campgrounds.fyiIndependent · federal campgrounds · no paid placements
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USFSEldorado National Forest · California

Airport Flat Campground

Location: 23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 then 24 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3), and 3 miles north on Forest Road 33.
Sites0all reservable
Elev.5,400ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento1h55real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 5,400 ft, Airport Flat Campground has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 28°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. Within about 4 miles: 3 peaks, lake or river access.

The campground at a glance

01 · CHARACTER
QuietCoolRoomyShadeRV-fitReserv.

Reads strongest on quiet and cool nights. Softest on cool nights.

Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.

When to go

02 · CLIMATE
JFMAMJJASOND
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
92%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 8
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 17.
55°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
86 mi
1h55
02
San Francisco
180 mi
4h00
03
Fresno
206 mi
4h35
04
Los Angeles
469 mi
10h25
05
San Diego
610 mi
13h33
By drive time
Sacramento · 1h55San Francisco · 4h00Fresno · 4h35Los Angeles · 10h25San Diego · 13h33Camp

Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 13.6 mi away.

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Trail segments
21
Peaks
3

Water & Access

Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
13.6 mi
Method

We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.

Check availability on Recreation.gov →