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

Northwind Campground

Location: 23 miles east of Placerville on Highway 50 and 11 miles north on Ice House Road (Forest Road 3),then east (right) on Forest Road 32.
Sites0all reservable
Elev.5,463ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento1h51real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27

At 5,463 ft, Northwind Campground has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 27°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 cool nights and quiet. Softest on quiet.

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.
94%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 9
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 19.
55°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.

Getting there

03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
83 mi
1h51
02
San Francisco
174 mi
3h52
03
Fresno
192 mi
4h16
04
Los Angeles
455 mi
10h07
05
San Diego
596 mi
13h15
By drive time
Sacramento · 1h51San Francisco · 3h52Fresno · 4h16Los Angeles · 10h07San Diego · 13h15Camp

Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 4.5 mi away.

What's within four miles

05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER

Trails & Peaks

Trail segments
7
Peaks
3
Viewpoints
2

Water & Access

Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
4.5 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 →