Camp Lotus
Coloma (South Fork American River) · near Coloma · Gold Country & Central Valley
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 750
- Campsites
- ~30 tent + 12 RV (hookups) + 6 cabins + a riverside bell tent on 23 riverfront acres
- Season
- ~Spring-fall (day gate closes 5pm)
- Fee
- Varies (private) - tent/RV/cabin tiers
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- Private (ResNexus online). Summer raft-season weekends are very competitive. Confirm the current dog policy at booking - historically restricted on busy river-season weekends.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- 500+ ft of riverfront with beaches & a swimming lagoon · Raft put-in/take-out access · Renovated hot showers & flush toilets · Deli/store with espresso & camp supplies · Cabins & a bell tent
- Best for
- Premier whitewater base camp on the South Fork American
- Features
- Classic launch pad for the Class II-III South Fork · Swimming lagoon & river beaches · Cabins if you don't want to sleep on the ground · Walk to Coloma's Gold Discovery historic district
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Nickname
- South Fork Whitewater Basecamp
- Camp type
- developed · rv · cabin-glamp
- Intl tip
- It's the base camp for the South Fork American - book raft-season summer weekends well ahead (ResNexus). Walk to the Marshall Gold Discovery historic district next door for gold-panning and history. Confirm the current dog policy when booking.
The guide
Camp Lotus is the premier whitewater base camp of the Sierra foothills - 23 riverfront acres on the South Fork American at Colo…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Camp Lotus — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.803, -120.913