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Lake Tahoe Basin/William Kent
Overview
William Kent Campground offers a quintessential Lake Tahoe experience nestled within the towering pines of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Located on the highly sought-after West Shore, this Forest Service facility provides a rustic escape that emphasizes the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It serves as a peaceful basecamp for travelers who prefer the scent of pine needles and the sound of the wind through the trees over the bustle of a typical commercial RV park.
Location & Surroundings
Situated just two miles south of Tahoe City, CA, the park occupies a prime piece of real estate between the emerald waters of the lake and the rugged mountain slopes. The campground is conveniently located directly across Highway 89 from William Kent Beach, allowing campers to walk to the rocky shoreline for sunset views or refreshing morning swims. The surrounding area maintains a classic "Old Tahoe" charm, characterized by lush forest canopies and immediate access to the water.
Amenities & Park Features
As a traditional forest campground, William Kent features paved parking spurs that can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 40 feet in length, though many sites are designed for smaller rigs. Travelers should be prepared for a rustic stay, as there are no hookups available, making this a destination for dry camping enthusiasts. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, a fire ring, and a heavy-duty bear-resistant food locker, which is mandatory for guest safety in this active wildlife corridor.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
Outdoor recreation is the primary draw for visitors, with the nearby Truckee River offering leisurely rafting trips and the Tahoe Rim Trail providing world-class hiking opportunities. A short walk leads to the famous Sunnyside Restaurant for lakeside dining, or you can cycle the paved West Shore Bike Trail that runs directly past the campground entrance. For those interested in local history, the Gatekeeper’s Museum in nearby Tahoe City provides fascinating insights into the region’s heritage.
Who This Park Is Best For
This park is best suited for self-contained RVers who appreciate a primitive camping style and value a central location over modern luxury utilities. It is a fantastic choice for families looking for easy, walkable access to the beach and for nature lovers wanting to immerse themselves in the rugged beauty of the West Shore. If you seek a quiet, forest-heavy environment where you can truly disconnect from the digital world, William Kent is an excellent match.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Holli Bertrand
Magical Place! Great staff and bend over to help when needed. Magnificent trees. Great road to walk your dog and get into shape. Only drawback is be sure to bring a backup for your solar generator, even in full sun some sites might not get any due to the trees. We had to move ours around and ended up using our gas generator more than we intended due to bad weather. We got great T-Mobile service and never pulled out the Starlink. ATT was not as good but enough to get a call thru. Unlike most NPS campgrounds this one is more in town and you can see a neighborhood behind it.
Liquid Skybot
This was our 1st time camping in Tahoe city. Steve was great. He welcomed us in and directed us our campsite. He advised on how to avoid the bear. Obviously the big beautiful bear showed up for coffee and devoured all of my instant caramel latte so I am glad I made my cup right before that. The bear is very gentle and I think he knew to just take whatever food he wanted and then go because that was exactly what he did and then he went to the next campsite across from mine #39 and went and enjoyed their breakfast. Beautiful place to camp and we walked about 4 mins down to the beach. We will definitely come back here again.
randall chism
Great food at market across the street and at Fire Sign easy to walk to. Quiet campground with a nice launch spot for lake across the street- campground hosts were outstanding and really cared about the property and your stay- Elma greeted us and gave recommendations like we were related- super welcoming and attentive- most spots were level and all were spotless-
Рома Савелов
We booked two nights at this campground, but after the first night we were told to move to another spot. Unfortunately, our truck battery died and we were charging it with our generator. Checkout time was noon, and we were running about 30 minutes late when the older guy - host came by. I politely explained that we had a dead battery and were about to leave within minutes, but instead of understanding, he was extremely rude. He told us we could not move to our reserved spot for the next night, accused us of not following rules, and demanded that we leave the campground completely. We had already paid for the spot for the day, but he tried to kick us out and ban from campground, because of something that was out of our control. This was not only unprofessional, but also inhumane and unethical behavior from the host. We were loyal customers who visited this campground for two years in a row and even brought 10–20 other RVs with friends before. Sadly, after this experience, we will never be back. Be very careful before booking here. Management should seriously reconsider who they put in charge, because this type of treatment toward paying guests is unacceptable.
Phillip Y.
Camp spots are really close together (10 feet for some.) If you book a RV spot, make sure you have a wider site, otherwise it will be tight for the tow vehicle. -dump station on site, but you will have to pay $10. Guess it could be worse, but should be free if already paid to use the campsite($42/night) IMO. -the outside sites are littleraly right behind the resident's backyard. -the inside sites are okay.