Facilities

Club House

Laundry Room

Swimming Pool

Hot Tub

Fitness Center

Game Room

Rec Hall

Pavilion

Exercise Room

Restroom/Shower

Restroom Only

Shower Only

Restaurant

Groceries

RV Supplies

ATM Machine

WiFi

Dog Park

Cocktail Lounge

Dog Washing Station

Pit Toilet

Snack Bar

Play Ground

Sites

Water

20 Amp

30 Amp

50 Amp

Sewer

Cable TV

Services

Escort to Site

Self-Service RV Wash

Metered LP Gas

Firewood

Fishing Supplies

Pet Supplies

Onsite Rentals

Worship Services

Golf Carts

Fishing Guides

Onsite RV Service

Staffed RV Wash

Fishing Licenses

Complimentary Breakfast

Recreational activities in or near the park

Recreational Activities

Archery Range

ATV Riding

Biking

Boating

Body Of Water

Casino

Climbing

Dock

Driving Range

Fishing

Golf

Heated Pool

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Horseshoes

Kayaking

Lawn Bowling

Mini Golf

Paddle Boats

Pickle Ball

Putting Green

Ramp

Sauna

Shuffleboard

Snow Sports

Splash Pad

Swimming

Tennis

Wading Pool

Water Slide

Water Sports

Water Umbrella

Whitewater Rafting

Policies

RV Age Restrictions

Pets Welcome

Pet Restrictions

Pet Restriction on Quantity

Pet Restriction on Breed

Pet Restriction on Size

No Pets

Tent Camping Allowed

Folding Tent Campers Allowed

No Tents

No Overnight Guests

<h2>Overview</h2><p>William Kent Campground offers a quintessential Lake Tahoe experience nestled within the towering pines of the <strong>Lake Tahoe Basin</strong>. 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 <strong>scent of pine needles</strong> and the sound of the wind through the trees over the bustle of a typical commercial RV park.</p><h2>Location & Surroundings</h2><p>Situated just two miles south of <strong>Tahoe City, CA</strong>, 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 <strong>William Kent Beach</strong>, 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.</p><h2>Amenities & Park Features</h2><p>As a traditional forest campground, William Kent features paved parking spurs that can accommodate RVs and trailers up to <strong>40 feet in length</strong>, though many sites are designed for smaller rigs. Travelers should be prepared for a rustic stay, as there are <strong>no hookups</strong> available, making this a destination for dry camping enthusiasts. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, a fire ring, and a heavy-duty <strong>bear-resistant food locker</strong>, which is mandatory for guest safety in this active wildlife corridor.</p><h2>Nearby Attractions & Things to Do</h2><p>Outdoor recreation is the primary draw for visitors, with the nearby <strong>Truckee River</strong> 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 <strong>West Shore Bike Trail</strong> 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.</p><h2>Who This Park Is Best For</h2><p>This park is best suited for <strong>self-contained RVers</strong> 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 <strong>West Shore</strong>. If you seek a quiet, forest-heavy environment where you can truly disconnect from the digital world, William Kent is an excellent match.</p>



The Lake Tahoe Basin is a stunningly beautiful region located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Nevada. It is home to the iconic Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. The lake is known for its crystal-clear waters, stunning mountain views, and a variety of recreational activities. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, including black bears, bald eagles, and mule deer. The Lake Tahoe Basin is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering a variety of activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, boating, skiing, and snowboarding. The nearby town of Tahoe City, California is the gateway to the Lake Tahoe Basin, offering a variety of restaurants, shops, and lodging.

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Lake Tahoe Basin/William Kent

Plan your stay at William Kent Campground in Tahoe City, CA. Enjoy rustic RV camping in the Lake Tahoe Basin with beach access and bear-safe forest sites.

William Kent Campground Tahoe City CA | RV Camping Guide

42$ a night for no shower. Unlevel campsites, being in a tiny campsite next to a bunch of others crammed in here. And they don't even put soap in the bathrooms. What are you paying for here other than dirt?

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.

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.

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-

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.

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.

One thing I wish I would have known is they only sell firewood from 9-5. We got there a little after 5 and they wouldn't sell us any, so keep that in mind if you are arriving later. I was a little concerned about the bears, but the bear boxes are quite large and the whole camp makes a lot of noise when bears come in, so as long as you follow the rules and keep your cooler/smelly things in the bear box you shouldn't worry. I would try to get a spot more in the center of the campground because you are surrounded by houses on the perimeter. Also keep in mind if you are next to the bathrooms, the toilet flushes are pretty loud and woke us up at night. Will agree with other reviews on here that quiet hours are not enforced and people were pretty loud/rowdy until 3am. Campsite is close to town and close to the lake, you can even walk over to some restaurants/to get coffee.

I spent 3 nights here in site 46 with a tent. Good location and the sites are surprisingly big with lots of room to separate away from neighbours. A bear was chased out at 9pm from a nearby site on my first night but the camp hosts had it under control and the bear didn't show up again during my stay. I didn't have a problem and made full use of the bear locker for food and other smelly stuff. A bigger issue was the falling pine cones! It's a good site and I would stay again despite the lack of showers (I swam in the lake instead).

The campground is full of shades and the facilities are well maintained. The only complaint is that there is no light in the restroom so it's pretty dark even in the day. Also bears are quite common, so please do store your food properly.

We just got home yesterday from 3 days at this hidden gem of a campground. We rented a yurt that was well appointed and extremely clean. Even our fire pit and camp table were raked down to bare dirt. Camped in site 2 right across from camp hosts Rich and Elma. They were very friendly and accommodating to us. Our grandchildren befriended them and their cute little dog Rex. We also enjoyed the gratitude extended to us by hosts Ed and Julie as they too showered our grandchildren with trinkets from the kiosk. Would highly recommend this campground to anyone looking to camp close to Tahoe City.

Great campground at lake Tahoe. It is located on the west side of the road. It has a lakeside portion of the campground for day visitors. It's a little jam right in the middle of all that noise in traffic is lake Tahoe enters it's busiest season. There's 70 or 80 campsites here, from tent camping size to full RV sized. It's a dry campground, no hookups. The hosts are friendly and helpful. There are bathrooms throughout the park. We had a great time time!

Great camping trip on Tahoe. Close to hiking and the lake.

Reviews

Lake Tahoe Basin/William Kent