The best waterside campgrounds near Kings Beach, California

Pitch your tent near the shoreline in Kings Beach, where over 4,500 waterside campsites let you wake up to the sound of lapping waves and distant loon calls. Campsites here range from $15 to an average of $48 per night, so you can keep things simple or opt for a few extras. You’ll find fire rings, toilets, and showers at most sites—essentials for rinsing off after a swim or warming up after snow sports. Watch for otters at dawn, or dive in for a cold-water swim before breakfast. If you want trusted spots, start with Victoria Forest (208 reviews), Wisdom eco-preserv (166 reviews), or L.Davis Ranch and Olde LYFE Alpacas (134 reviews). Pack for chilly nights and keep your camera handy—wildlife-watching is a given in these parts.

95% (1.4K)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Finnon Lake Recreation Area

95%

(2328)

50mi from Kings Beach · 39 sites · Tents, RVs · Placerville, CA

ALL RV VEHICLES AND VEHICLES WITH TRAILERS MUST TAKE ROCK CREEK RD. (Even if your GPS says to use Mosquito Road). These vehicles will not fit and cannot cross the single-lane suspension Mosquito Bridge. These vehicles and trailers will be forced to turn around or back up to take Rock Creek Road. Smoke on the Water diner is open weekends, 530-622-1060. Hours are limited. Use caution - twisty, narrow country road If it's your first time, you might want to check out the route beforehand. From Sacramento on Hwy 50: At the second stop light, Spring St./Hwy 49, turn left, heading north about 1 block to the stop sign. Turn left, staying on Hwy 49, approximately 1 mile. Turn right on Hwy 193. Travel approximately 3.1 miles to Rock Creek Road. Turn onto Rock Creek Road and travel 8.9 miles to Finnon Lake/Diner on the Left. The campground is behind the Diner. The DINER "Smoke on the Water" is open only Saturday and Sunday. Traveling West on 50 from Tahoe: make a right on HWY 49 traveling north. Follow the above instructions. Welcome to Finnon Lake Recreation Area! Our lovely lake to discover. The night skies above Finnon Lake will reveal stars unseen in California. Enjoy searching for bullfrogs, and watch the flock of Canadian Geese fly in right at sunset as the horizon blends into the watercolor sky. This private lake supports the fire protection efforts of the Mosquito Fire Protection District and the firefighters of this community. Community volunteers manage the lake for the residents and the Fire Station. The primary funding source for the Finnon Lake Restoration is the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which was signed into law in 2004 with a mission to support “efforts that improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada Region, its communities and the residents of California,” according to its Website. Finnon Lake is also home to a popular 18-hole disc golf course and Mosquito’s only restaurant, Smoke on the Water Diner, which is open on weekends only 530-622-1060. During your stay, you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, paddling, hiking, or biking. Sites are from post to post. Our property is located in Placerville, California.

Pitch your tent near the shoreline in Kings Beach, where over 4,500 waterside campsites let you wake up to the sound of lapping waves and distant loon calls. Campsites here range from $15 to an average of $48 per night, so you can keep things simple or opt for a few extras. You’ll find fire rings, toilets, and showers at most sites—essentials for rinsing off after a swim or warming up after snow sports. Watch for otters at dawn, or dive in for a cold-water swim before breakfast. If you want trusted spots, start with Victoria Forest (208 reviews), Wisdom eco-preserv (166 reviews), or L.Davis Ranch and Olde LYFE Alpacas (134 reviews). Pack for chilly nights and keep your camera handy—wildlife-watching is a given in these parts.

95% (1.4K)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Finnon Lake Recreation Area

95%

(2328)

50mi from Kings Beach · 39 sites · Tents, RVs · Placerville, CA

ALL RV VEHICLES AND VEHICLES WITH TRAILERS MUST TAKE ROCK CREEK RD. (Even if your GPS says to use Mosquito Road). These vehicles will not fit and cannot cross the single-lane suspension Mosquito Bridge. These vehicles and trailers will be forced to turn around or back up to take Rock Creek Road. Smoke on the Water diner is open weekends, 530-622-1060. Hours are limited. Use caution - twisty, narrow country road If it's your first time, you might want to check out the route beforehand. From Sacramento on Hwy 50: At the second stop light, Spring St./Hwy 49, turn left, heading north about 1 block to the stop sign. Turn left, staying on Hwy 49, approximately 1 mile. Turn right on Hwy 193. Travel approximately 3.1 miles to Rock Creek Road. Turn onto Rock Creek Road and travel 8.9 miles to Finnon Lake/Diner on the Left. The campground is behind the Diner. The DINER "Smoke on the Water" is open only Saturday and Sunday. Traveling West on 50 from Tahoe: make a right on HWY 49 traveling north. Follow the above instructions. Welcome to Finnon Lake Recreation Area! Our lovely lake to discover. The night skies above Finnon Lake will reveal stars unseen in California. Enjoy searching for bullfrogs, and watch the flock of Canadian Geese fly in right at sunset as the horizon blends into the watercolor sky. This private lake supports the fire protection efforts of the Mosquito Fire Protection District and the firefighters of this community. Community volunteers manage the lake for the residents and the Fire Station. The primary funding source for the Finnon Lake Restoration is the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which was signed into law in 2004 with a mission to support “efforts that improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada Region, its communities and the residents of California,” according to its Website. Finnon Lake is also home to a popular 18-hole disc golf course and Mosquito’s only restaurant, Smoke on the Water Diner, which is open on weekends only 530-622-1060. During your stay, you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, paddling, hiking, or biking. Sites are from post to post. Our property is located in Placerville, California.

Public campgrounds near Kings Beach

100%

(5)

Stories from the community

The van is facing out. The tent is set up on the flat spot.

H

Hebe

November 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Finnon Lake Recreation Area

The lake front campsites are simply beautiful. We have a Ford transit van and also a sedan. A huge tent and we still have a lot of space on the site. The campsite has a downward slope just like described but we found a flat spot for our tent. The lake is beautiful for boating and fishing. How peaceful the campground is solely depending on how other campers are especially your neighbors, because the campsites are very close to each other. We didn't have a great night the first night because our neighbors arrived at 2 am and were setting things up and talking, laughing pretty loudly. So we essentially did not sleep at all that night. While the quite time is listed on the rules but seems like it is not enforced at all. So while I love this campground, I highly recommend going during the weekdays. The bathroom is a very nice addition. Again, it's clean majority of the time but it depends on how the campers take care of it. They are dogs friendly. They need to be on leash. We got a tie down which works amazing. There's also a lot of wildlife. I didn't hear frogs but a lot of birds. We saw eagles and their nest which is so beautiful. There is a restaurant called Smoke on the water. The food is AWESOME. They also have firewood for sale. Just need to double check their business hours. The drive up there was good. Remember to pay attention the detours. The last 15 minutes was really twisty. We will be back for sure!

Kelli

September 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Finnon Lake Recreation Area

The camp ground and lake were beautiful. The bathroom were clean. Toilet paper, paper towels and soap to wash your hands. Also lights in the bathroom. No shower which was very hard to do. But we all enjoy the time spent at Finnon lake. We will be coming back next year.

M

MyDung

August 2025

Tent

Group trip

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Finnon Campsite offers a peaceful atmosphere, safety, and cleanliness.

Reading optional. Napping unded the trees, a must.

A

Alex

June 2025

Tent

2 nights at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Lake Finnon is such a pretty lake, perfect for taking out a floaty tube and laying back and taking in the sunshine. The water was warm! Look out for a bald eagle nest. The sounds of the local birds are lovely. The stars at night are surreal. Nicely kept bathrooms with flushing toilets. Only things to be prepared for is the incline of the site, so prep your tent for that downward grade. Also, there isn't much seclusion from neighbors, but everyone we met there were super friendly.

Sherri

June 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Loved the wild life! Saw a deer, turtle, frogs, lots of different birds and I bald eagle. Placerville is beautiful

S

Sarah

June 2025

19 ft campervan

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Love Finnon !! Little Smokey this stay . I might recommend limiting campfires as there’s not a lot of airflow near the lake.

D

Debora

June 2025

Tent

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Stunning. Serene. Peaceful. Quiet. Lovely I would go often if I lived closer

B

Brandon

June 2025

Tent

With kids

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

This place is always amazing. Definitely will be back

C

Cindee

May 2025

21 ft campervan

With pets

2 nights at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Beautiful, peaceful setting. Well-maintained campsites. Clean restrooms. Loved hiking around the lake and watching the eagles nest across the lake from the campsites.

C

Cindee

April 2025

21 ft campervan

With pets

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

Beautiful setting overlooking the water. Lots of bird watching, including an eagle nest across the lake.

C

Cody

April 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Finnon Lake Recreation Area

2nd time there, great quiet spot with flushing toilets and a small lake for kayaking, fishing, and paddle boarding. We’ll be back.

E

Eric

April 2025

18 ft campervan

3 nights at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

The site was clean and the views were perfect. Loved watching the bald eagles hunt and fish on the lake as they tended to the their babies. The recent work done to the restrooms was amazing.

D

Dan

November 2024

Tent

1 night at Finnon Lake Recreation Area

This is my second time at Finnon Lake. This is truly a hidden gem, not easy to get to but worth the trip. The camp grounds are surrounded by a beautiful clear calm lake. The clean restrooms are a welcome benefit. Folks smiled and waved at each other. I’d recommend this camp site anytime.