California has campgrounds all over. You can pitch up under the soaring redwoods of the northern coastline, sleep amid the flower meadows of the high Sierra Nevada, and wake to the sound of the Pacific Ocean bashing against the shore. Unique stays are everywhere, from the Jumbo Rocks Campground surrounded by the giant boulders of Joshua Tree National Park to the secluded coastal campground of Two Harbors. And there’s plenty out there for lake aficionados, too.
The Golden State lays claim to some of the country’s most iconic lakes, along with stacks of lesser-known secret ones. Many of them are doozies for the would-be camper, touting waterside pitches in fantastical locations, where kayaking, canoeing, swimming, and shore hiking are all in a day’s work.
This guide is all about the cream of the crop. We’ve combed through relevant Reddit threads and brought together editorial picks from a selection of blogs within the camping niche. The aim? To pinpoint the very best lake camping spots in California. These are the campgrounds that are at the top of their game when it comes to water-adjacent tent-pitching in the great outdoors.
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Sunset-Union Valley, Union Valley Reservoir
Pebbly beach on Union Valley Reservoir of California – Beaunified Footage/Shutterstock
This is the number one pick among all the hundreds and thousands of lake campgrounds in California, and it’s probably one you didn’t see coming. The tent sites and RV spots that pepper the banks of the Union Valley Reservoir were mentioned not once, not twice, but a whopping six times across our various sources. Specifically, the Sunset-Union Valley campground reigned supreme among the smattering of options around the lake itself. A 4.8 rating out of 5 on Google sealed the deal.
The reviews are ringing endorsements, with one past camper posting: “Love this campground. Spacious sites, huge trees, access to water, and great for families.” The truth is that lakeshore camping at the hidden Union Valley Reservoir is wilder than Lake Tahoe, since you’ll be staying right in the midst of the El Dorado National Forest, with the nearest town — the unsung mountainous playground of Pollock Pines — some 45 minutes’ drive down the road.
Open from June to September, Sunset-Union Valley is a haven for lovers of the great outdoors. It’s plonked on a little finger of land on the eastern edge of the reservoir, between sweeping pine trees and the glistening waters. You can launch kayaks to survey the tree-speckled banks, fish for trout, or head to a swimming beach to cool off, all just a few steps from your tent.
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, Lake Tahoe
Historic boat house at Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park – Billy McDonald/Shutterstock
No list of the finest lakeside camping locations in California could possibly be complete without a mention of Tahoe. This is one of the most iconic bodies of water in the nation, America’s largest alpine lake, and a veritable mecca for R&R, whether that comes in the form of skiing, hiking, or simply chilling in the tent.
There are countless camping options available, and you’ll notice that Tahoe’s north and south shores have totally different vibes. But, given its location almost midway up the western coastline, is Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, a reserve with its own campground that commands an enviable 4.8 out of 5 on Google, with over 1,200 reviews.
The setting is hard not to adore. You’re looking at 2 miles of lake shoreline, all covered in a mosaic of aspen and cedar forests, which hide a vintage mansion house from the early 1900s. Tents and RV spaces spread westward just across Highway 89 from the beach. When you’re keen to dip your toes in the legendary blue waters of Tahoe, simply stroll across to the day-use areas and bingo, you’ll find lakefront interpretive trails and picnic spaces galore.
Lakeshore East, Lake Shasta
Houseboats line waters of Lake Shasta – photojohn830/Shutterstock
Lake Shasta, or Shasta Lake, is the biggest manmade lake in the whole Golden State. It spreads out along the courses of the Sacramento River, under 20 minutes’ drive north of Redding, California. It’s probably more famed for its houseboating than its camping, but there are also oodles of enticing options for those with the tent in tow come the summer months. There’s even a wide range of boat-in campgrounds for that get-away-from-it-all feel.
But it’s little Lakeshore East that wins out on this list. Not only does it score 4.4 on Google, but it has direct road access via Lakeshore Drive coming off Interstate 5. It rests alongside a finger of water on the north side of Shasta Lake, with big evergreens towering overhead for shade, and little patches of grass peppered with pine cones.
The spot is handy for folks looking to get out and about on the water, since there are two boat ramps in the vicinity of Lakeshore East — one at Sugarloaf a little to the south, and another at the neighboring Antlers Campground a touch to the north. The only downside? Getting from the tent to the lakeshore might involve a bit of scrambling, since the ramps are on a rocky embankment.
Pinecrest Campground, Pinecrest Lake
Swimming cove on banks of Pinecrest Lake – A.N.Foto/Shutterstock
Deciding which campground to list around the edge of Pinecrest Lake wasn’t difficult — there’s only one! Cue Pinecrest Campground, a corner of the Stanislaus National Forest with 200 reservation-only campsites set on the western banks of its namesake water. It gets a lot of love on Reddit, with one former camper saying: “It’s the best, especially for family with children. So much to do…also, don’t forget to get some ice cream from the snack bar.”
Set up your tent and head for the adjoining day-use area, which offers its own swimming beaches, a boat launch, and stacks of BBQ grills. When it’s time to get active, hit the Pinecrest National Recreation Trail, a 3.8-mile loop that rings through boulder fields and across a nearby dam. Or, visit the Pinecrest Lake Marina, where kayaks and paddlers can be rented for those days spent gliding across the water.
Also, don’t forget that camping here means camping in the heart of California’s Sierra Nevada range, with top-draw attractions like Yosemite and Lake Tahoe waiting in the wings. For easy access, there’s the super-gorgeous Highway 108. California State Route 108 breezes right by the Pinecrest Campground, offering spectacular scenic driving through the rugged peaks and canyons of the Emigrant Wilderness during the summer months. It should be noted that the highway is only open from June to October, though.
June Lake Campground, June Lake
Snowy peak reflected in June Lake ripples in California – Sashabuzko/Getty Images
The June Lake Campground gets 4.5 stars on Google from over 200 reviewers, plus a trio of mentions across source articles recommending it as one of the finest places to get lakeside with a tent in the Golden State. It lies along the wonderful 14-mile June Lake Loop, a scenic detour off the high-desert and mountain highway of the 395, which is surely one of California’s most spectacular roadways.
If that sounds like you might get a lovely backdrop to your camping, that’s because you most certainly will. The sites at June Lake level out at a wild 7,600 feet above sea level in their own patches of aspen forests. They gaze out at soaring peaks on the eastern flanks of the Sierra Nevada, in a land trodden by mountain lions and bears, though don’t worry — campsites come with bear lockers in these parts. This one’s not massive, though. There are just 29 spots in all, with 22 suitable for RVs, and seven designated as tent-only. The campground is typically open from spring to fall.
Methodology
Trees surround lake in mountains of California – kavram/Shutterstock
There are more than 3,000 named lakes in California, while ReserveCalifornia, the main booking platform for camping in state parks throughout the state, lays claim to over 970 miles of lake and riverfront camping property. The upshot? There are seemingly endless options for travelers looking to pitch up or pull up the RV on the water’s edge in this corner of the West Coast, and whittling the list down to just five spots was bound to be a tricky business.
First, we needed a shortlist. Thankfully, the subreddit r/Camping has a long thread on precisely this question. We combined that with editorial recommendations from two sources: A Family Adventures Blog that offered a curated selection of handpicked camping lakes in California, and an article by RVShare on the top 13 lakeside campgrounds in the state. We combed through those to pinpoint the most commonly recommended lakes, ranking them by number of mentions across the board.
We then zoomed into each of the five most oft-mentioned lakes to discover the highest-rated campground in that specific location. Sometimes this was easy because there were only one or two options. Other times, as in the case of Tahoe, for example, it meant sifting through multiple camping options to come up with the best. We then picked the top-rated campground on each lake based on Google reviews, eliminating any with lower rankings, any group sites, or sites that weren’t accessible by road, and deciding draws by elevating the campground with the highest overall number of reviews.
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