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

Woods Lake

Recreation Opportunity Guides (ROG) - These guides contains information, maps, and directions to assist you in enjoying your trip to the Eldorado National Forest. Woods Lake Campground. Picnicking. Fees and Passes. Non-motorized Trails. Mokelumne Wilderness. Mokelumne Wilderness website

Reservable · Recreation.gov26 sitesPets okFires ok

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Woods LakeWoods 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) · 17 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only26
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.

Getting there

Coordinates38.6867° N, 120.0092° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    17 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearTahoe Gear Exchange ↗15.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗17.8 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗33.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Woods Lake XC
    1.7 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 0.2 mi
    Winnemucca
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Round Top Lake
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Wildwood
    0.09 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 1 mi
    Wilderness Boundary
    2.4 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 1.2 mi
    Camp Irene ↗
    15.6 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Mokelumne Wilderness begins under a tenth of a mile away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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 Woods Lake?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Woods Lake have?

26 sites, including 26 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Woods Lake?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Woods 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

What if Woods Lake is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Caples Lake Campground (2.6 mi, first-come), Kirkwood Campground (4.4 mi, first-come), and Silver Lake Campground East (6 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby