Lake Tahoe is one of the easiest big-scenery trips you can take in a rented Airstream: about 149 miles from our Lathrop shop to South Lake Tahoe, roughly two hours and forty minutes east on US-50, and under three hours to the Truckee side via I-80. The payoff is enormous. Tahoe is the second-deepest lake in the United States at 1,645 feet, per the U.S. Geological Survey, and the area is packed with nature hikes, mountain bike trails, lake activities, and even gambling on the Nevada side if you are so inclined. Campsites here mostly run without hook-ups, with a few full hook-up RV parks mixed in. Here is what we know first-hand, and what our customers recommend.
Logger Campground, Truckee (north of Lake Tahoe)
Logger Campground sits north of Lake Tahoe in the Truckee area. Two things to know. First, there are no hook-ups, so we advise experienced or adventurous RVers here (read our dry-camping post for what that actually means). Second, Google Maps will take you the wrong way. Follow the campground’s own directions instead: take I-80 to HWY 89, exit right at Hobart Mills Rd, merge left onto old HWY 89, take a right at the fork to stay on Hobart Mills Rd (also called E. Pasture Rd), then left onto Dog Valley Rd to the campground. Your reward is beautiful views of Stampede Reservoir directly behind the campground, where you can boat, water ski, swim, and fish. Lake Tahoe itself is a 45 minute drive, but the secluded spot means far more privacy than the busy lake. Sites come with a fire ring and picnic tables.
Grover Hot Springs State Park, Markleeville (south of Lake Tahoe)
Grover Hot Springs State Park is about 45 minutes from Stateline in South Lake Tahoe. You will be dry-camping here too, rewarded with trees outside your Airstream window and a 5 minute drive to the hot springs the park is named after, fed into a pool you can enjoy all day for a small entrance fee. There are hiking trails throughout the park and a trout creek. It is one of the few campgrounds open year-round, which makes it a great fall trip when the crowds thin out. We found this one by asking locals. The posted max trailer length is 24 feet, and we recommend experienced towers only, since there are some tight spots.
Recommended by our customers
Coachland RV Park (Truckee, 20 minutes from the lake): a repeat-customer favorite in the Tahoe area. If you want full hook-ups (water, electric, sewer, and cable) plus basic WiFi, this is your best bet. Read about Jason and Grace’s Airstream road trip here.
Ice House Campground (near Kyburz, on the US-50 route): another customer recommendation on the way up to South Lake Tahoe.
We have also stayed at one of our all-time favorite campsites in the greater Tahoe region: Silver Lake East on the Eldorado National Forest, which we wrote about here.
Ready to go?
Browse our Airstream fleet and check your dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is how the rental process works.
