Camp Lotus is a beautiful river front campground, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We have 23 acres of land along the South Fork of the American River, with plenty of beach access perfect for rafting, kayaking, and swimming. Within a five minutes’ drive there are hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic State Park.
Camp Lotus is a family owned business established in 1969 and purchased by Bill and Robin Center in 1978. Both strong environmental advocates, Camp Lotus has always had a low impact vision. First established as a rafting company, Camp Lotus later became the thriving community you see today, buzzing with boaters, campers, picnickers and neighbors out for a walk. As well as being perfect access for river activities, Camp Lotus is a preferred place to relax and get away from the noise and constraints of the city. Many of our guests cannot wait to get back to Camp Lotus for their yearly “retreat” away from busy lives. For more information about our beaches, swimming , and what else Camp Lotus has to offer, read our amenities page.
Camp Lotus offers 10 RV sites, 30 tent sites, as well as a riverside tipi, and multiple cabin options. Each camping site includes a fire pit and a picnic table. We have 2 separate bathroom facilities, both with flushing toilets and free hot water. The Camp Lotus store has all the basics including drinks, snacks, souvenirs, and a great wine and beer selection! We also have a deli with espresso drinks, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, fresh baked muffins and other goodies open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The natural vegetation is managed to maintain a sense of wilderness while offering corridors for local wildlife. We understand that green spaces like Camp Lotus create vital habitat and we are doing our best to protect and promote this. You will often see mule deer, squirrels, turkey, California quails and many others hiding in the bushes. At night keep an eye out for bats, raccoons, skunks, possums and the occasional fox. If you are here in the off season, you might even be lucky enough to see a river otter, beaver or bald eagle. We also have a 1 mile loop trail and a designated nature area to encourage camper exploration and awareness of the local ecosystem. For more information on the nature area and trail please read our blog post: Camp Lotus Nature Area and Trail.
Camp Lotus is committed to continually reducing our impact on the environment around us. We have been avid recyclers since day one. We limit the amount of RVs and trailers on site, and do not allow generators (to reduce air and noise pollution). We sell and encourage the use of local firewood. Additionally, we have many other projects in the works, including creating a Nature Area and camp-wide composting.
• ADDITIONAL CAMP RULES AND INFORMATION:
Camp Lotus does not allow dogs.
Camping check-in time is at 2:00 p.m. and check-out time is at 12:00 noon. Children under six stay for free. We have a strictly enforced quiet hours policy starting at 10:00 p.m. Quiet hours are to ensure all our guests have an enjoyable stay. After 10:00 p.m. noise must stay within each groups’ campsite. This allows all campers to enjoy their camping experience, whether talking around a campfire, laying under the stars, or drifting off to sleep.
• RESERVATION AND DEPOSIT POLICY:
We take reservations over the phone and highly recommend them for all weekend camping. We require a deposit to secure a reservation. We take all major credit cards.
Camping deposits are refundable, less a $20.00 handling fee, so long as we receive ten days’ notice. Deposits will not be refunded if you don't show up or if we receive less than ten days’ notice of cancellation. If you need to modify or change your reservation we also charge a $10.00 change fee.