California
About
Silver Lake East- Eldorado
Silver Lake East is located just 50 miles east of Jackson, California, just a short distance from the shores of Silver lake, where activities like boating, fishing, swimming and hiking, provide campers with the perfect outdoors retreat. Numerous trails leaving the campground connect with the lake and swimming beaches. Silver Lake West is adjacent to Silver Lake East on the other side of Highway 88, and offers additional trails and access to the Silver Fork of the American River. Natural Features: The campground is situated at the base of Carson Peak at an elevation of 7,200 feet, on the north end of beautiful Silver Lake. A small pond in the middle of the campground attracts ducks, but cannot be seenfrom any of the camp sites. Silver Lake spans 200 acres in a large granite basin surrounded by a forest of mixed conifers. The lakes mirror-like waters are known to reflect the colors of the sky above, attracting both hikers and photographers to its scenic shores. The Silver Lake area blooms with bright wildflowers in the summer months, delighting visitors with their presence around the lakes and high in the mountain meadows. Recreation: Because the campground is already at such a high elevation, hiking is particularly popular, allowing visitors to access high alpine lakes and other destinations through short but spectacular hikes. In addition to the trails which connect this campground to Silver Lake and other swimming areas, the Granite Lake Trail, which gives way to the Hidden Lake Trail, begins just north of Silver Lake off of Highway 88, near the spillway by the Kit Carson Lodge sign. The trail ascends and crosses Squaw Creek on a wooden bridge. Approximately one-half mile beyond the bridge is a junction. The right fork will take you to Plasses and the left fork will take you to Granite Lake. At the southeast end of the lake you will find the trail to Hidden Lake. Anglers will be happy to know that Silver Lake boasts stocked populations of Rainbow, German Brown and Mackinaw trout. Facilities: Vault toilets, drinking water, campfire rings and picnic tables are provided. Some sites have bear-proof food storage containers as well. Single units are limited to a maximum of 2 vehicles and 6 people. A pay phone, restaurant, boat rentals and boat ramp are located at a nearby lodge. Nearby Attractions: Take a scenic drive on Carson Pass Highway, which runs past Silver Lake along the mountains and crosses the picturesque Carson Pass. It is a must-do activity for those who love mountain views and landscape photography. The campground is an easy drive south of Lake Tahoe, the popular lake and ski area. ACTIVITIES Fishing Hiking Swimming Site
Access
Drive In, Walk In
Operator
USDA Forest Service
Contact
Location
Silver Lake East- Eldorado
is located in
California
Directions
From Pioneer, CA, take State Route 88 east 36.6 miles to campgroundon right.
2 Reviews of Silver Lake East- Eldorado
Nice camping for families
Stayed here a couple of times, and recommend staying away from the road as it is very busy and you can hear traffic noise at night. The small pond has lots of ducks and birds and is quieter if you can get a spot nearby. It was a tight squeeze to fit two tents in our campsite, but they vary in size. There is a host so the vault toilets are kept clean. Picnic table, piped water, fire ring.
This is close to several lakes and good hiking.
First to Review
Campground Review
The campground is off Hwy 88 in the El Dorado National Forest just a few miles from the Kirkwood Resort. It sits on the northeastern side of Silver Lake. I drove up to this campground for an overnight stay on Saturday last August to escape the heat of the Central Valley. I didn’t have reservations and got the last campsite in the campground, which was very lucky. You can make reservations online, though the campground is pretty popular and gets booked up early! There were many sites that appeared to have large groups camping together making it a very family friendly campground. It’s not the most secluded atmosphere as a result but still quiet and relaxing.
It was a big spacious tent site (55) that required a bit of a walk-in, but not too far. The site was wooded and pleasant. I have camped in the area before and it can be a bit cold in the late spring. However, by this point in summer it was beautiful. The campground is a short 5 minute walk away from the lake. I brought fishing gear, relaxed by the shore and spent some time kayaking. Silver Lake has a boat launch and was a beautiful lake to go kayaking. There was also plenty of hiking nearby for those staying more than one night.
The campground has vault toilets, drinking water, fire rings, picnic tables and bear proof storage boxes. The fee was $24 per night for a tent site. The campground is also adjacent to a small resort (the Kit Carson Lodge) which had a general store and a restaurant if you forget anything or don’t feel like cooking. For more info click here and to make reservations click here!
Product Review
As a Dyrt Ranger, I also get products to test and review in the field. At this campground I tested a few pairs of Optic Nerve Sunglasses including these styles:
As an avid Kayaker, these sunglasses are great for watersports, and I can’t wait to bring them up to the ski slopes with me come winter! Here are my favorite aspects of these glasses:
Quality construction – solid frame construction ensures the hinges won’t bust anytime soon and they should be able to endure a fall
Quality lenses – the lenses were amazingly crystal clear while still offering the protection you expect from sunglasses, especially when you’re out on highly reflective surfaces like water/snow
Affordability – all of these styles were under $40, as someone who loses sunglasses often to canyons and rivers I can easily replace these without too much heartache
Of all the glasses, my favorite style were definitely the Bonnaroo as they were lightweight, comfortable and stylish! My adventure partner and real life boyfriend tried some out as well. He tends to have more difficulty finding affordable good quality sunglasses to fit his wider face shape. He loved all of the styles though his favorite were the Kindred, as they were highly stylish, fit his wider face perfectly and were still incredibly durable. Plus at $35 they are a steal! When purchasing these sunglasses I really appreciated the option to filter for face width. Anyone with a wider face knows the struggle of getting a pair of beautiful sunglasses in the mail only to have them be way too tight! The Mashup and Steelhead are also both great glasses. The cool blue lenses add style to the hip Mashup frame. The Steelheads are great for long days on the water either on a boat or fishing (for steelheads!) as the thicker sides provide extra protection. Overall these are all solid glasses and I would definitely recommend Optic Nerve to any adventurer who needs some high quality affordable sun protection.
