The Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake is a serene way to experience the landscape and beauty of local wildlife and nature. Are you looking for an escape from the bustling city life of Sacramento? This place is for you.
I’m currently testing new outdoor camping equipment, tools, and supplies I’ve acquired. I needed a new, nearby escape to try everything out in a wild environment. While searching on Google, I saw the option of camping at the Peninsula Campground without first considering Folsom Lake as a place to overnight.
Miles outside the amenities of El Dorado Hills and surrounding communities, past the tiny village of Pilot Hill, down a nine-mile road, and you dead end at the Peninsula Campground with over 80 sites ready for you, your friends, and family to use and explore.
Getting to the Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake
The Peninsula Campground is located off Rattlesnake Bar Road in Pilot Hill and is situated on the eastern, remote peninsula of Folsom Lake. El Dorado Hills Boulevard turns into Salmon Falls Road, and then you turn left at Pilot Hill (when you see the USPS Post Office) and head down Rattlesnake Bar Rd for 9.5 miles, where it ends at the campground.
Despite some switchbacks, narrow roads and steep cliffsides, the road itself into the camp is maintained without too many potholes or hazards and campsites can accommodate trailers up to 31 feet. At the park entrance is a gate and ranger station where you can check-in and pay fees if you didn’t reserve your campsite online in advance.
While driving through the campgrounds, we saw a coyote running across the road in the daylight, but didn’t have any encounters through the night.
Camping at the Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake
The Peninsula Campground has a resident host and is operated by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. We also chose to camp at Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake because it’s dog friendly, as long as they stay on trails and only swim away from the major swim areas for humans at Beals Point, Negro Bar, and Granite Bay.
Folsom Lake SRA (State Recreation Area) maintains two campgrounds on Folsom Lake, including the Beal’s Point Campground and the Peninsula Campground. The campground of almost 100 sites is split into a northern group of sites (1-57) and a southern group of sites (58-96).
There’s a boat launch at the northern end of the Peninsula Campground and then another boat launch fully north of the campground off Oak Hill Road.
Site #42 at Peninsula Campground
We stayed at campsite #42 in the northern end of the campground, which is in a little pocketed ravine near the water, but set back a few campsites from the shore and campground boat launch. It’s a bit of a walk to nearby built-in restrooms and only a short walk to Port-O-Potties by the boat launch.
At campsite #42, you park your car in a defined parking spot along the road, and then walk down some steps to your fire ring, picnic table and area for a tent, and not a site designed for trailers. There was a large trash bin up on the road that was helpful to be close to, but maybe it was a little too close, as it would smell near the entrance of our steps. A water spigot by the parking spots was a huge plus to have nearby but noted that site #42 had an older, wooden food box, while other sites featured newer, concrete versions of campsite food storage lockers.
We set up camp quickly, and then took a walk along the water on the Oaks Nature Trail, and dipped into the water at the two boat launches that are in the area of the Peninsula Campground at Folsom Lake.
On our next visit, I would choose another campground where it’s possible to park directly next to your campsite and one even closer to the water’s edge.
The Oaks Nature Trail at Folsom Lake
The start of the Oaks Nature Trail at Folsom Lake is at the north end of the campground boat launch parking lot. The trail is 0.8 miles in length (1.6 miles out and back) and has compact gravel and a maintained trail that provides a safe space to take your dog for a walk and not come in contact with poison oak and cattails.
Despite the June weather and midday heat, the trail was still fun to explore had a few stream crossings and canopies of tree coverings in different areas. There were also informational displays every few hundred yards that talked of the importance of local oak trees, shared what animals live nearby, and gave insights into Native American food gathering and preparation.
It was quite a fun visit, and we had more camping on the horizon to be excited for — Hampshire Rocks Campground on the South Yuba River, North Fork Campground on the American River, and Alpine Meadow Campground in Truckee.
Don’t Forget to Hydrate!
Even anytime after April, the Folsom Lake area can get hot rapidly, with beating sun rays at midday.
If you’re visiting the Peninsula Campground, although water spigots are nearby, it’s important to remember to bring enough water for the duration of your stay, a way to filter water and hydrate continually throughout each day.
Also, put on your sunblock and re-apply regularly!
