South Lake Tahoe · California
South Lake Tahoe campgrounds & RV parks
In our data the South Lake Tahoe section has 8 stays (6 public, 2 private): RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort, Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort, Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort, Campground by the Lake, Fallen Leaf Campground, Tahoe Valley Campground, Lake Tahoe KOA Journey, Camp Shelly. 3 of them (Campground by the Lake, Tahoe Valley Campground, Camp Shelly) aren't in our booking partners' feeds yet: their pages list official facts and the operator's booking link, with availability coming soon.
Summary
| Campground | Max RV length | Hookups | Dogs | Booking | Agency | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort | 40 ft (longest Rec.gov site) | Full (water, electric, sewer) | No | Recreation.gov | USDA Forest Service — Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit | [1] [2] [3] |
| Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort | Not listed | Not listed | No | Recreation.gov | USDA Forest Service — Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit | [1] [2] |
| Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort | Not listed | Not listed | No | Recreation.gov | USDA Forest Service — Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit | [1] [2] |
| Campground by the Lake | Not listed | None | Yes, leashed | Operator's own booking | City of South Lake Tahoe | [1] |
| Fallen Leaf Campground | 45 ft (longest Rec.gov site) | Not listed | Yes, leashed | Recreation.gov | USDA Forest Service — Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit | [1] [2] [3] |
| Tahoe Valley Campground | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, leashed | Operator's own booking | Private — Thousand Trails | [1] |
| Lake Tahoe KOA Journey | Not listed | Full (water, electric, sewer) | Not listed | Not listed | Private — KOA | [1] |
| Camp Shelly | 24 ft | Not listed | Yes, leashed | Operator's own booking | Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (Forest Service permit) | [1] [2] |
Fallen Leaf Campground has 206 sites, including six yurts, on the north shore of Fallen Leaf Lake less than a mile from Lake Tahoe; it is typically open mid-May through mid-October and books on Recreation.gov (individual sites up to 6 months ahead). [Recreation.gov]
Camp Richardson Resort, on Forest Service land by the lake, runs an RV Village with 20 full-hookup and 78 water/electric sites open year-round (no restrooms or trash service in winter) and two summer tent campgrounds, Badger's Den and Eagle's Nest, with a bear-proof locker at each site. [Recreation.gov][USDA Forest Service][Recreation.gov]
National Forest land in the basin is under Forest Order 19-24-03: all food and refuse you aren't attending must be in a bear-resistant container. [USDA Forest Service]
Stays in our data whose coordinates fall in the South Lake Tahoe section: the California side of the South Shore from Camp Richardson and Fallen Leaf Lake to the state line, and Meyers on US-50. Distances are straight-line. Official facts checked 2026-10-18; listing facts update with each feed refresh.
Search South Shore stays with dates →CA California rules for campers
- Booking
- California State Parks book on ReserveCalifornia up to 6 months before arrival. Forest Service campgrounds book on Recreation.gov (individual sites up to 6 months ahead, group sites 12). California State Parks Recreation.gov
- Bears
- State park campgrounds: food, drinks, toiletries and scented trash go in the site's metal locker; ice chests may not be left in vehicles; bear-proof coolers must be locked (up to $1,000 fine). National Forest land: Forest Order 19-24-03. California State Parks USDA Forest Service
- Chains
- Caltrans chain controls R-1, R-2 and R-3 apply on CA-89, US-50 and I-80; check Caltrans QuickMap for live status. Caltrans Caltrans QuickMap
896 campsites across 8 campgrounds
Campground by the Lake
Campground by the Lake
RV sites
Availability coming soon
Check with City of South Lake Tahoe (Parks & Recreation) · Continue to secure.rec1.com ↗
Tahoe Valley Campground
Tahoe Valley Campground
Tent sites · RV sites
Availability coming soon
Check with Thousand Trails · Continue to thousandtrails.com ↗
Camp Shelly
Camp Shelly
Tent sites · RV sites
Closed for the season
Check with Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) · Continue to larpd.org ↗
Compare at a glance: hookups, RV length, bear storage, season
Computed from official pages (linked tags) and listings; "Not listed" means no source we use states it. Official RV limits override listing lengths.
| Campground | Area | Hookups | Max RV length | Bear / food storage | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit; Camp Richardson Resort under permit) | 20 full-hookup and 78 water/electric RV sites (amps not listed) Recreation.gov | 40 ft (longest listed site) Listing · Recreation.gov | Forest Order 19-24-03: all food and refuse not personally attended must be in a bear-resistant container; use the campground's bear boxes and wildlife-resistant dumpsters USDA Forest Service | RV campground open year-round; no restrooms or trash service in winter USDA Forest Service |
| Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit; Camp Richardson Resort under permit) | Hookup type not listed for RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | Bear-proof food locker at each campsite Recreation.gov | Summer tent campground; 2026 opening May 22 (LTBMU opening dates) USDA Forest Service |
| Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit; Camp Richardson Resort under permit) | Hookup type not listed for RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | Bear-proof food locker at each campsite Recreation.gov | Summer tent campground; 2026 opening May 22 (LTBMU opening dates) USDA Forest Service |
| Campground by the Lake | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · City of South Lake Tahoe (Parks & Recreation) | None: no electric or water hookups at any campsite City of South Lake Tahoe | Not listed | Not listed | 2026 season: opens Friday May 1, 2026 and closes Monday October 26, 2026 (last overnight Sunday October 25). Reservations from opening day through September; October is first come, first served only. Loops D and E reservable from opening day, Loop F from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend; all of Loop C is first come, first served all season. No same-day reservations. City of South Lake Tahoe |
| Fallen Leaf Campground | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit) | Hookup type not listed for RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | 187 ft (longest listed site) Listing · Recreation.gov | Forest Order 19-24-03: all food and refuse not personally attended must be in a bear-resistant container; use the campground's bear boxes and wildlife-resistant dumpsters USDA Forest Service | Typically open mid-May through mid-October; 2026 opening May 22 Recreation.gov |
| Tahoe Valley Campground | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · Thousand Trails | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Open year round (operator page; the Forest Service LTBMU camping page also lists Tahoe Valley as year-round) Thousand Trails |
| Lake Tahoe KOA Journey | South Lake Tahoe (CA) | 5 full-hookup, 3 no-hookup sites · 30-amp listed Listing · KOA | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Camp Shelly | South Lake Tahoe (CA) · USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (special use permit) | Not listed | 24 ft (official limit) Livermore Area Recreation and Park District | Not listed | 2026 season June 12 – September 7, 2026 (LARPD) Livermore Area Recreation and Park District |
Hookups & rig specs
Rig length, pull-through, power, water, sewer and dump station. Blue linked tags are official sources; "Listing" tags come from the booking listing; "Not listed" means no source we use states it.
| Campground | Max rig length | Pull-through | Power (amps) | Water hookup | Sewer hookup | Dump station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort | 40 ft (longest listed site) Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | 20 full-hookup and 78 water/electric RV sites (amps not listed) Recreation.gov | 98 of 98 RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | 21 of 98 RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Dump station (closes in winter) Recreation.gov |
| Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 84 of 84 RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | Not listed |
| Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 31 of 31 RV sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | Not listed |
| Campground by the Lake | Not listed | Not listed | None: no electric or water hookups at any campsite City of South Lake Tahoe | Potable water at the entrance and community spigots in each loop City of South Lake Tahoe | Not listed | Dump station, free with a reservation ($15 for public use) City of South Lake Tahoe |
| Fallen Leaf Campground | 187 ft (longest listed site) Listing · Recreation.gov | 23 of 196 sites Listing · Recreation.gov | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Tahoe Valley Campground | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Lake Tahoe KOA Journey | Not listed | 1 of 6 sites Listing · KOA | 30 A Listing · KOA | 6 of 9 RV sites Listing · KOA | 5 of 9 RV sites Listing · KOA | Not listed |
| Camp Shelly | 24 ft (official limit) Livermore Area Recreation and Park District | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Booking & price
| Stay | Run by | From Lake Tahoe | Max rig (listed / official) | Hookups & power | Booking | Listed from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort | Recreation.gov | 11.2 mi | Longest RV site listed: 40 ft (98 of 98 RV sites list a length) | 20 full-hookup RV sites and 78 water/electric RV sites (amps not listed) | Not listed | $50/night |
| Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort | Recreation.gov | 11.2 mi | 84 RV-capable sites, no length limits listed | Hookup type not listed for RV sites | Reservable on Recreation.gov | $50/night |
| Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort | Recreation.gov | 11.2 mi | 31 RV-capable sites, no length limits listed | Hookup type not listed for RV sites | Reservable on Recreation.gov | $50/night |
| Campground by the Lake | City of South Lake Tahoe (Parks & Recreation) | 11.2 mi | Not listed | None: no electric or water hookups at any campsite | CivicRec online for Loops D–F (May–Sept); Loop C and October first come, first served | Not listed |
| Fallen Leaf Campground | Recreation.gov | 11.8 mi | Longest RV site listed: 187 ft (187 of 187 RV sites list a length) | Hookup type not listed for RV sites | Recreation.gov: individual sites up to 6 months ahead, group sites up to 12 months | $47/night |
| Tahoe Valley Campground | Thousand Trails | 13.3 mi | Not listed | Not listed | Online on the operator's site | Not listed |
| Lake Tahoe KOA Journey | KOA | 17.3 mi | 9 RV-capable sites, no length limits listed | 5 full-hookup, 3 no-hookup sites · 30-amp listed | Reservable on KOA | $72/night |
| Camp Shelly | Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) | Not listed | Official limit 24 ft maximum vehicle length — A few sites can hold vehicles or trailers up to a maximum of 24 feet in length and 10 feet in height; several sites take tent trailers or motor homes | Not listed | LARPD reservations (online, phone or email); one site per reservation · 925-373-5700 | Not listed |
Head-to-head
- Compare Fallen Leaf vs Camp Richardson
- Compare Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort vs Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort
- Compare Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort vs Fallen Leaf Campground
- Compare Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort vs RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort
- Compare Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort vs Fallen Leaf Campground
- Compare Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort vs RV Village at Camp Richardson Resort
All Lake Tahoe campground comparisons
More ways to camp around Lake Tahoe
- North Shore campgrounds
- Truckee & Donner campgrounds
- East Shore & Incline campgrounds
- Campgrounds near Lake Tahoe (nearby areas)
- Glamping & cabins at Lake Tahoe
- Tent camping at Lake Tahoe
- Campgrounds near Sand Harbor
- Campgrounds near Emerald Bay
- Campgrounds near D.L. Bliss State Park
- Campgrounds near Camp Richardson
- Campgrounds near Zephyr Cove
- Campgrounds near Donner Memorial State Park
- Campgrounds near Meeks Bay
- Big-rig-friendly campgrounds (40 ft+)
- Pull-through RV sites at Lake Tahoe
- Van & truck camper camping at Lake Tahoe
- Dog-friendly campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
- Lakefront campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
- Tent-only & walk-in campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
- Dispersed camping at Lake Tahoe: the rules
- Booking California State Parks at Lake Tahoe
- Booking Recreation.gov campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
- Booking Nevada State Parks at Lake Tahoe
- First-come, first-served campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
Sources
- Recreation.gov — Fallen Leaf Campground (checked 2026-10-18)
- Recreation.gov — RV Village Campground at Camp Richardson Resort (checked 2026-10-18)
- USDA Forest Service — Camp Richardson Resort (checked 2026-10-18)
- Recreation.gov — Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort (checked 2026-10-18)
- USDA Forest Service — LTBMU Food and Refuse Storage (Forest Order 19-24-03) (checked 2026-10-18)