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

Caples Lake Campground

Recreation Opportunity Guides (ROG) - These guides contains information, maps, and directions to assist you in enjoying your trip to the Eldorado National Forest. Caples Lake Campground. Fees and Passes. Non-motorized Trails. Mokelumne Wilderness

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served

More like this: first-come in California

Caples Lake Campground
Photo from the area. Alvin Cura (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
1fire
active
Tmu Rx Support (prescribed burn) · 16 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
Seasonlate June to September
ForestEldorado National Forest
BookingNo reservations
Fees$28/single. $56/double

Eldorado National Forest recreation page ↗

Getting there

Coordinates38.7042° N, 120.0528° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Tmu Rx Support

    16 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 gearTahoe Gear Exchange ↗14.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗17 mi
RV sales & serviceCustom Truck Accessories ↗33.6 mi

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

Limited data for this unit

No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule or directions in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.

Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.

Explore

Video

Caples Lake Campground - El Dorado National Forest, CA

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.7 mi
    Emigrant Lake
    4.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.7 mi
    Carson Emigrant N.R.T ↗
    17.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more · national_scenic_or_historic
  • 0.9 mi
    Lake Margaret
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.1 mi
    Schneider Camp
    2.1 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.1 mi
    Schneider Corral
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.3 mi
    Kirkwood Lake Loop
    1.5 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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 Caples Lake Campground?

No. Caples Lake Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Caples Lake Campground?

$28/single. $56/double

Source: Forest Service

Is Caples Lake Campground open right now?

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

Source: Forest Service status

Is there cell service at Caples Lake Campground?

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

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What if Caples Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Kirkwood Campground (1.9 mi, first-come), Woods Lake (2.6 mi), and Silver Lake Campground East (4.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby