The kids are loving life at Wrights Lake
Well we just got back from Wrights Lake and boy did we have a good time.
If you don’t know where it is, Wrights Lake is located 30 minutes South of Lake Tahoe in the Eldorado National Forrest. The lake looks up at the majestic rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevada and Desolation Wilderness.
We left early Monday morning from our home in San Jose and were up at the lake by 2pm.
The road coming in to the Wrights Lake Campground
When we saw the Wrights Lake campground sign and then caught a glimpse of the lake, we were beside ourselves to find our camp site and get out on the lake.
This is the place where we caught the RV bug last summer when we tent camped here. We thought, wow this is great but sleeping in a tent and cooking over the campfire is just ok. So one month later we bought our Thor Cal travel trailer and yes the rest is history and being chronicled in this blog.
So we spent a full week at Wrights Lake this year, six nights and seven very full days coming home late Sunday evening. We filled our days canoeing on the lake, playing on the beach and trying our luck at fishing up the filler stream for the lake (no we didn’t catch any fish, but we saw a lot of them). Wrights Lake is a totally non-power boat lake. You can only have canoes, kayaks and sail boats on the lake. So this means the type of people who come to the lake are the more “environmental” types and also the campground is quieter in the evening. If you have a power boat I recommend you go to Icehouse reservoir which is on the road to Wrights Lake (about 10 miles below the lake).
The family canoeing on Wrights Lake
We also met a lot of friendly people. And many of them with children the same age as our kids. Our last night we were invited to dinner with a family who were having a sort of family reunion. The grandfather has been going to Wrights Lake since the 1940s!
Camping Recommendations for Wrights Lake
If you are passing through Placerville on your way to the lake (and your a Safeway shopper), I highly recommend you stop at the Palcerville Safeway (at the Missouri Flats off-ramp). Buy your food there and then fill-up at the Safeway gas station. You can save up to 60 cents a gallon.
Check-in at the campground isn’t until 2pm, so plan a late afternoon arrival.
There are two campgrounds. The one closest to the lake is for tent campers only (sites 1-19). The campground for sites 20 -68 inlcude spaces for RV camping (though no power or water hookup. It’s dry camping only).
One note about water: It isn’t allowed to hook a hose up to the facet to fill your water tank. So bring a large water bucket to fill you tank (I bought a six gallon jug for future trips).
The best spaces for RVs are on the side of the campground of sites 38 – 68 . The campground road is wider and easier to maneuver.
The picture on the right is of a tree on the side of the campground with the narrow road. As you can see many an RV has made its mark.
So we had a great time and will be back next year. And next year we plan to do some hiking up in the hills above the lake. There are many small alpine lakes nestled up among the granite cliffs.
Reservation Information
- CALL 1-877-444-6777, four days to six months in
advance of your first night’s stay.
- WEBSITE: www.Recreation.gov
The campground is generally open between late June and mid-October. These dates are affected by snow conditions. The campground is at about 7,000’ elevation.
Location: 23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50, 11 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), 9 miles east on Forest Road 32 (Wrights Lake Tie Road), and 2 miles north on Forest Road 4 (Wrights Lake Rd).
#1 by Michelle MacPhearson on September 1, 2009 - 2:51 pm
Looks like a lovely spot – you might also enjoy Gerle Creek, it’s got a beautiful placid little lake after the creek, just gorgeous. It’s also on the Recreation.gov site. We head up and picnic there all the time, it’s absolutely my favorite spot!
#2 by Bob on September 2, 2009 - 6:34 am
Hi Michelle,
Gerle Creek sounds cool. I’ll have to put it on my list of places to RV camp. Wrights Lake is our favorite because after camping there we got the RV bug and bought our travel trailer.
Bob Erwin
#3 by Dianne on June 23, 2010 - 2:49 pm
We just reserved the last camp spot at Wrights Lake for a quick weekend trip in July. We’ve never been to the lake before and after reading you review, I’m very excited! One question is: what is the best route to take going there coming from the Placerville area? Google maps says to take hwy. 50 to Wrights Lake Rd., but you and the forest service say to take Ice House Rd. and go around Ice House Reservoir which seems much longer. We don’t have an RV, just a small SUV. Is there something we should know about taking Wrights Lake Rd from 50? Thanks for you help.
#4 by Bob on June 23, 2010 - 4:07 pm
Hi Dianne,
Be sure to bring a good supply of bug spray. I’ve been told July is the high season for mosquitoes.
Definitely take the Ice House Road route the other road is pretty scary (you drive along a very steep cliff). Plus Ice House road is a very pretty drive, but Ice House does
take longer.
We couldn’t get a reservation to Wrights Lake this year so we are staying at Gerle Creek.
#5 by mary on September 19, 2010 - 4:55 pm
Hello, thank you for posting this site… ive been wanting to camp at Wrights lake because everyone talks of how beautiful it is.. i wanted to ask you is the lake ok for children to swim in? and is this location a quiet place? thank you …
#6 by Bob on September 24, 2010 - 4:35 pm
Hi Mary,
Yes Wrights Lake is some place special. We really love it.
The lake is great for kids to swim in but if you have kids who are just so-so swimmers and/or under six years of age I would suggest they wear a life vest while in the lake, so you don’t need to worry. Other than that the water can be a little cold, but you are at 7,000 ft. Also what is great about the lake is that no motorized boats are allowed.
Camping at the lake is generally quiet though there can be a lot of kids running around (like my kids). In the evening things were pretty quiet on the trips we have been at the lake.
Hope that helps,
Bob Erwin
#7 by Maria on January 27, 2012 - 2:04 pm
Thanks for posting the map and pics. Beautiful. I scored a site after three attempts at reserving other sites and failing. I’m in Site 32 right now, but we have a small travel trailer and a Tundra to fit into the 25′ site. It’s ADA accessible; I’m not sure what that means. Did you notice if some sites are wider than others? Which sites have you stayed in? Did you happen to see any RVs in the 25-foot sites? I’m a little worried. My husband thinks we’ll squeeze the trailer in and angle the truck, but I’m not so sure… He’s a great backer-upper, but still.
#8 by Bob on January 28, 2012 - 12:47 am
Hi Maria,
Site 32 is a good site. Don’t worry. It will take a little negotiation to get into it, but if you go slow and take your time (with a good “backer-upper”) you will be fine. The road to your site has a lot of trees to look out for. Going through that area, what we do, is have my wife walk out in front of our car and help me look out for trees.
But don’t let that scare you. Just take your time pulling into the spot. Problems happen when you rush to get parked.
We have stayed in sites 24, 25 and 28.
Wrights Lake is paradise and worth the extra effort. Have fun and bring lots of bug spray especially if your there in July. We will probably try to go over Labor day weekend this year.
Regards,
Bob Erwin