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Camping in the Tahoe Basin

Lake Tahoe boasts as much good camping as just about anywhere on earth. But what really makes it special here is the amount of truly great camping sites you'll find. Whether you want to be overlooking a sandy beach in a sheltered cove or on the shores of a desolate alpine lake, you can find it here. Also remember, camping is not just for summer any more. Due to the numerous passes open all year the access is easy to some of the finest winter camping available anywhere. And compared to a continental climate, our maritime influenced climate is very mild. Camping in any of the wilderness area requires a permit and wood fires are not permitted.

Campgrounds on Lake Tahoe (walking distance with cooler)

Bliss State Park - A great place to camp in the summer at Tahoe. Lots of amenities, beautiful beaches, and more.

Sugar Pine State Park - It may be somewhat of a stretch to say the beach is within walking distance. The campgrounds are on the opposite side of the highway. There are a number of historical items of interest here including the Erhman Mansion.

Emerald Bay State Park - The park includes three separate camping areas, Eagle Point and Boat Camp both offer lake access, while Bayview is 900 feet above at the Bayview trailhead. Carved by glaciers, this truly beautiful area is one of the most photographed spots on earth (that means its crowded too). The park includes Fannette Island, Vikingsholm, Eagle Creek, including the lower falls.

Meeks Bay Resort - Beautiful family camping on Lake Tahoe. The resort is owned and operated by the Washoe Indian Tribe.

Meeks Bay Campground - USFS Campground located across Meeks Creek from the Meeks Bay Resort

Campground by the Lake

Zephyr Cove Resort -

Camp Richardson Resort- Over 220 camp sites.

Nevada Beach -

Tahoe State Recreation Area (Tahoe City) - located along the lake in downtown Tahoe City.

William Kent Campground -

Kaspian -

More Campgrounds

KOA Lake Tahoe - On the Upper Truckee River.

Camp Shelly - Camp Shelly is on the south end of Lake Tahoe on highway 89 across from Baldwin Beach. It is run by the Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District on Forest Service land.


Fallen Leaf Lake Campground - Located between Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake this campground features large sites and a great location to start your day from.

Bayview Campground

Other Options

Desolation Wilderness - No other wilderness area has a higher usage level, but it is still easy to get away from it all. Campers are on a quota basis during the summer months which means reservations are a necessity. There are many entry and exit points for the wilderness which leads to many opportunities to cross the wilderness in different ways.
Rafting on the American River - It may be expensive for camping, but it's worth it. They have tons of campsites that come with your raft trip. If your having a hard time booking a campground on Big Blue, consider a WhiteWater alternative.