Ponderosa Cove Campground

California · Nearby: US-50 west of Echo Summit (CA)

Ponderosa Cove Campground is near Lake Tahoe, listed on Recreation.gov. It has tent and RV sites.

4.0 (3 reviews)Book on Recreation.gov
34.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe27.3 mi to Emerald Baystraight-line

Quick facts

Agency / operatorNot listed
BookingRecreation.gov [Recreation.gov]
Max RV / trailer lengthNot listed
Bear storageNot listed
SeasonNot listed
HookupsNot listed

Sources: Recreation.gov — Ponderosa Cove Campground. "Not listed" means no source we use states it.

This weekend (Fri, Oct 23 – Sun, Oct 25): Book online. Reservations online on Recreation.gov — open dates and rates come from the booking site.

Key facts

Max rig length
Longest RV site listed: 45 ft (1 of 1 RV site list a length) Listing
Hookups & power
Hookup type not listed for RV sites Listing
Pets
Allowed Listing
Booking
Reservable on Recreation.gov Listing
Getting there
34.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe · 27.3 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line, not driving) Listing
All 15 facts with sources ↓
  • Campfire Rings
  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station
  • Grills
  • Pets Allowed
  • Vault Toilets

Why stay here?

  • RV sites listed for rigs up to 45 ft.
  • Public-land campground run by a federal or state agency.

Choose a site

Your dates & setup

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Site & accommodation options

No recent availability data on Recreation.gov: availability may have changed, so check availability with the provider. Rates are listed rates, not an offer.

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Compare booking options

You book with the provider. Each row shows that provider's lowest open option for your dates, and which provider our main button uses.

Recreation.govMain booking button
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Other nearby options

Closest stays by type. Distances are straight-line from Ponderosa Cove Campground, not driving.

View calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

No recent availability data on Recreation.gov: this grid may be out of date, so check availability with the provider.

SiteFr
23		Sa
24		Price
GA001
group standard nonelectric
––$175

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Before you go

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

Longest RV site listed: 45 ft. Unsure if your rig fits? Check it in the Lake Tahoe Rig Fit tool

Ponderosa Cove Campground: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Ponderosa Cove Campground?
Longest RV site listed: 45 ft (1 of 1 RV site list a length) (per the listing)
Does Ponderosa Cove Campground have RV hookups?
Hookup type not listed for RV sites (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Ponderosa Cove Campground?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Ponderosa Cove Campground?
Allowed (per the listing)

Recent guest reviews

Patricia N ★ 5 · May 2025
The campground was really clean
Diane G ★ 3 · Aug 2021
It’s very pretty. However the dead wood needs to be cleaned out of this campground. There’s dead trees down in this area and thick underbrush. Seems like a fire hazard. The bathrooms needed to be emptied. The smell was terrible. We did mention this to the host who said they knew. The garbage dumpster was almost full when we arrived for our 6 night stay. We couldn’t fit anything else in it by day 3 and had to stack our garbage bags on top of the dumpster. The garbage truck arrived on day 5 of our stay to empty it. Disappointed and will not stay here again.
Thomas S ★ 5 · Jan 2020
Very well maintained campground. Roomy enough for everyone.

Location

34.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe (straight-line)
27.3 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line)
Open in Google Maps ↗

Policies

Check-in
2:00 PM
Check-out
1:00 PM
Max stay
14 nights
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Campfires
Allowed (per listing)

About

Ponderosa Cove is laid out as a single group campsite one reservable site that sits east of the dam at about 4,400 feet and can accommodate up to 75 guests along its single loop. The character of the place comes from the towering Ponderosa pines that give off their vanilla-scented resin and shade the campsites; the loop sits just opposite the road from Stumpy Meadows Reservoir, with easy visual and walking access to the water. Practical facilities are straightforward and geared to groups: five paved parking spurs that accept RVs and trailers (each with a picnic table), plus ten walk-to tent pa…

Amenities

Campfire RingsDrinking WaterDump StationGrillsPets AllowedVault Toilets

Nearby activities

Camping
At a glance: all 15 facts with sources

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 45 ft (1 of 1 RV site list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing Hookup type not listed for RV sites
Pets
Listing Allowed
Water
Listing Drinking water listed
Shade
Listing 1 of 1 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $170/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing 34.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe · 27.3 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line, not driving)
Pull-through / back-in · Road & site access · Generators · Quiet hours · Cell signal · Starlink / satellite
Not listed — check with campground

Nearby parks (straight-line): Emerald Bay 27.3 mi

Check availability
Continue to Recreation.gov ↗
Build around it

Things to do near Emerald Bay

All activities →
No rig? Fly & Drive

RV rentals for this stay

Picks are 45 ft or shorter — the longest RV site listed here. Fly into Reno (~33 mi, ~55 min to Lake Tahoe, approx.) or rent locally.

Find an RV that fits →
Pick up near RNO

2022 Minnie Winnie 22M

Class C motorhomeSleeps 6 4.6 (10)
Sparks, NV · 8 mi from RNO airport (straight-line)
Drivable — no tow vehicleDelivery up to 40 miPets OK
Availability not connected · to estimate
from $217/nightvia RVRentals.com

Compare Ponderosa Cove Campground with alternatives

All 232 comparisons →
Public-agency campground

vs Black Oak

RVs to 45 ft vs 40 ft · listed from $170 vs $70/night

Read comparison →
Public-agency campground

vs Stumpy Meadows

RVs to 45 ft vs 35 ft · listed from $170 vs $36/night

Read comparison →
Public-agency campground

vs Forbes Creek

Listed from $170 vs $132/night · 34.3 vs 40.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe (straight-line)

Read comparison →

Where Ponderosa Cove Campground fits

Area
Campgrounds near Lake Tahoe (nearby areas)
By rig & style
Tent camping at Lake Tahoe
Nearest alternatives
Emerald Bay State Park (27.9 mi) · Meeks Bay Resort (28.1 mi) · D.L. Bliss State Park (28.3 mi)

Other stays nearby

Pinecone

CA US-50 west · CA
Tent sites · RV sites
Available for your dates · 1 siteSites $60/night
≈ $120 est. for 2 nights · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · Continue to Hipcamp ↗