Loon Lake Chalet
Loon Lake Chalet is situated next to Loon Lake in a granite bowl, and offers year-round, drive-to access for excellent backcountry skiing and hiking. The three-story chalet boasts excellent views of the Sierras and the lake. Though the chalet looks fancy, guests should not expect hotel luxuries, but rather a semi-rustic experience. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District built the chalet in 1989, originally intended as a day-use winter facility. Due to public demand, the second floor warming room was made available for overnight rental, and a third floor was soon added.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗



Site mix
| Cabins with electric | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Surface | Water / sewer | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paved | Yes / – | 20 / 10 |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.
Amenities & rules
The chalet has three levels and can accommodate up to 20 guests. It features a large deck off the second floor with a wide stairway accessing the parking area. Vault toilets are attached to the building but are accessed from outside. The bottom floor is the ski patrol room(no public use), the second floor is the common liviing room and the third floor is the sleeping loft. The sleeping loft is equipped with 12 twin size sleeping pads to be placed on the floor when used and stacked up neatly upon check out. Electricity plus hot and cold water are provided. Garbage service is offered in summer months. The warming room has electric heat and is equipped with picnic tables, benches, a queen-sized futon couch, two wood couches, a gas fireplace and small dryer. The kitchen contains a double sink, hot and cold water, a range top stove, microwave oven and a small under-the-counter refrigerator. Miscellaneous pots and pans are provided but guests are encouraged to bring their own. Additional tables and benches are outside on the deck. No showers are available.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Take Highway 50 east of Placerville for 21 miles to Icehouse Road turnoff. Turn left and go 25 miles north to a fork in the road. Take the right fork 6 miles. Pass the Loon Lake Campground turn-off, then go 3/4 of a mile to the chalet.
| Nearest town | Camino, California |
| Coordinates | 38.9800° N, 120.3200° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedTmu Rx Support
19 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 10.7 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Alpenglow Sports ↗ | 16.2 mi |
| RV sales & service | Custom Truck Accessories ↗ | 31.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
The nearest general store is an hour away at Ice House Reservoir. In winter, the nearest town with a general store is about two hours away in Pollock Pines.
- 0.6 miLoon Lake Day Use And Boat Launch ↗Boat launch
- 3.9 miGerle Creek Picnic Area ↗Day use
- 3.9 miAngel Creek Day Use ↗Day use
- 9.2 miMckinney/Rubicon Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 9.2 miMckinney/Rubicon Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 10 miWest Point Boat Launch ↗Boat launch
Show all 7Hide
- 13.9 miBaldwin Beach ↗Swimming
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miLoon Lk Cpgd Loop1.3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 0.1 miShadow Trail ↗4.5 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 0.1 miLoon Lake Trail4.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.2 miZephyr Trail0.8 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 0.3 miOrion Trail3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 0.3 miRubicon ↗21.1 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
This campground sits inside Eldorado National Forest.
- inEldorado National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 793,653 acres
- 3.2 miLake Tahoe Basin Management Unit ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 331,807 acres
- 3.3 miDesolation Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 64,041 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Laura Russ Westphal HouseBuilding · Homewood · 13.3 mi
Natural features
The chalet is nestled in the forest on the western edge of Loon Lake at an elevation of 6,348 feet. The lake spans 76,200 acres. Sub-alpine red fir and lodgepole forests, granite bowls and a spectacular view of the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada Mountains characterize the area.
Recreation
Popular summer activities include hiking, backpacking in Desolation Wilderness, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding and off-road driving on the 22-mile Rubicon 4WD Trail. Anglers delight in rainbow and brown trout, while boaters head out for thrilling water skiing on Loon Lake. In winter, the chalet is the focal point of the Loon Lake Winter Recreation Area, which offers many miles of non-groomed backcountry skiing trails.
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 Loon Lake Chalet?
Sites at Loon Lake Chalet are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Loon Lake Chalet?
Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Loon Lake Chalet have?
1 site, including 1 cabin with power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Does Loon Lake Chalet have hookups?
Yes, water hookups at some sites.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there showers or a dump station at Loon Lake Chalet?
No showers are available.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Loon Lake Chalet?
Popular summer activities include hiking, backpacking in Desolation Wilderness, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding and off-road driving on the 22-mile Rubicon 4WD Trail. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Loon Lake Chalet?
Camino, California. The nearest general store is an hour away at Ice House Reservoir.
Source: Getting there
What if Loon Lake Chalet is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Loon Lake (0.6 mi), Northshore Campground (1.4 mi, partly first-come), and Red Fir (1.6 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby




