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Sunset Campground is situated on the shores of Union Valley Reservoir, among the towering cedar and ponderosa pines of Eldorado National Forest. Aptly named, the campground is a fantastic destination for colorful sunset views over the lake. All water activities are popular here, but it's also fun to bring a bike and explore the neighboring bike trail.
Eldorado includes the famed gold mining territory of the 1800s. Remnants of the days of the California Gold Rush can be found all around the region.
On the water, sailing, boating and swimming are very popular. For hikers and bikers, the Union Valley Bike Trail and Bassi Falls Hiking Trail are great for exploring. Fishing in the lake includes rainbow, brown, mackinaw trout and kokanee salmon.
The bike trail connects with the campground, near the boat ramp, and stretches for 4.8 miles along the eastern shores of the lake.
The large campground has 121 single-unit sites including 30 tent-only spots. Amenities include a boat ramp with an accessible boarding dock, a paved parking area, dump station, vault toilets and drinking water. A swimming beach is also located onsite.
The First Come First Serve sites located at this campground remain listed as FF for the entire season. They will not show occupied 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.
Sunset Campground sits in the Crystal Basin at an elevation of 5,000 feet. Some sites are fully shaded while others sit in a meadow. The climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
Venture to the nearby lake, Ice House Reservoir or hike up Twin Peaks to look down over Union Valley Reservoir.
A restaurant and general store are within 5 miles of the campground.
* 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. Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.
* 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.
On Highway 50, east of Placerville, travel for 21 miles to the Icehouse Road turnoff on your left. Continue north for 16 miles to the campground.
Great place to camping. Waterfalls and hiking. Day use if you want to bring out jet skis or boats. Bears to roam the area so use the provided bear boxes.
Great place close to the Sacramento area for camping & water sports! It’s nothing but beautiful views all around the reservoir which is a nice size for sailings, skiing, fishing, and paddling. There is dispersed camping as well as pay sites with fire pits, picnic tables, & vault toilets. Also several boat launches around the lake. Thursday thru Saturday it’s busy & noisy. Monday thru Wednesday you can usually find a campsite pretty easy & it is much quieter. Highly recommend.
Don’t for get to take your trash with you! Thanks
Our adventure led us to Union Valley Reservoir, for smoke free skies, crisp clean fresh air, the smell of pine trees and cool water. Clean beaches, sunshine and a picnic in the wilderness. Soaked up the sun.
I'll start with a trick of the trade. After turning up icehouse road off hwy 50, on yer way up the hill there's a U.S. Forest information center. They have free maps of the entire area. Also, they usually have up to date info on which campgrounds have availability (if you don't have a reserved site). It will save you time driving around to each campground. Plus the map shows all the Reservoirs in area and hiking biking trails....the more you know!
This is one of the best Lakes/Reservoir around. There's several Reservoirs in the crystal basin area but this is probably the most "wooded" areas. The lake does have fishing and boating & in the years Ive been coming up I've never thought of it being busy with noisy boating.
Photographers..Take a drive up to nearby BIG HILL..park in parking spaces and walk out to the bluff (look for sign).....you'll thank me later..this is very handicapped accessible too with ♿ parking available
Jones Fork CG: Smaller with maybe 10-12 sites and is always FCFS, no Reservations. very tight for trailers and turn around difficult.
Foshada/Sunset CG: The most popular/busiest of CG in the area and probably more families with it being large/closest to freeway/boat launch/showers. Foshada is drive up drop your stuff off & park in upper parking area. All 3 loops of Sunset were just upgraded road/sites/bathroom.
Wench Creek CG: Huge. Plenty of group sites. Plenty of sites near the water (water level depending obviously) & plenty of sites further away from hustle & bustle.
Yellow Jacket & Wolf Creek CG: they are refurbishing the CG & i haven't been able to camp there yet after it refurbished. These are at the North Side of the lake & usually not as busy.
Camino Cove CG: off the beaten path. They made road improvements to get there however dirt roads at CG are tight. CG usually full but free which is why it's always full.
You can make reservations for most CG sites online but there's a ton of Fisrt Come First Serve at every CG.
Nearby things: Big Hill (gives a mountain top view of entire Reservoir & surrounding mountain ranges). Basi Falls (great waterfall hike when there's water). There's hiking and biking trails all around the Reservoir.
Biking & hiking ideas; Theres free day parking available at Jones Fork CG just before you get down to the CG. You can bike or walk down through the campground to get to a walking/bike path that runs along the lake. There's also free parking for day use at Foshada CG with bike/hiking trails short distance away by the boat launch. The path also runs along the lake. Theres pack in pack out camp sites along these paths for more adventurous people.
Geocachers...there's several in the area..probably could use a few more too.. if you need something to do..just saying
The is off road "boondocking" camping around the Reservoir too..stop at the information center and ask where these sites are.
Stop at the crystal basin information center and they will give you a free map
