The campground is 5stars, the best. Not too thrilled with the hosts this year, new group this year…read more I did not have any personal issues with them, but they were the grumpiest I've experienced their. I have been going to this campground for over 50 yrs, of course there weren't hosts back then, but they could be a bit more friendly. Last year,especially, they were great. Would also like to add, the hosts are not running it well. Come up to station after coming back from Kiva. There was 5 trailers deep, they had a cone in the bypass lane. Y??? Every one had to wait. Again, unnecessary

First time staying at this campground and we loved it! Most of the campground is pretty shaded…read morewhich was so nice. We didn't need to put up any shade structures at our site. Everyone was very friendly. The campsite is very level and perfect for riding bikes. The bathrooms have real toilets and showers and we're pretty clean. We loved our stay! The only weird thing is that we purchased a parking pass for the parking lot to be closer to the lake since we had kayaks to bring in. The lady that sold us the pass told us that she sells unlimited passes, despite there only being about 20 spots. We asked if that meant that even though we purchase a spot, does that mean there's a possibility of not getting a spot? And she said yes! I don't understand this method of selling parking passes. They should find a better way otherwise they are just taking peoples money for no reason... we bought a pass at 7:30 am and went up to the lot at 9am and we got one of the last spots. That's a big bummer for anyone else buying a pass.

Great tent camping experience! Since the campground was remodeled with fewer campsites, it has…read moretruly become a gem. I especially want to give five stars to the campground hosts, Hobe and Daryl, who kept everything organized, welcoming, and exceptionally clean. They really made a difference in the overall experience. We will definitely be back!

Loved it! Clean bathrooms and showers. Close to the lake, where you can launch your kayak or…read morepaddleboard. The water is clean. Loved everything!

I've been camping all throughout California, and this place hits hard. This is hands down the…read morecleanest most well kept campground I've ever been to. The sunsets hit. Pulling trout out of the stream across the road hit. Eating those trout for breakfast hit. It's a 20-30 min drive to South Lake Tahoe if you need to restock your cooler or tackle box. It's a short drive to potholes swimming hole. The whole experience was great, and we will come back.

This is a great campground which we came across by accident.. We were lucky to be able to find one…read morefirst come first serve spot and spent the night there. Our flat spot was perfect for our Patriot Camper. The only knock I would give this place is actually more due to the fact that stupid Covid is increasing the number of people camping... The campground was packed. When we tried to come back two weeks later it was full. So that's not really any fault of the campground host or the facility. There's a beautiful creek on the other side of the road. As well as a very beautiful Hope Valley, which is very much worth hiking in.

I have used a number of KOA campgrounds across the USA but this one is set up very differently…read more This site has a number of levels/hills in it. It could make navigating a larger rig through it a bit of a challenge, and I was only walking through it. There is a nice but small pool area. We were in one of the spaces closer to the entrance/exit, thankfully. The staff was very pleasant and when I let them know that one of the paper towel dispensers in the women's restroom was empty, it was handled promptly. The staff tried to keep the restrooms/showers clean but these areas really do need to be completely remodeled. The showers appeared to have mold started in them. The road noise is very noticeable all day and night. The price for the campgrounds is considerably higher than most KOAs I have stayed in.

We live in our RV full-time, and there are very few options in the Tahoe area for a 45' motorhome…read more We brought our boat to Tahoe and stayed at the KOA South Tahoe for a month, as we have kids and grandkids in Northern California. Although the sites are a little close together, and the highway noise is noticeable during the day, we thought this was a beautiful setting full of tall trees and situated near a pleasant little creek. We found every member of the staff very helpful and friendly. Just a few minutes away there are cafes and a nice market. Tahoe Keys Marina is about 15 minutes away. There is a little swimming pool where our grandkids enjoyed swimming. We enjoyed campfires and making s'mores. Some of our visitors stayed in the Chalet cabin, which was cute and very clean. We would definitely stay here again.

Our first time at Camp Shelly... it's cool bc you get to select the site! Reasonably priced per…read morenight $60 for non-residents of Livermore. Spaces were pretty large compared to other camps we've been too. Clean bathrooms & free showers! No coins needed. Yes, we encountered a bear almost every day... bc we are in their home... but the rangers were awesome! They made it seem like the bears were "friendly" and shoo'd them away with ease. Make sure to keep your food in the large bear containers. Thank you rangers Katelyn, Gilbert & Drew!

I don't understand why Bob gave two stars to Camp Shelly for the second point "lack of…read moreOregon-ness". :( That's like going to a great Italian restaurant and docking a star because it's not in Rome. I'm not sure what camping fees are in Oregon so I can't compare, but this is California and I think it's pretty fair compared to most other campgrounds. Though I'm fairly certain everything is more expensive in California than other states, so that could induce a breathtaking moment... and not just because you're around 6,000' elevation. ;O) Unless a place is truly awful, say if the bathrooms stunk to the high heaven's which he cited they did not or service is inexcusably horrible, then I would give as low as two stars. I know the Rangers at Camp Shelly are outstanding and though the restrooms are rustic for most, it's clean. I respectfully ask that Bob reconsider that missing third star since it's a great campground and I'm going to tell you why. :) This is a wonderful little campground in beautiful S. Lake Tahoe which is operated by the Livemore Parks Department. It's a clean campground and cozy. It's likely not for hard core campers, but it's also not geared toward RV camping either and I think it's for everyone! It is an institution for many families of Livermore. This is a place many pine for the whole year long (no pun intended as there are Jeffrey Pines all about), I am one of those people. The bathrooms are clean and if you're lucky enough to have indoor plumbing (ladies) the outside of the stalls are painted in a lovely mural which is in the photos section. The Rangers are awesome and each Saturday night there is an old fashioned ice cream making/social and most importantly EATING! Campground kids are encouraged to come over and give the ice cream machine a crank. It's a great time to meet other campers and let the kids burn off energy and get a taste of ice cream made the old fashioned way. On the weekends LARPD Rangers offer interactive programs such as Astronomy walks/talks and Wildflower walks/exploration. One thing I especially love is the lack of poison oak that one might find in lower elevations. There are mosquitoes so do bring protection or, if you're like me, DEET it up and wear three layers of clothes. I try to encase my body in the Fortress of Solitude. There is a horseshoe pit, basketball, ping pong table (that was being refurbed last summer, but I hear it's making a comeback for 2012!) and yes....oh yes, volleyball. If you're lucky and stay during the time when Camp Shelly competes with neighboring Camp Concord in a volleyball tourney for the Golden Toilet Seat... well, good times are had by all. The campground is very chill and small enough to where you can feel comfortable letting your kids wander around, dig in the dirt and build forts on the hillside by your camp. It feels like a mini community and is very family friendly. Oh, when I say "family" I'm also including your four-legged canine family. Camp Shelly is dog-friendly and our dog loves it up there. We go up 2-3 times in the season and sometimes see friends we know from school/community. Other times we find familiar faces we see regularly at the Farmer's Market, but may not know personally. It's a cool thing to go back each year and see some of the same faces and it's fun to see the kids grow from year to year. It's always great meeting folks from outside of our community those that come from other cities or other states. There are some great hikes and wonderful places to visit nearby. One of our family favorites is the hike up to Eagle Lake. Our dog LOVES the climb and the jump into a snow-fed Alpine lake. If you're lucky and go early in the season (and winter has been good) sometimes you can have a snowball fight with what little snow is left. Baldwin Beach is right down the main drive from Camp Shelly and Camp Richardson is a 5 minute drive. There is dog-friendly Kiva Beach just down the road in case your pup is a water hound like ours. Another of our favorites is the Camp Richardson Ice cream shop, but remember to ask for a KIDS scoop because the regular scoop is bigger than a toddler's head. The trip up to Angora Lakes is wonderful and our daughter enjoys kayaking or doing the paddle board. Camp Shelly is a place worth checking out. It's become a place of lasting lifetime memories for many people I know, including our own family. As soon as Labor Day passes and Camp Shelly closes we do a countdown to opening day. Even as I write this I can smell the faint vanilla-bark of the Jeffrey pines, hear the ocean like cadence of the breeze making it's way through millions of pine needles, the crackling of our hyptnotic campfire, the sound of crickets lulling me to sleep, kids playing and campers having real exchanges in a simple world. Camp Shelly is a fantastic place to enjoy "just being". I hope you come take a look for yourself and make some lasting memories of your own. :)

We were looking for a place to camp on New Year's Eve and happened upon this location. The main…read morecampground is closed for winter, but the day use area was available. Ranger was very nice and helpful. Area has enclosed restroom facilities available near campsites. We found a great spot near the water and ended up being the only campers there. The hot springs facility was closed until the weekend, but looked great. We had a peaceful start to the new year and can't wait to go back to this location to hike and fish in the summer.

Cute place to hike with a beautiful view of nature and waterfall. Once you're done head over to the…read morehot spring pools for a nice soak.

What a disappointing experience! I miss the old Sorensens. We were the only people in restaurant…read moreand we were neglected. We just wanted appetizers and cocktails. The trout dip was mediocre. I ordered a basic tequila soda and we were charged two dollars extra for their basic tequila on the menu and never before have I been charged for soda water 2.00 extra plus two limes. The resort at Caples Lake was full so we thought we would go to our old haunt. what a disappoint.

I can no longer recommend this resort as it has been taken over by a new owner and charges almost…read more$90/night to have your own RV here.

Nice spot. Very windy at night. Cool creek that you can cool…read moreoff in running thru. Best lemon bars in the world 10 min up the road. Only thing I disliked was the road noise from highway, and parking was slim in the campground. This whole area is nice though, many spots along the river.

My family went for our first ever camping trip the weekend before the Fourth of July. We had to do…read morea "first come, first serve" as our work schedules are unpredictable so reservations aren't always easy. We ended up at Crystal Springs and it was well maintained, the hosts were extremely friendly and accommodating, and the site was perfect for us. There are picnic tables, fire rings with attached grates for BBQing, and bear boxes for food storage. Some sites are better for trailers than others (these are marked). The bathrooms were vault toilets that I thought were quite clean. Cost of the site is $18 a day, $6 for extra vehicle. We also purchased three bundles of wood for $18 (one is $7). There's a rushing river nearby which we walked along but it's not water the kids can play in - it moves pretty fast where we were. But the kids had a lot of fun climbing rocks, playing in the dirt, and playing with glow necklaces in the dark. A great spot with quick in and out of you need it. The hosts, Amy and Eric, were really great.

Cool secluded campground! Lots of places to explore will defiently be back! Water fall swimming…read moreholes so pretty!