U.S. Forest Service · Eldorado National Forest · California

Kirkwood Lake

Reservable · Recreation.gov13 sitesPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Kirkwood Lake
Photo from the area. This image was created by user Kingman Bond Graham (Kingman) (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 18 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only12
Host/management1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kirkwood Lake30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 9.62 inches of precipitation, 10.1 inches of snowFebruary: 8.77 inches of precipitation, 17.3 inches of snowMarch: 8.83 inches of precipitation, 13.5 inches of snowApril: 4.90 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowMay: 3.17 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJune: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.03 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.92 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 5.30 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowDecember: 9.38 inches of precipitation, 7.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.9°F averageFebruary: 40.6°F averageMarch: 44.3°F averageApril: 49.3°F averageMay: 57.2°F averageJune: 64.5°F averageJuly: 71.9°F averageAugust: 70.6°F averageSeptember: 65.9°F averageOctober: 53.5°F averageNovember: 42.9°F averageDecember: 36.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Pacific House, 14 miles from the recreation area point at 3,450 feet, station USC00046597 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 54 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 58 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

AreaRecreation.gov lists no exact point for this campground. The recreation area is at 38.80° N, 120.25° W. Call the office before you drive.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    18 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Kirkwood Lake?

Sites at Kirkwood Lake are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Kirkwood Lake have?

13 sites, including 12 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Kirkwood Lake?

Yes, pets are allowed at Kirkwood Lake. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Kirkwood Lake?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby