U.S. Forest Service · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit · Tahoe City, CA

William Kent Campground

William Kent Campground is conveniently located on Lake Tahoe's west shore, a few miles south of Tahoe City. It straddles the highway and features not only a large area in which to camp, but also a day-use area that is popular among visitors.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov81 sites57 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
William Kent CampgroundWILLIAM KENT CAMPGROUND 2William Kent Campground 1William Kent Campground 3
Photos courtesy of Local staff · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 18 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups78
Cabins3
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 guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 53 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

81 sites in 3 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFiresPetsAccessibleRating
020AREA WILLIAM KENT CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in40PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesYesStandard
001HOSTStandardBack-in53PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
003HOSTStandardBack-in50PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
004StandardBack-in40PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
005StandardBack-in25PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
006StandardBack-in40PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
007StandardBack-in20PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
008StandardBack-in36PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
009StandardBack-in20PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard
011StandardBack-in12PavedPartial6 / 1YesYesStandard

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 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length57 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
AccessibilitySites 020, 002, 010, 080 are listed accessible

The campground offers dozens of campsites, available for tent and RV camping. Each is equipped with tables, campfire rings and grills. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Each yurt provides a cabin-like space for a family of five or six people. The yurts sit on a wooden platform interior furnishings include a futon and bunk beds with mattresses. Cooking supplies and bedding are not provided. The tent and RV sites have paved parking aprons. Each yurt and standard site has a bear-proof food storage locker, campfire ring, pedestal grill and picnic table.

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

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestLake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
BookingFor reservations, visit www.recreation. gov.
RulesReservations must be booked at least 1 day in advance, 2 night minimum on weekends, 3 night minimum on holidays. Reservations must be booked at least 1 day in advance. 3 night minimum on holidays. All campers must register with camp host. Six people per site. Quiet hours 10pm to 6am. $5.00 fee for extra vehicles collected at campground. No showers. No pets on beaches. Pet rules strictly enforced.

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near William Kent Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 6.21 inches of precipitation, 37.9 inches of snowFebruary: 5.72 inches of precipitation, 41.3 inches of snowMarch: 4.95 inches of precipitation, 34.7 inches of snowApril: 2.23 inches of precipitation, 14.0 inches of snowMay: 1.57 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowJune: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJuly: 0.17 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 1.89 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowNovember: 3.21 inches of precipitation, 9.4 inches of snowDecember: 6.00 inches of precipitation, 36.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.1°F averageFebruary: 30.8°F averageMarch: 34.3°F averageApril: 38.9°F averageMay: 46.6°F averageJune: 54.6°F averageJuly: 62.0°F averageAugust: 61.4°F averageSeptember: 55.4°F averageOctober: 45.9°F averageNovember: 36.8°F averageDecember: 30.2°F average0 in10 in20 in30 in40 in50 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tahoe City, 2 miles from the campground at 6,230 feet, station USC00048758 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 33 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 179 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

William Kent Campground is 2 miles south of Tahoe City on California Highway 89.

Nearest townTahoe City, California
Coordinates39.1396° N, 120.1554° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.).

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.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗0.1 mi
Outdoor gearAlpenglow Sports ↗2.2 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗20.6 mi

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

Explore

Video

LAKE TAHOE | WILLIAM KENT CAMPGROUND | CALIFORNIA COASTAL CAMPING

Worth a stop

A day-use area is located across the street from the campground for lake access and other water activities. Tahoe City is less than 5 miles away.

Show all 8

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 2.4 mi
    Blackwood Creek Trail
    1.6 mi trail
  • 4.2 mi
    Bear Creek Trail
    2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.7 mi
    The Great Ski Race
    1.9 mi trail
  • 4.8 mi
    Five Lakes
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.8 mi
    Tahoe Rim Trail ↗
    115.4 mi trail · national_recreation_or_other
  • 5 mi
    Squaw Valley Wst Connection
    0.8 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 Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

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.

Natural features

William Kent Campground is situated in a residential area, alongside a busy highway. The campground has more than 80 sites, each surrounded by tall pine, cedar and fir trees. Many of the sites are secluded with evergreen shrubs and the terrain, with its shallow gullies and low ridges, helps to keep each site separate from neighboring sites.

Recreation

Just minutes away from the campground, 22-mile-long Lake Tahoe provides sunbathing, swimming, boating and water skiing. Anglers can look forward to healthy fish populations of kokanee salmon and mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout. The campground is also ideal for people planning a full day of bike riding around Lake Tahoe. Bike trails that traverse the western shores of Lake Tahoe begin near the campground.

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 William Kent Campground?

Sites at William Kent Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. For reservations, visit www.recreation. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at William Kent Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at William Kent Campground?

Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.).

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is William Kent Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does William Kent Campground have?

81 sites, including 78 standard sites without power and 3 cabins.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at William Kent Campground?

The longest site here provides 57 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at William Kent Campground?

Flush toilets and drinking water are provided.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at William Kent Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at William Kent Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at William Kent Campground?

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. Reservations must be booked at least 1 day in advance, 2 night minimum on weekends, 3 night minimum on holidays.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at William Kent Campground?

Sites 020, 002, 010, and 080 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at William Kent Campground?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at William Kent Campground?

Just minutes away from the campground, 22-mile-long Lake Tahoe provides sunbathing, swimming, boating and water skiing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation