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 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 from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The natural vegetation is managed to maintain a sense of wilderness while offering natural corridors for local wildlife. We understand that green spaces like Camp Lotus create vital habitat and 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.
Camp Lotus is committed to continually reducing our impact on the environment around us. We have been avid recyclers since day one. Even before county recycling pick up was offered, Camp Lotus was digging through every bag of garbage to retrieve recyclables. They were then hauled by the truckload to the local recycling center. Today we still dig through every bag of garbage that passes through our hands, to guarantee as many items as possible are recycled. We’ve even started collecting cigarette butts and mailing them in to be recycled. Camp Lotus employees spend hours every week picking up litter to ensure our grounds and river are trash free. 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, self cut firewood to reduce pollution and spread of diseases. Additionally, we have many projects in the works, including riparian restoration, solar panels and camp-wide composting for use in our new garden. To learn more about our continuing sustainability efforts, please read our sustainability plan.
• 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 hour policy at 10:00 p.m. Quiet hours are to ensure all our guests have an enjoyable stay, the rule of thumb is 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 for any day, and highly recommend them for all weekend camping. We require a deposit to secure a reservation. We take all major credit cards. All reservations must be made through phone contact.
Camping deposits are refundable, less a $10.00 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.
