Silver Lake East- Eldorado

Eldorado National Forest

Silver Lake East is located 50 miles east of Jackson, California, just a short distance from the shores of Silver lake, where activities like boating, fishing, swimming and hiking, provide campers with the perfect outdoors retreat. Numerous trails leaving the campground connect with the lake and swimming beaches. Silver Lake West is adjacent to Silver Lake East on the other side of Highway 88, and offers additional trails and access to the Silver Fork of the American River.

Vault toilets, drinking water, campfire rings and picnic tables are provided. Some sites have bear-proof food storage containers as well.

Single units are limited to a maximum of 2 vehicles and 6 people. A pay phone, restaurant, boat rentals and boat ramp are located at a nearby lodge.

Notifications and Alerts

• Due to campground renovations in 2024, updates are being made to Recreation.gov which could impact the timing of reservation release dates for 2025. Once all updates have been made, peak season dates will be available to reserve. We apologize in advance for any inconvinences that this potential delay may cause. 

Need to Know

• Check the link under Facility Information-->Additional Info Links for an updated facility map. The interactive map has NOT been updated yet. 

• Bears frequent the area; all food must be kept in approved containers

• No electric/water/sewer hookups at this facility

• Forest Order No. 19-15-01: Prohibits camping for a combined total of no more than 14 days during a calendar year (January-December), forest-wide. Visitors may book campsites annually but the maximum stay may not exceed a total of 14 days each calendar year (January-December)

• Please Note: One vehicle per single site. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee and collected at the campground.

• Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. Call (530) 644-6048 for local information and conditions.

• Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (1PM) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

• Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

• Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov.

• First Come First Serve sites remain listed as FF for the entire season. They will not show occupied/available as the status of these sites is ever changing. You must be on site at the campground to claim a FF site. No guarantees upon arrival that these FF sites will be avaiable.

• There is a fee to move from a reserved site to a first come first serve site. Site Transfer Policy 

• For more information on Eldorado National Forest, click here

Natural Features

The campground is situated at the base of Thunder Mountain at an elevation of 7,200 feet, on the north end of beautiful Silver Lake. A small pond in the middle of the campground attracts ducks, but cannot be seen from any of the camp sites. Silver Lake spans 200 acres in a large granite basin surrounded by a forest of mixed conifers. The lake's mirror-like waters are known to reflect the colors of the sky above, attracting both hikers and photographers to its scenic shores. The Silver Lake area blooms with bright wildflowers in the summer months, delighting visitors with their presence around the lakes and high in the mountain meadows.

Nearby Attractions

Take a scenic drive on Carson Pass Highway, which runs past Silver Lake along the mountains and crosses the picturesque Carson Pass. It is a must-do activity for those who love mountain views and landscape photography.

The campground is an easy drive south of Lake Tahoe, the popular lake and ski area.

Recreation

Because the campground is already at such a high elevation, hiking is particularly popular, allowing visitors to access high alpine lakes and other destinations through short but spectacular hikes. In addition to the trails which connect this campground to Silver Lake and other swimming areas, the Granite Lake Trail, which gives way to the Hidden Lake Trail, begins on the east shore of Silver Lake at the Minkalo TH. The trail ascends and crosses Squaw Creek on a wooden bridge. Approximately one-half mile beyond the bridge is a junction. The right fork will take you to Plasse's and the left fork will take you to Granite Lake. At the southeast end of the lake you will find the trail to Hidden Lake. Anglers will be happy to know that Silver Lake boasts stocked populations of Rainbow, German Brown and Mackinaw trout.

Changes & Cancellations

• Recreation Fee: Recreation fees are the fees a visitor pays for things like overnight camping, a day-use pavilion, group facilities, a tour or a permit. Recreation fees vary by location and/or activity.
• Reservation Fee: A fee may be charged at the time a reservation is made to cover the cost of reservation services. This fee is in addition to the Recreation Fee and is non-refundable. Fees for camping, day use, group sites, cabins and lookouts: $8 if made on-line; $9 if made through the call center; $3 if made in-person.
• Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.
• Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation.
• Cut-Off Window: The latest date and/or time that you can make an advanced reservation or a change to an existing reservation. Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 4 days before your arrival date. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (see Late Cancellation below).
• Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.

Contact Information

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ELDORADO CA

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 209-258-2287

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

From Pioneer, CA, take State Route 88 east 36.6 miles to campground on right.

Available Campsites

• Site 016, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 058, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 023, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 021, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 048, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 044, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 006, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
• Site 062, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
• Site 001, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 002, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 003, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 014, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 047, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 055/056, Loop SILV, Type Walk To
• Site 037, Loop SILV, Type Walk To
• Site 052, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 057, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 050, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 013, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 045, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 022, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 034, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 046, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 027, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 017, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 025, Loop SILV, Type Walk To
• Site 005, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
• Site 039, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
• Site 024, Loop SILV, Type Walk To
• Site 009, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 038, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 026, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 036, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
• Site 008, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 053, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 029, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 042, Loop SILV, Type Standard Nonelectric
• Site 011, Loop SILV, Type Tent Only Nonelectric

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