Tent-only & walk-in
Tent-only and walk-in campgrounds at Lake Tahoe
9 campgrounds in our data are tent-only, walk-in or boat-in: Kaspian Campground, Spooner Lake State Park, Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort, Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort, Prosser Ranch Group, Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground, Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry), Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry), North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry).
Summary
Kaspian has single-family sites for tent-only camping; Badger's Den and Eagle's Nest are Camp Richardson's summer tent campgrounds, with a bear-proof food locker at every site. [USDA Forest Service][Recreation.gov][Recreation.gov]
Campgrounds whose official page or Recreation.gov listing says every site is a tent site, walk-in (walk-to) site or boat-in site. Campgrounds that mix tent and RV sites are on the tent camping hub instead. Distances are straight-line. Official facts checked 2026-10-18; listing facts update with each feed refresh.
Search tent sites with dates →Generators, food storage and the backcountry
California State Parks campgrounds at the lake set generator hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. [California State Parks][California State Parks][California State Parks]
On National Forest land in the basin, all unattended food and refuse must be in a bear-resistant container (Forest Order 19-24-03). [USDA Forest Service]
Desolation Wilderness needs a permit and a bear canister for overnight visits, and wood or charcoal fires aren't permitted; portable stoves with on/off valves are allowed with the permit. [USDA Forest Service]
131 campsites across 9 campgrounds
Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground
Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground
Closed for the season
Check with California State Parks (Sierra District) · Continue to reservecalifornia.com ↗
Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
Availability coming soon
Check with Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) · Continue to parks.nv.gov ↗
Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
Availability coming soon
Check with Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) · Continue to parks.nv.gov ↗
North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry)
Availability coming soon
Check with Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) · Continue to parks.nv.gov ↗
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaspian Campground | West Shore & Emerald Bay (CA) · USDA Forest Service (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit) | Not listed | No RVs (official) USDA Forest Service | 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 | Seasons of use: May–October (2026 opening May 22) USDA Forest Service |
| Spooner Lake State Park | East Shore & Incline (NV) · Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Spooner Backcountry) | Hookup type not listed for RV sites Listing · reservenevada.com | Not listed | Bear-resistant food and trash storage boxes at the walk-in campgrounds; remove all food and trash when you leave Nevada State Parks | Spooner Lake Cabin and Wildcat Cabin available May 1–October 15 Nevada State Parks |
| 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 |
| Prosser Ranch Group | Truckee & Donner (CA) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground | West Shore & Emerald Bay (CA) · California State Parks (Sierra District) | None (boat-in) California State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | Boat In Campground has closed for the 2026 season (California State Parks, updated 08/24/2026) California State Parks |
| Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | East Shore & Incline (NV) · Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | East Shore & Incline (NV) · Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed; the park page lists a Hobart closure and construction project Nevada State Parks |
| North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | East Shore & Incline (NV) · Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaspian Campground | No RVs (official) USDA Forest Service | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Spooner Lake State Park | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| 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 |
| Prosser Ranch Group | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground | Not listed | Not listed | None (boat-in) California State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | None Nevada State Parks |
| Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | None Nevada State Parks |
| North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) Nevada State Parks | Not listed | Not listed | None Nevada State Parks |
Booking & price
| Stay | Run by | From Lake Tahoe | Max rig (listed / official) | Hookups & power | Booking | Listed from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaspian Campground | Recreation.gov | 6.9 mi | Official: No RVs: single-family sites for tent-only camping (Forest Service) | Not listed | Not listed | $30/night |
| Spooner Lake State Park | Nevada State Parks | 7.7 mi | 3 RV-capable sites, no length limits listed | Hookup type not listed for RV sites | ReserveNevada: 3 days to 11 months ahead; inventory opens at 8 a.m. Pacific on a rolling window. Unreserved sites are first come, first served one night at a time | $10/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 |
| Prosser Ranch Group | Recreation.gov | 20.5 mi | No RV sites listed | Not listed | Reservable on Recreation.gov | $143/night |
| Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground | California State Parks (Sierra District) | Not listed | Not listed | None (boat-in) | ReserveCalifornia | Not listed |
| Marlette Peak Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) | Not listed; contact the park office · 775-831-0494 | Not listed |
| Hobart Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) | Not listed; contact the park office · 775-831-0494 | Not listed |
| North Canyon Campground (Spooner Backcountry) | Nevada State Parks (Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park) | Not listed | Not listed | None (walk-in) | Not listed; contact the park office · 775-831-0494 | Not listed |
Head-to-head
All Lake Tahoe campground comparisons
More ways to camp around Lake Tahoe
- South Lake Tahoe campgrounds
- West Shore & Emerald Bay campgrounds
- North Shore campgrounds
- Truckee & Donner campgrounds
- Stateline & Zephyr Cove campgrounds
- East Shore & Incline campgrounds
- Campgrounds near Lake Tahoe (nearby areas)
- Full-hookup RV parks at Lake Tahoe
- Glamping & cabins 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
- 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
- Lake Tahoe Rig Fit: check which stays fit your RV
Sources
- USDA Forest Service — Kaspian Campground (checked 2026-10-18)
- Recreation.gov — Badger's Den at Camp Richardson Resort (checked 2026-10-18)
- Recreation.gov — Eagle's Nest at Camp Richardson Resort (checked 2026-10-18)
- California State Parks — Emerald Bay SP (page updated Aug 24, 2026) (checked 2026-10-18)
- California State Parks — D.L. Bliss SP (checked 2026-10-18)
- California State Parks — Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point SP (checked 2026-10-18)
- USDA Forest Service — LTBMU Food and Refuse Storage (Forest Order 19-24-03) (checked 2026-10-18)
- USDA Forest Service — Desolation Wilderness (LTBMU) (checked 2026-10-18)