular whitewater river in the western United States. Rafting, kayaking, fishing, swimming, gold panning and sunbathing are favorite pastimes for customers of our **RV camp in California**. Boasting more than 2,000 feet of river frontage, the sites at Ponderosa offer excellent RV camping with 30-amp, 50-amp, sewer, pull-thru, and tent spots. Come hook up with us at this popular RV camp in the California mountains. At **Ponderosa RV Camping** , our local attractions include award-winning wineries and vineyards, Red Hawk casino gaming, world-class skiing, Folsom Lake, and numerous golf courses, just to name a few. Whether this is your first experience at our **RV camp in California** , or another of many, we suggest venturing out into our local and surrounding areas to get a taste of the wonderful flavors and cultures that are so abundant in the Sierra foothills. We are proud to offer three wireless internet connection hot spots for your convenience, and a comprehensive recreation schedule during peak season. Mountain RV Camp in California Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Ponderosa RV Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.

Thousand Trails Ponderosa

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Coloma, CA has a lot to offer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Coloma. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.

Coloma

The Best Camping Near Coloma, California

Thousand Trails membership is worthless. Every time I try to book something it tells me to call the 1800 number but they never answer. The facilities are pretty tore up. The facilies are clean  but they neglect the maintenance. On several occasions I booked a site and the day before it gets cancelled without reason. They don’t answer emails or phone calls.

Not worth the membership

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. We managed to get a spot with some tree cover. It was incredibly hot when we were there so we spent most of our time lounging at the edge of the river. It really moved along and was fun to float down in a tube.

Not so nature-y

The location is amazing for morning walks along the river and even as a base for taking off or putting on private whitewater trips on the SF of the American River. 

That said, unfortunately the spots are packed in like sardines making privacy and personal space hard to come by - especially with a lack of landscaping. This combined during our visit with repeated interactions with a couple of employees who seemed to forget who the guests are. We encountered a lovely gate attendant on our first night but the subsequent interactions with staff were less than pleasant at best and oddly hostile at times. 

Next time at the American River I’ll be looking for another park or to dispersed sites. 

Packed in Spots + Surly Service

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. 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. 

Great location, but plan ahead

We checked in and had reservations but it’s a first come first serve sites! They have different sections that cost more… the closer you are to the river, the more it will cost. It ranges from $5 to $20 bucks more a night.They say NO saving sites but people do and if your new to the campground it’s hard to know what is what!! Once I figured out the sites I had people move their cars so we could back in…. Lucky us we get next to a resident that lives there and is so rude! She wasn’t home at the time so we had no idea if that camper was parking their vehicle in parking area since nothing was in front of her trailer! We had our golf cart over a bit in her site and boy we heard about it in the morning!! She scolded us like we were kids!! She went and told others in the campground that lived their as well! She told us that they others said to lay on the horn at 10 pm until we came out! 🙄 thank goodness we were able to move over a site so we had one between us because the sites are so, so small you can’t even extend your awning all the way…. While we were moving over she comes out to say we’ll like  it there pssh and we have the best behaved dogs. I wanted to say take some lessons from them 😂🤣Mean people can ruin your trip so easily!!! The River is nice with man made trails to easily walk down to a beach area. They don’t have sewer so you can dump it yourself at a dump area on the campground or have a service come to you and do it for $25 They have a store on the grounds and a pool. This is a Thousand Trails so if you are a member it is probably less out of your  pocket. Besides the mean old grumpy lady and the small sites, it was a good trip….I don’t think we will return though. I feel there is many more campgrounds to explore and I’ll do a better research on the area before booking……

Mean people suck! 

This is so great plz stop and check it out

Great

The park is a little more “stack and pack” than we like, but the view of the river made up for it. Nice park to spend the holidays. 

Lovely view of river

Great spot if you can get in half of the camp got washed away from the rain this year though .

Photos of Thousand Trails Ponderosa

Real photos from real campers