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

South Shore Campground

South Shore Campground is located next to Lower Bear River Reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. It's a prime location for fishing and boating.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov34 sites35 ft maxNo hookups

More like this: reservable in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
South Shore CampgroundSOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDSOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDSOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUND
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 31 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only12
Standard, no hookups9
Host/management13
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 35 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

21 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehicles
001AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in25GravelFull12 / 4
005AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDTent onlyBack-inGravelFull6 / 2
006AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in25GravelFull6 / 2
007AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in35GravelFull6 / 2
009AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandard25GravelFull12 / 4
011AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandard25GravelFull12 / 4
014AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandard25GravelFull12 / 4
016AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in35GravelFull12 / 4
017AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDStandardBack-in35Gravel6 / 2
018AREA SOUTH SHORE CAMPGROUNDTent onlyGravelPartial6 / 2

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

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length35 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents

Each campsite comes with a picnic table and grill. One campsite is accessible, as is one of the vault toilets. Drinking water is provided. A general store is about a mile from the campground on the northern part of the reservoir.

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.
SeasonJune to September
ForestEldorado National Forest
BookingVisit recreation.gov or CALL 1-877-444-6777, four days to 360 days in advance of your first night’s stay. www.Recreation.gov. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover accepted.
Fees$28/single $56/double $84/triple $5/extra vehicle fee

Eldorado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Shore Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 10.57 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 9.82 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowMarch: 8.48 inches of precipitation, 19.2 inches of snowApril: 4.59 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowMay: 2.79 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowJune: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 5.17 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowDecember: 9.65 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.7°F averageFebruary: 37.9°F averageMarch: 40.3°F averageApril: 44.5°F averageMay: 52.1°F averageJune: 61.0°F averageJuly: 68.1°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 62.1°F averageOctober: 53.0°F averageNovember: 43.2°F averageDecember: 36.8°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Calaveras Big Trees, 18 miles from the campground at 4,695 feet, station USC00041277 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 105 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Pioneer, CA, take State Route 88 east 21.9 miles to Bear River Lake Resort sign. Turn left at the sign and go 3.4 miles to campground on right side of the road.

Coordinates38.5331° N, 120.2347° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

  • Recreation Fee: Recreation fees are the fees a visitor pays for things like overnight camping, a day-use pavilion, group facilities, a tour or a permit. Recreation fees vary by location and/or activity.
  • Reservation Fee: A fee may be charged at the time a reservation is made to cover the cost of reservation services. This fee is in addition to the Recreation Fee and is non-refundable. Fees for camping, day use, group sites, cabins and lookouts: $8 if made on-line; $9 if made through the call center; $3 if made in-person.
  • Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes.
  • Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation.
  • Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 4 days before your arrival date. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (see Late Cancellation below).
  • Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    31 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 gearBear Valley Adventure Company ↗11.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗21.7 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗48.7 mi

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

Explore

Video

Video Tour of South Shore Campground on Suttle Lake - Oregon (PNCVT)

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

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.

Natural features

The campground is nestled in a mixed conifer forest on a hillside just above the south shore of Lower Bear River Reservoir at an elevation of 5,900 feet. Some campsites offer partial views of the lake through the trees. A Mediterranean climate extends over most of the forest, with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

Recreation

Lower Bear Reservoir covers 166 acres and has 2.5 miles of shoreline. Activities include fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing and picnicking. Anglers may catch rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout. A boat ramp is located within a mile of the campground. The Pardoe Trail can be accessed a short distance past nearby Upper Bear River Reservoir, and borders Mokelumne Wilderness.

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Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at South Shore Campground?

Sites at South Shore Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Visit recreation.gov or CALL 1-877-444-6777, four days to 360 days in advance of your first night’s stay. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at South Shore Campground?

$28/single $56/double $84/triple $5/extra vehicle fee

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at South Shore Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at South Shore Campground?

Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation.

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is South Shore Campground open right now?

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

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does South Shore Campground have?

34 sites, including 12 tent-only sites and 9 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at South Shore Campground?

The longest site here provides 35 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

What is there to do at South Shore Campground?

Lower Bear Reservoir covers 166 acres and has 2.5 miles of shoreline. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if South Shore Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Bear Group Campground (0.2 mi), Pardoes Point (0.3 mi), and Bear River Group Campground (0.9 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby