Van Vleck Bunkhouse

California · Nearby: west of the crest (CA)

Van Vleck Bunkhouse is in Camino, CA, listed on Recreation.gov. It has glamping or cabin units.

3.0 (4 reviews)Book on Recreation.gov
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST PLACERVILLE RANGER DISTRICT
19.5 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe11.9 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 — Van Vleck Bunkhouse. "Not listed" means no source we use states it.

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

Key facts

Pets
Not listed — check with campground
Booking
Reservable on Recreation.gov Listing
Getting there
19.5 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe · 11.9 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line, not driving) Listing
Water
Not listed — check with campground
Price
Lowest listed rate $75/night (live price once you pick dates) Listing
All 15 facts with sources ↓
  • Bathtub
  • Bed S
  • Bunkbeds S With Mattresses
  • Campfire Rings
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Cooking Area

Why stay here?

  • 11.9 mi from Emerald Bay (straight-line).
  • Has cabins if you don't want to bring gear.
  • Public-land campground run by a federal or state agency.

Choose a site

Your dates & setup

Checking 2 nights. Tell us what you're staying in to see matching sites and prices.

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.

Cabin Nonelectric
Up to 6 people
Check availability

Enter your dates on Recreation.gov, then choose “Cabin Nonelectric”.

$75/night
Continue to Recreation.gov ↗

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 Van Vleck Bunkhouse, 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No recent availability data on Recreation.gov: this grid may be out of date, so check availability with the provider.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
001
cabin nonelectric
––$75

✓ 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

Van Vleck Bunkhouse: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Van Vleck Bunkhouse?
No RV sites listed (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Van Vleck Bunkhouse?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)

Recent guest reviews

John K ★ 4 · Oct 2025
Was as advertised. The facility is comfortable and everything worked. Was a little too warm inside during the day (this is during September) Beautiful, restful setting on a meadow. Hiking opportunities are mostly along dirt roads in the forest, surrounded by trees.
Michael A ★ 1 · Sep 2025
We did not go…Cancelled 2 days prior to going…. 2 wks before, we received notice of no fires in ring, how do you bbq?….next one week before no hot water heater; no hot showers, no water for dishes, 3 days before…well out, no potable water, bring your own and no way to flush toilets..family on way from LA and SF and all women over 70…What are we to do???? CANCEL!!!….Now they still haven’t refunded any of our fees like the 2 employees at the ranger office who told us they would 2 days before we were to go because some higher employee said since we cancelled within 2 weeks of the event, we are not to be paid the full amount….We paid and reserved back in February a cabin with no showers, no potable water, no toilet, no water heater…..WTF?? Wherz our money????…..and we never went to Van Vleck Bunkhouse EVER!!!!!
Andrea S ★ 1 · May 2025
Wasn’t able to access cabin. Road wasn’t plowed. Would require 5 miles of snowshoeing to get there.

Location

ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST PLACERVILLE RANGER DISTRICT
19.5 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe (straight-line)
11.9 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line)
Open in Google Maps ↗

Policies

Check-in
2:00 PM
Check-out
1:00 PM
Max stay
6 nights

About

Van Vleck Bunkhouse is a single-site glamping cabin perched at about 6,000 feet on the flank of a small Sierra Nevada peak, overlooking a 40-acre meadow and the Tells Peak section of the Crystal Range. The simple two-room structure, built in 1957 and the last remaining building of the Van Vleck Ranch (a cattle operation from the 1860s 1960s), feels more like a restored backcountry cabin than a developed campground: the main living area has a kitchen, table and chairs, a gas log stove, a sleeper sofa and bunk bed, while the bedroom contains a queen bed and another bunk. A small 10x10-foot deck …

Amenities

BathtubBed SBunkbeds S With MattressesCampfire RingsCleaning SuppliesCooking AreaPropane FireplacePropane HeatPropane OvenPropane RefridgeratorPropane StoveShowers SeasonalSnow ShovelTable BenchesTable ChairsVault ToiletsWater SeasonalWater Spigot

Nearby activities

CampingWinter SportsHorseback RidingHikingFishing
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 No RV sites listed
Road & site access
Listing 1 gravel site driveways
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 1 (2 reports), AT&T 2 (1 report)
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $75/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 6 nights max
Getting there
Listing 19.5 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe · 11.9 mi to Emerald Bay (straight-line, not driving)
Hookups & power · Pull-through / back-in · Pets · Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite · Water · Shade
Not listed — check with campground

Nearby parks (straight-line): Emerald Bay 11.9 mi · Sand Harbor 28.2 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

This listing doesn't publish RV length limits — confirm your rig fits. 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 Van Vleck Bunkhouse with alternatives

All 232 comparisons →
Public-agency campground

vs Robbs Hut

Listed from $75 vs $65/night · 19.5 vs 23.3 mi from the middle of Lake Tahoe (straight-line)

Read comparison →

Where Van Vleck Bunkhouse fits

Area
Campgrounds near Lake Tahoe (nearby areas)
By rig & style
Glamping & cabins at Lake Tahoe
Nearest alternatives
Emerald Bay State Park (12.5 mi) · D.L. Bliss State Park (12.9 mi) · Meeks Bay Resort (13.2 mi)

Other stays nearby