99% (163)
Top-rated campgrounds near South Lake Tahoe
99% (163)
Top-rated campgrounds near South Lake Tahoe
Public campgrounds near South Lake Tahoe
Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community
M
Magdalena
October 2025
25 ft campervan
We had such an amazing time! The campsite and surrounding area were spotless, and the river and landscape were absolutely beautiful. Terry was a fantastic host—friendly, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable about the local area and ecology. We’re definitely making this trip a yearly tradition!
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Henry
October 2025
Tent
With kids
Beautiful camp, river is lovely and Terry, the host, is ultra accommodating. Can’t wait to come back when it’s a little warmer next year.
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Annelise
September 2025
Tent
Group trip
My group and I had a wonderful time staying on Matt's land. Plenty of room to spread out, beautiful area, and we had lots of fun playing ping-pong in the game room. The kitchen was super handy and well-equipped and the fire pit area was a great spot to make smores at night and hang out. It was great to be able to bring doggos as well.
I'd highly recommend and will probably book again!
The hosts were responsive and helpful.
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Betsy
September 2025
Tent
With pets
A wonderful location and an even more wonderful host, Terry! He’s so welcoming and made sure we were well taken care of. The shared shower, porta potty and sink are all clean and well maintained.
We had campsite #2 which was perfect for our part of two with plenty of space. During the day, we explored trails along the creek and enjoyed the beautiful nature around us. The creek water is clear and had fish too! While we did share the swimming hole and “beach side” area and chairs with others, it was still very enjoyable.
One thing to that would help is better signage to exit the property. Other than that, it’s a big thumbs up for us!
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Hannah
September 2025
Tent
With pets
Beautiful spot, super clear instructions, communicative and friendly host, very clean facilities. River is special and serene, and was a great spot for the kids to explore. LOVED the campfire setup on the beach, it was perfect for us to safely roast some hot dogs and smores later in the season. Stairs down were very sturdy and while we had to keep an eye on the kids, the 3/4 year olds were able to safely navigate themselves up and down. Mentioning this because I found this helpful in other previous reviews :)
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Careena
September 2025
Tent
Amazing location and Terry was an awesome host. River was beautiful and so clear!
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M
Moises
September 2025
16 ft car
It is a good place to relax and unwind. :)
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Paige
September 2025
Tent
Beautiful property!! Amazing place to spend the summer days down at the creek for swimming and fishing
Hosts were so friendly and welcoming!
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A
Alex
September 2025
Tent
Loved this place! Really beautiful and really peaceful. They are totally right about AWD or 4x4 access unless your idea of a fun time is getting stuck in dirt on an incline. Will definitely be back!
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Kristen
September 2025
Tent
With kids
I took my two sons camping here for our first ever camping trip and had the time of our lives! It is such a great spot, the owners are helpful and care for the property, and the river truly is spectacular. We look forward to visiting again hopefully!
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Ariana
August 2025
Tent
With pets
My husband, son (3) and I really loved our stay on Terry’s land! We stayed at campsite 3 and it was perfect for us. It was private but still close enough to the river/bathrooms. We got super lucky and had the river to ourselves one day. Terry and his family are so kind that they leave chairs set up for use by the river so you don’t have to lug your stuff & his son even brought us down a lighter when we forgot ours.
The land itself is stunning. The river goes on and on. The water is perfectly cold for these hot summers days and there are so many critters on the land. Can’t wait to come back in the future!
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M
Madeline
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Beautiful quiet spot on a river, would recommend! Terry and his wife Erin were great hosts. We loved unplugging, but be warned there was no cell service at our site (#2) and an SUV/ all wheel drive is required to get to sites near the river and the swimming hole. The hosts graciously shuttled our things to and from our site since we drive a sedan, but if being able to come and go from your site keep that in mind.
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Michael
August 2025
Tent
With kids
This place is an absolute gem. Terry iand his dog Whisky are super nice and friendly. We had a great time swimming, hiking down the stream, and exploring the old gold mine.
Beautiful property., great host, well likley be back.
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Shantala Luana
August 2025
Tent
We had an amazing time at Terry’s property, everything was so peaceful and well kept!
Terry even took the time to show us around…the water was just perfect and we were lucky to have the river just for ourselves in the second day. We’ll definitely come back!
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Erin
August 2025
Tent
With kids
I took my 6yo son for a mommy-son weekend camping trip and we both wished we never had to leave. The stargazing was magical, the views from and privacy at site 4 were exactly what I was wishing they would be. Floating in the swimming hole, gold panning, and rock scrambling to the old mining cave were great activities. Terry taught us about freshwater ecology and showed us artifacts of the local indigenous people on site. This is a very special place, with very special hosts. Thank you so much, Terry and Erin, for sharing your beautiful land with us. We can’t wait to come back!
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Carlina
August 2025
Tent
Group trip
We had a fabulous weekend at Strange Ranch. Others have summed up the logistics pretty well so I won’t repeat those things. Please do read the description and Terrys thoughtfully prepared instructions…they will make your experience much smoother. This spot is truly special and Terry and Erin make it all the more so. They are gifted stewards of the land and we would definitely return to spend time here. The river, the stars, the fire pit next to the river, the mine, the amenities they provide…just all top notch!
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Tiff
August 2025
Tent
Stayed at Site 1 for the Perseid meteor shower and it was perfect.
Directions were clear, and we arrived to a clean, secluded paradise. Bathroom/shower were great. Clean running water in the sink. We lucked out and were the only people booked for a couple days, and got to meet host Erin and her pup Whiskey. Erin was lovely and really easy to communicate with, and our dog loved running around with Whiskey. There were some provided doggy bags by the shower.
I would advise bringing some shade esp for sunnier days. Otherwise, site 1 was perfect. River access is essentially right there, bathroom and trash a close walk, beautiful open space. Def bring a 4WD vehicle.
The river and swimming hole were an easy walk down the stairs, the big rocks offered great shade, and the fire pit was a nice touch. There were some chairs on both sides of the bank. We swam with minnows, got to see the most beautiful, colorful dragonflies, and found a couple crawfish. We regret not renting some gold panning gear from the hosts, the shallow pools and rocks were glittering with endless flecks of gold.
Saw a lot of cool animals including deer, bats, birds, and lizards.
The entire grounds was beautiful, none of the pictures really do it justice. Mad peaceful. Def a must stay spot.
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m
mary
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Our group had a fabulous weekend at Strange Ranch site #2. It’s along the road just above the steps (many but well-constructed concrete) down to the swimming hole and has a couple of shady options for tents. Potable water at the site and the adjacent shower and Porta potty made camping very convenient. All-wheel or four-wheel-drive only to all the sites except #4 at the top of the hill. Lots of shade around the creek, so comfortable relaxing down there during the heat of the day. The creek is just beautiful and is the main attraction for sure. Highly recommended!
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Louie
August 2025
Tent
With kids
A huge thank you to our host Terry and Erin. We had such a wonderful time and thank you for your warm hospitality. The campsite was beautiful, peaceful and just as advertised. Thank you for sharing with us your beautiful property. We cannot wait to come back hopefully sooner rather than later!
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Shannon
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Beautiful location. It is excellent for dogs, be a responsible pet owner, and clean up after your pets. It is the only way people like Terry allow us all to visit and use their property. It is one of the best swimming holes ever, with deep places to jump in, shallow places to play, beautiful spots to fly fish, and cold water for hot days. An abundance of wild critters, so be smart with your critters and kids. Sites 1 & 2 have the easiest water access, and I recommend getting both for four or more people; otherwise, the walk is steep from the other camping spots, but I would recommend driving down to the stairs because after the stairs to the water, you won’t want to walk back to your site uphill. Terry and his son Merrick gave great tips on what to check out and what to look out for. We would 100% recommend it if you love stargazing too, or are into a bit of gold mining history. Not gonna lie, my son-in-law and I chickened out on going too far into the mine. We made too many jokes before going to check it out.
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