Connectivity
No community carrier report is currently published for this campground.
Community-reported service can change with terrain, weather, congestion, and carrier coverage.
Campground
Wrights Lake
Eldorado National Forest, California
About this campground
Wrights Lake Campground is situated in the timber belt, close to the lake shore, looking up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevadas and Desolation Wilderness.
The campground provides access to the lake, where visitors enjoy trout fishing, swimming and boating activities.
Several sites offer sweeping views of Wrights Lake.
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 38.849444° N
- Longitude
- 120.231111° W
Know before you arrive
Access, sites & campground features
Official facility and campsite inventory, supplemented by clearly marked community reports when the official listing does not publish the detail.
Access
- Drive-in
- Boat-in
- Walk-inCommunity report
Site types
- Tent sites
- RV / trailer sites
- Standard campsites
- Equestrian sitesCommunity report
Features
For campers
- Toilets
- FiresUse only when the current order allows flame
- Amphitheater
- ADA access
- Drinking water
- Firewood available
- Picnic table
- Alcohol allowedCommunity report
- Trash serviceCommunity report
- Pets allowedDogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
- Reservable
For vehicles
- Parking
- Pull-through sites
- Big rig friendlyPublished vehicle length up to 99 ft
- Back-in sitesCommunity report
Official campground guide
Plan with the full campground details
Facility information, site rules, booking windows, and published rates. Source snapshot checked Oct 18, 2026.
Overview
Wrights Lake Campground is situated in the timber belt, close to the lake shore, looking up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevadas and Desolation Wilderness. The area is well-known for its hiking, wildflowers and birding.
Facilities
The campground offers dozens of campsites for tent and RV camping. Several sites offer sweeping views of Wrights Lake.
Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills, and firewood can be gathered in the area. Accessible vault toilets. A camp host is available during the daytime.
Recreation
The campground provides access to the lake, where visitors enjoy trout fishing, swimming and boating activities. Motorboats are prohibited in the area.
Hikers will enjoy access to multiple foot and horseback riding trails within 5 miles of the campground. Various trailheads, including Bloodsucker, Rockbound and Twin Lakes trails, provide access to Desolation Wilderness.
Educational programs are offered at the amphitheater, and mountain biking and off-road vehicle use is popular on Barrett Lake Jeep trail. Wilderness permits for day hiking are available at the trailheads, and overnight hiking permits are available at Pacific Ranger Station.
Natural Features
At nearly 7,000 feet in elevation, the campground is surrounded by pine and fir trees with a grassy understory. Wildflowers bloom throughout the spring and summer seasons.
Some sites are nestled among giant boulders, providing privacy for campers. The campground is close to Wrights Lake, a 40-acre body of water popular for its serene and quiet atmosphere.
Nearby Attractions
Not separately publishedRecreation.gov does not publish a separate nearby attractions section for this campground.
Activities & amenities
What Recreation.gov or the campground’s official source specifically lists.
Available activities
- Swimming Site
- Day Use Area
- Fishing
- Camping
- Birding
- Hiking
- Non-Motorized Boating
Amenities and facility features
- Vault or pit toilets
- Site fire ring or grillUse only when the current order allows flame
- Amphitheater
- Accessible Parking
- Trailheads
- Vault Toilets
- Water (Seasonal)
Recreation sites
Published inventory grouped by site type. Individual sites can have stricter limits.
Standard Non-Electric
37 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- RV, Tent, Trailer
- Maximum people
- 12
- Maximum vehicles
- 2
- Maximum vehicle length
- 99 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM, :00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM, :00 PM
- Accessible sites
- 31 flagged accessible
Management
12 sites- Reservation type
- Non Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Maximum vehicle length
- 35 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Walk To
9 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Maximum vehicle length
- 0 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Tent Only Non-Electric
19 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 12
- Maximum vehicles
- 2
- Maximum vehicle length
- 25 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- 14 flagged accessible
Site rules, inventory & rates
Facility rules, inventory procedures, and price seasons published by the official source.
Site rules
- Base site allowance
- • 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.
- Max Stay
- 14 nights
- Holiday-weekend minimum
- 0 days
- Weekend minimum
- 0 days
- Reservation cutoff
- 3 days before arrival
- Scan And Pay
- 1
- Maximum published vehicles
- 2 vehicles per site
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM, :00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM, :00 PM
- Food storage
- Wrights Lake's official facility record checked 2026-10-16 does not publish a food-storage method; confirm the posted rule with Eldorado National Forest.
- Fire and stove use
- Wrights Lake's official facility record states: Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills, and firewood can be gathered in the area.
- Pets
- Dogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
Inventory window
Recreation.gov publishes a rolling booking window. The dates below are the official snapshot captured for this catalog build.
- Currently bookable through
- Sep 27, 2026
- Next release
- Jan 1, 2027, 7:00 AM PST
- Next book-through date
- Jul 1, 2027
- Group sites bookable through
- Sep 27, 2027
Published seasons & rates
| Season | Site type | Nightly rate | Additional person | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2027 – Sep 6, 2027 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2027 – Sep 27, 2027 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJul 1, 2028 – Sep 6, 2028 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Management | $33.97 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $36 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $72 | — | — |
| First-come, First-served SeasonSep 7, 2028 – Sep 27, 2028 | Walk To | $36 | — | — |
Important facility notices
Read these with current closure and fire notices before departure.
- Travel Notice : Starting May 2024 and continuing through September 2024, Ice House Road will be undergoing repairs. There will be traffic delays so plan your camping trip accordingly.
- Be bear aware; keep all food out of site in approved containers or locked inside your vehicle, and remove all food from area after eating.
- Equine and other packstock are not allowed in Wrights Lake Campground. Visitors traveling with pack and saddle stock should book their stay at the Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground .
- There are no electric/water/sewer site hook-ups at this facility
- 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
- 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 as occupied/available online 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 for moving from a reserved site to a first come first serve site. Site Transfer Policy
- For more information on Eldorado National Forest, click here
Getting there & contact
Official directions
Take Highway 50 east of Placerville, California, for 11 miles. Turn left onto Ice House Road and continue for 9 miles, then turn right onto Wrights Lake tie road. After 2 miles, turn left onto Wrights Lake Road.
Facility contact
831-245-6891 · info@royalelkparkmanagement.com