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

Lovers Leap

Soaring above the dense pine canopy of Eldorado National Forest, the stunning granite cliffs of Lover's Leap promise world-class and breathtaking panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov21 sites

More like this: reservable in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Lovers LeapLovers Leap
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) · 13 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Walk-in21
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

Site map

17 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonJune to October
ForestEldorado National Forest
BookingNo
Fees$28 camping. $10 day use

Eldorado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Lovers Leap30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.81 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.75 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.87 inches of precipitationApril: 1.27 inches of precipitationMay: 1.32 inches of precipitationJune: 0.55 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.39 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.36 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.28 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.43 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.94 inches of precipitationDecember: 3.49 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.6°F averageFebruary: 31.3°F averageMarch: 35.8°F averageApril: 40.4°F averageMay: 47.6°F averageJune: 55.1°F averageJuly: 61.5°F averageAugust: 60.4°F averageSeptember: 54.4°F averageOctober: 45.7°F averageNovember: 37.1°F averageDecember: 30.4°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at South Lake Tahoe AP, 10 miles from the campground at 6,314 feet, station USW00093230 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates38.7994° N, 120.1411° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    13 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 gearSierra ↗10.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗12.3 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗30.8 mi

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

Explore

Video

Camp out by lovers leap

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.8 mi
    Strawberry Ridge Loop
    4.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1 mi
    Lovers Leap
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 1 mi
    Strawberry Snowmobile ↗
    8.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.2 mi
    Cody Creek Loop
    3.3 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.3 mi
    Pyramid Creek Loop Trail
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Mt. Ralston
    3.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 →

This campground sits inside Eldorado National Forest.

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.

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Lovers Leap?

Sites at Lovers Leap are reservable on Recreation.gov. No Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Lovers Leap?

$28 camping. $10 day use

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Lovers Leap open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season June to October.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Lovers Leap have?

21 sites, including 21 walk-in sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

What if Lovers Leap is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Wrights Lake Equestrian Campground (5.9 mi), Wrights Lake (6 mi), and Kirkwood Campground (7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby