U.S. Forest Service · Eldorado National Forest · Pollock Pines, CA

Fashoda

Fashoda Campground, located on a peninsula of the eastern side of Union Valley Reservoir, is an incredibly scenic place to camp. The lake area is a hub for activities like swimming, sailing, boating and fishing. Hiking and biking are also quite popular, and many campers make use of the Union Valley Bike Trail.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov30 sitesPets okTents only

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Fashoda Beach, Eldorado National ForestFASHODAFASHODAFASHODA
Photos courtesy of Kelly Maxey · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 23 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Tent-only30
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

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

SiteLoopShadePeople / vehiclesAccessible
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011BEACFull6 / 1
012BEACFull6 / 1
013BEACFull6 / 1
014BEACFull6 / 1
015BEACFull6 / 1
016BEACFull6 / 1
017BEACFull6 / 1
019BEACFull6 / 1

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

EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
FeesRecreation 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.
AccessibilitySite 006 is listed accessible

All sites are walk-to tent camping sites. A parking lot is located above the campground. Perks of the campground include vault toilets, drinking water, showers and a picnic area. Campers can make use of the fee dump station at Yellowjacket or Sunset Campgrounds.

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
BookingNo Reservations. Sites are available on a first-come,first-served basis.
Fees$28/single site. $10/day use area

Eldorado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Fashoda30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 9.62 inches of precipitation, 10.1 inches of snowFebruary: 8.77 inches of precipitation, 17.3 inches of snowMarch: 8.83 inches of precipitation, 13.5 inches of snowApril: 4.90 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowMay: 3.17 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJune: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.03 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.92 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 5.30 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowDecember: 9.38 inches of precipitation, 7.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.9°F averageFebruary: 40.6°F averageMarch: 44.3°F averageApril: 49.3°F averageMay: 57.2°F averageJune: 64.5°F averageJuly: 71.9°F averageAugust: 70.6°F averageSeptember: 65.9°F averageOctober: 53.5°F averageNovember: 42.9°F averageDecember: 36.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Pacific House, 9 miles from the campground at 3,450 feet, station USC00046597 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 54 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 58 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Placerville, take Highway 50 east for 23 miles. Turn north on Forest Road 3 (Ice House Road) for 15 miles. Look for signs to the campground.

Nearest townPollock Pines, California
Coordinates38.8682° N, 120.3975° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

  • 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.
  • Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees ret

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    23 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 ↗3.1 mi
Outdoor gearSierra ↗21.3 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗38.5 mi

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

Explore

Video

Fashoda Campground - El Dorado National Forest, CA

Worth a stop

Climb up Two Peaks and look down on a fantastic view of Union Valley and the Crystal Basin.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.9 mi
    Union Valley Bike Trail ↗
    6.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.6 mi
    Ice House Bike Trail
    3.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3 mi
    Millionaire Trail
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.6 mi
    Bassi Falls
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.9 mi
    Robbs Hut
    3.1 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 5 mi
    Sunrock
    1.2 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.

Natural features

Union Valley Reservoir sits in the Crystal Basin, spanning 25,000 acres at an elevation of 5,100 feet. The area is part of the Eldorado National Forest, which is home to the famed gold mining territory of the 1800s. Remnants of the California Gold Rush days can be found throughout the region. Wildlife thrives in the Eldorado National Forest. Bring a camera and be sure to look for spotted owls, bobcats, mule deer and porcupines.

Recreation

Head out on a sailboat or take the family water skiing. Union Valley offers a number of water activities. Anglers seek rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout and Kokanee salmon. The Union Valley Bike Trail stretches 4.8 miles with an easy climb of 300 feet. The trail connects campgrounds on the east side of the lake, starting from Wench Creek on down to Jones Fork 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 Fashoda?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Fashoda?

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.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Fashoda?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Fashoda?

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

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is Fashoda open right now?

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

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Fashoda have?

30 sites, including 30 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Fashoda?

Fashoda is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Fashoda?

Perks of the campground include vault toilets, drinking water, showers and a picnic area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Fashoda?

Yes, pets are allowed at Fashoda. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Fashoda?

Site 006 is 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 Fashoda?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Fashoda?

Head out on a sailboat or take the family water skiing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation