We stayed 2 nights here in late June and had a wonderful time. The campgrounds were immaculate and the restrooms well kept. Camp host checked in with us the morning after our arrival to make sure we'd survived the thunder and lightning the night before. Our first family trip and A memory we won't soon forget. Thank you. read more

Ice House Campground - Campgrounds Near Me

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Water is beautiful we had great neighbors. Cabo sights are great. The Camp sights are big some are just for RV, the water is clear and beautiful: read more

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My husband and I are locals here in Pollock Pines and decided to spend the weekend camping nearby. Unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing. I didn't catch the name of the woman working in the office today, but her behavior was extremely rude and unprofessional--not just today, but also during our check-in yesterday, where she was repeatedly short and unkind to my husband. We had reserved two campsites for our family but ended up only using one. Despite this, she noticed we were only occupying one site and gave the other one away without notifying us. When the other guest arrived and we explained the site was already rented by us, he went back to the office for clarification. Shockingly, she refused to tell him which site was his. Instead, she drove over to us with an aggressive attitude, claimed the site wasn't ours, directed us to a random area that wasn't even a proper campsite, and insisted we apologize to the other guest for the confusion--despite the fact that we had remained respectful throughout. This experience was upsetting and completely unnecessary. We will not be returning and would not recommend this campground to others. read more

Absolutely beautiful artwork by the Creator of the universe! It is almost as if EVERY star in the sky can be seen from here. The area is very well kept. Restroom area is clean. Water is beautiful and very animal friendly. Probably the most beautiful place I have ever been to camp. The pictures do not do it justice! read more

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I hope this is the correct campground, I know there are multiple campgrounds around ice house. But we can early in the summer and everything was super clean. Our campsite was large and right near the water, sometimes other campers walked next to it to get to the other side to fish. Our campsite was very close to the bathroom. They were clean and smelled nice. Someone was kind enough to leave a bottle of soap on top of the spigot of cold water and that was so nice to have! Location was pretty, kids were scooting and biking. Minus one star because we had our speakers on (not too loud at all) and at exactly 10:02 pm the camp host came over to remind us to turn it off. Of course, cool cool. She must have just been making her rounds though because our campground wasn't near their site. However, at another site much closer to them, there was like 30 people partying and singing and being super loud and camp hosts allowed it. It was almost 11 when another camper had to go and tell them to shut tf up. Be consistent or campers are going to feel like you're hard or some for whatever reasons and look the other way for others. read more

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The camping was good but the old ass hostess was extremely rude calling people stupid for asking questions! The campground was Beautiful and amazing but hostess need to check her old ass attitude read more

Boyfriend and I went camping here. So peaceful but yet hearing the sounds of other families around made it that more enjoyable. If looking for a place to just get away from the norm of traffic and crowds. This is the spot! There is fishing, hiking , walking trails and horse trails (when open) during this time we did a hike which was 3.7 miles from n and 3.7 miles back. To cover the whole perimeter of the lake. But In the middle is a beautiful waterfall that I was determined to see regardless of miles. Campgrounds up in the vicinity tend to fill very fast. There was actually a full capacity running toilet. But due to costs they may be removing it and replacing with your normal hole in ground concept . Besides that check it out, spend a couple days and just relax and enjoy read more

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Beautiful Ice House Lake is open for fishing, swimming and camping reservations only. The lake is a little low, but lots of fish in the lake I heard....Boaters and kayaking was popular, but weather was a little cool and water was chilly. The pine trees smell good and the breeze through the trees made today perfect. read more

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This was a nice campsite. It is hard to find if you are heading to the campgrounds in the middle of the night. When you turn left on Ice House Rd, after about 9.5 miles you will see a sign for Ice House 2 miles with an arrow to the right. When you see that sign, a few feet away, you need to turn right. Then you will drive 2 miles to the campsite. The spaces are pretty big, and you can fit 2 cars in the designated parking spaces. Even though the info for the campsite states that there will be an extra charge for an additional car, when we were there during Labor Day weekend, we did not get charged for the extra car. The site itself is pretty big, that we were able to keep our two tents really far from each other. So my daughters felt like they were independent for 2 nights. The reservoir is walking distance, but if you have a kayak or other beach toys, you can drive there and park with an $8 daily fee. Dogs are allowed, some dogs were unleashed which is fine. My dogs were leashed for the most part, since the place is pretty big, I did not want to risk having them run away if they see something interesting to go after. The weekend when we were there, the Bay Area was experiencing a heat wave. While outside of where we were had temps over 100, we stayed in the 90's even though it was still pretty warm. Since it was hot the stench from the bathroom, which is only a toilet- smelled a lot, so try not to get too close to the bathroom. There are plenty of bathrooms, so it's just a few minutes walk even if you are a few campsite away from the bathroom. I recommend having a bike or scooters for the kids, it's enjoyable to use to get around. Oh and we had signal.. again my girls were happy to be updated with social media. read more

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The site we booked was site 23 loop B. When we arrived the site itself was nice and big, plenty of space between sites however, the mosquitoes were out of hand. I'm from rice filed USA and have never in my life experienced that bad of a swarm. They got into our nose, eyes, and mouth in just minutes of being there and trying to set up our tent. We tried to find the camp host a few times and after about the 3rd time of looking for him we finally found him and requested a new site. He was nice about the situation but had no where for us to move to. We ended up packing up and leaving all together sadly. The host told us that the season was rushed and they didn't have time to handle the insect situation or even drain the toilets since last year. It was completely inhabitable. read more

This review is for the corporation that manages this piece of public land, Royal Elk Park Management. If you are coming to camp here, the campgrounds are pretty nice, right along the water, and the nightly fee is reasonable at $28/night (as of this writing). However, the pit toilets do leave much to be desired. If you are coming to enjoy Ice House Reservoir, do not get suckered into paying the $8 day use fee for parking next to this campground, unless you need to use the boat ramp. This is public land, and Royal Elk only manages a small part of Ice House Reservoir's shoreline. There are many other places you can drive to in order to access the shoreline. The Royal Elk staff collecting day use fees might lead you to believe that you need to pay to access the lake, but this is not the case. What's even worse is that if you pay to camp nearby at a campground managed by Royal Elk, they will still require you to pay the $8 day use fee!!! And if you decide to go for a stroll eastward along the shoreline, you will be greeted with a sign that says "No day use - This area for camping only". This is absolutely absurd. Sure you can go along the shoreline towards the dam, but if you are going to do that, you'd be a fool to pay the $8 day use fee because those areas are easily accessed from other roads. I will be writing the US Forest Service to express my displeasure with Royal Elk, as well as my elected representative in Congress to explain how misleading they are. read more

Really nice campground. We went during the summer when there were all the fires in California so the smoke was fairly bad so I'm not posting any pictures but the campground itself was nice and most spots we saw had some good space around them. You will definitely want to look at the maps when choosing your spots and, unless you want to be really close to your neighbors, pick an outside spot. Access to the lake was great and lots of hikes. We really look forward to coming back here when there isn't any smoke. read more

RUDE RUDE RUDE HOST AT BOAT RAMP! The crotchety old bag who runs this place has no business working with the public in any capacity. I arived to today 5/6 at 6:30 am, I am THE ONLY ONE HERE. Theres no cars in the lot, there's no boats on the water, there's no bank fisherman even. My boat is kind of a pain in the ass to get in the water, it takes about 15 minutes. She finds it necessary to drive down twice in her little golf cart to yell, YELL.. at me that I'm taking too long, and "we will kick your ass out of here if we have to." Keep in mind there's NOBODY here. Set the tone for the whole day, one that ended up sucking. This is a beautifull lake, with generally solid trout fishing. We need friendly hosts, not to be treated like criminals. read more

NOTE: My review is based solely on the second campground that consists of sites #39-83. We are a family of five with no dog. Our recreational activities consist of mostly swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling along the water's edge. My family have summer camped at Ice House for at least the last five years. The recreation site is a sure winner for us and our three children. The Campground Sites are close to each other, but the large boulders strewn about provide adequate privacy and sound buffering to a point. There will always be the loud, partying crowd that always comes alive with fall of the sun and rise of a raging campfire. One side of the campground offers 'lake-front' property offering gorgeous and spectacular views of the lake and wilderness on the opposite shore. We've never been able to secure these sites as they're usually reserved when we make our own reservations (more below) The campground's other side provides more removed sites that will prove much more difficult to haul inflatables or kayaks to the water's edge. The site can be extremely hot in the midday sun, so if you have the option of bringing a canopy for you site, it is recommended. There are some very nice walk-in sites. Though I have not had the pleasure of camping in them, walk-by's to the boat dock have revealed to me that these sites afford a convenient lake access that feels like one's own private, but small beach. A nice option to put in your kayak or inflatables is offered with these small ports. When we reserved for Ice House, we almost always default to site #48. It is a spacious site and probably the largest in this campground (Again, I can't speak for the first campground containing sites #1-38). Site #48 is nearly completely shaded with trees and never really gets too hot, but can get windy from the breeze coming off the lake in the afternoon. Our three children have enjoyed running and exploring around site 48. There's plenty of room to spread out with tents and not feel too close to each other. My standard practice when staying at #48 is to bring several solar-powered landscaping lights (purchasable for around $2 - $4 each at home improvement stores). Be warned, Site #48 is near a readily apparent lake access for other campers. So, it's not uncommon for people to walk near the site as they'll want to explore the shore or put in with their own vessels. The Lake The lake is narrow, but long in length. Jaunts across the lake's width in kayaks or on inflatable rafts are short, but can feel like you've accomplished a fulfilling journey. Once on the other side, you may even forget there are people inhabiting the shore from which you embarked. You'll need to watch out for motorize water vehicles if you do cross the lake. Ice House allows jet skis as well as all manner of boats (you'll see many fishermen setting off in their boats early in the morning or later in the day for their excursions to catch lake's aquatic inhabitants) Exploration of the lake's length is another matter. The lake is quite long for kayaking. If you kayak with young children, be prepared with with water, some food for energy, and of course sun protection. The opposite side of the lake is wilderness and feels far removed the further you travel along the shore. There is a section along the shore that resembles a quarry. I have jumped off a cliff section of this area for a nice cooling off from kayaking. There is a plateau in this quarry-like region where evidence of late night campfires have occurred. And while I'm on evening activity, I'd like to state that I have attempted kayaking with my family at night here in this lake. It's quite an amazing, but cautionary experience, especially on a moonless night. As well, stargazers will be rewarded on clear, dark nights to hike to the boat dock and take in the visual treasure of heavenly bodies. Recommended! The water is cold and clear. If you're familiar with Jenkinson Lake in Pollock Pines, you'll find Ice House reservoir to be much cooler. If you swim, you may want a wetsuit. If you enjoy snorkeling, Ice House lake's water is clear up to a point. Nothing like Tahoe's water clarity, but you can enjoy watching fish curiously, but cautiously observe you and crayfish scurry about the bottom. I recommend snorkeling near, but not around the lake's the boat ramp. As the summer progresses, the water level at the lake decreases, exposing boulders on the campground shore that entice swimmers to swim to, climb, and leap from. Wildlife This is bear country. We've never had an issue with bears, but apparently there has been incidents of bears taking food from coolers. Oddly, there are no bear lockers at Ice House campground. Birdwatching is a treasure here. Some summers have offered osprey dipping down to snatch fish from the crisp water Recommended areas to visit in the area: Big Hill Helipad Wright's Lake Bassi Waterfall Union Valley Reservoir Loon Lake Junction Reservoir read more

Ice House Campground - Campsite 48, upper section, looking unto the lake - Campgrounds Near Me

My family & friends have been camping here for years. Almost 4 decades!! We always provided them good business. Recently management has changed. We never had an issue before. Before it was first come first serve. Now, the managements plays favoritism! They only rent to who they want. They rejected my friends & family from renting a campground. They said there's no room left. Then, we see family asking if there's any openings. They didn't even make a reservation. The Manager rented it out to them! What happened to us?? They straight up lied to us!! Also, the manager lady was extremely rude! Straight up nepotism & liars! They only rent out to caucasians. Back then, the campground had such a diverse group & culture. Now, it's all white people! Straight racist managers!! read more

We took our toddler on her inagural camping trip and had a great time. The campsites are pretty big and most have at least a little shade. The reservoir nearby was really gorgeous and had some soft sandy areas perfect for a beach day. There are some great hikes nearby as well. We went to Bassi Falls which was a great view relative to the driving and hiking distance to reach it. My only complaint is that car access at some of the sites is a bit limited (we stayed at site 69 and the parking spot is behind a bunch of bushes), but in a way that made you feel more like you're in nature because it's out of sight. Also noise seems to travel a bit given the campground is spread out over a hilltop and acts like an amphitheater. This was fine for us at night--feel like all our fellow campers were very respectful and kept it pretty low key--but if your kid gets up at 5:00 AM like ours did it can be a bit of a challenge to keep them quiet and avoid waking up others :) read more

Booked reservations on a last minute whim, only spot available was campsite #48. when I arrived, I was way impressed and I think site #48 might be the biggest and best site out of all of the available camp sites. Full shade, plenty of spots to place several tents. Walk to the water is less than 2 minutes. Fishing, swimming, boating can be had at the water. I would definitely go here again, recommend going to anyone. Sure there was some drawbacks. 6 person max per site, and you have to pay for an additional car(s). The bathrooms are nothing to be desired as they are nothing better than a outhouse. Lucky site #48 is far enough away from any that there's no odor. I did walk around to check out other sites and they were exposed to either full sun or the odor from the neighboring bathroom. Site #49 was also really nice, not as large, but full shade and next to the water also. read more

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Had a wonderful time. The grounds are well kept. Unfortunately, the bathrooms were not maintained well.

If you are a scaredy cat and afraid of the boogeyman, this is the campground for you. After being away I needed to really be "away" if only for a night or two. But I'm not crazy and opted not to go rock climbing with my insane father. I did some asking around and learned of this camp site on the shores of the Ice House Reservoir. No advanced reservations means "first come first served". Landing a camp site here is like winning the British Lottery (Hello Nigeria!), but if you are patient and look like a lost puppy maybe a nice family will have pity on you as you circle the area on your bike looking a place to rest and give up their tree shaded site. Ice House Reservoir is beautiful. The soil is literally littered with "fools gold" and it really enhances the waters which by the way are crystal clear. By the way, the Reservoir is fed from the sierras and just as it name implies is "ice" cold. Even though it's cold it's too beautiful to neglect and highly recommend going in for a dip. I am not a fan of a the big speed boats and if you swim too far out you may never be heard from again. I spent my time here by myself, but the camp sites are fairly close to each other so if you are afraid of the dark you are never too far away from live human beings. read more

We camped here in early August (2 weeknights). It was exactly the way camping should be. Quiet nature sounds and the great outdoors. We learned this summer to stay away from weekend camping after yet another trip ruined by loud music and louder cursing/fighting drunks. Anyway...the lake was inviting and brisk. The surrounding tree lined shore was picturesque. Sunset on Monday night was spectacular! We had no neighbors in the three campsites around us and a scattering of campers throughout. Everyone really seemed to be trying to respect one anothers right to enjoy the canpground. Quiet time hours were adhered to. The only downside was the pit toilets which everyone knows stink literally in every way. But, we would still camp here again. read more

I have always enjoyed this camp ground beautiful lake good fishing and perfect for swimming

Great view it was breath taking! The bike trail was amazing. Peaceful camp ground easy access to water. Kids had a blast in the water and on bike trail which circles the lake. read more

Good spot to camp. Right by lake and lots of beach area to swim. Water was pretty nice. It was August and hot, so probably the best time to go in the water there. read more

This is my family's favorite spot to camp. We go there every July. It is absolutely gorgeous but books up extremely quick. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance. The draw back of Ice House is there are no flushing toilets. Only vault toilets which tend to be pretty nasty. read more

Ice House Campground - July 2014 - Campgrounds Near Me

this is a fantastic get away place..nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California

One the most beautiful places between lake Tahoe and sly park, it's between the mountains, the road going to this places is amazing, the lake is beautiful, it has an area for camping, place to do BBQ and hike and can cycle around the lake too. If you want to enjoy, hiking, cycling, kayaking and nature you must visit this place. read more