Free camping near South Lake Tahoe, CA
Yes. 21 of the 64 camps within 25 straight-line miles of South Lake Tahoe, CA are listed as free; 36 charge a fee and 7 have no price on record. The closest free one is Luther Pass Overflow Campground, 9.2 miles south, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Fallen Leaf Campground, 3.8 miles west, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at one of these camps. The circle crosses a state line: CA and NV.
The 50 nearest camps to South Lake Tahoe, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallen Leaf Campground | 3.8 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| Nevada Beach Campground | 3.9 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Stateline | — |
| Bayview Campground | 6.5 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| Luther Pass Overflow Campground | 9.2 | Free | Grass Lake Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Little Norway | — |
| Meeks Bay Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Kit Carson Campground | 11 | Fee | Willow Creek (stream) | 0.3 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Scotts Lake Dispersed Camping | 11 | Free | Maxwell Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Lovers Leap Cg & Day Use | 12 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to Meyers | — |
| Alpine CountyDave slept here | 13 | Free | Merk Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Crystal Springs Campground | 13 | Unpriced | West Fork Carson River (river) | 1.4 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Hope Valley Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Red Lake Creek (stream) | 3.4 mi to Sorensens | — |
| Wrights Lake Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Wrights Lake (water) | 2.8 mi to Lower Forni | — |
| Wrights Lake Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Wrights Lake (water) | 3.0 mi to Lower Forni | — |
| Wrights Lake Equestrian Cg | 15 | Fee | Wrights Lake (water) | 2.7 mi to Lower Forni | — |
| Bear Lake | 16 | Free | — | 4.7 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Caples Lake Cg | 16 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Kaspian Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 2.4 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Kirkwood Lake Cg | 16 | Fee | — | 2.1 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Indian Creek Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.0 mi to Woodfords | — |
| Woods Lake Cg | 17 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Indian Creek Recreation Area | 17 | Unpriced | Indian Creek Reservoir (water) | 3.1 mi to Markleeville | — |
| Barker | 17 | Free | Middle Fork (stream) | 4.1 mi to Homewood | — |
| William Kent Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Pleasant Cg | 18 | Free | Mud Lakes (water) | 8.7 mi to Homewood | — |
| Martin Meadow Cg | 18 | Free | Caples Creek (river) | 1.9 mi to Kit Carson | — |
| Tells Equestrian Cg | 18 | Free | Tells Creek (stream) | 6.1 mi to Jones Place | — |
| Loon Lake Group Campgrounds | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Loon Lake Equestrian Group | 18 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Red Fir Group | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Northshore Cg | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Silver Lake Cg | 19 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Wentworth Springs Cg | 19 | Free | Gerle Creek (stream) | 7.9 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Markleeville Campground | 19 | Fee | Markleeville Creek (river) | 0.4 mi to Markleeville | — |
| China Flat Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Gray Rock Camping Area | 20 | Free | Silver Fork American River (river) | 4.0 mi to Kyburz | — |
| Silver Fork Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Kirkwood | — |
| Strawberry Point Cg | 20 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Big Silver Group | 21 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Northwind Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Wench Creek Group | 21 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Wench Creek Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Azalea Cove Campground | 21 | Free | Jones Fork Silver Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Jones Place | — |
| Sand Flat Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Ice House Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Airport Flat Cg | 22 | Free | Gerle Creek (stream) | 5.3 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Yellowjacket Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Watson Lake Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Watson Lake (water) | 2.7 mi to Cedar Flat | — |
| Jones Fork Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Lone Rock Cg | 22 | Free | — | 13 mi to Pollock Pines | — |
| Gerle Creek Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Tahoma | — |
The other 14 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Who manages the camps near South Lake Tahoe, CA
Who manages them: 61 on the Forest Service; 2 on the BLM; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
- Eldorado National Forest — 39 camps: 10 free, 27 fee, 2 unpriced
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit — 9 camps: 2 free, 6 fee, 1 unpriced
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — 7 camps: 4 free, 1 fee, 2 unpriced
- Tahoe National Forest — 6 camps: 5 free, 1 fee
- Sierra Front Field Office — 2 camps: 2 unpriced
- The Forest Service — 1 camp: 1 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 64 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near South Lake Tahoe, CA
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from South Lake Tahoe, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.