0
Pull-thru
USFSEldorado National Forest · California
Van Vleck Bunkhouse
Overview Winter guests take on a more challenging adventure and must traverse an approx.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.6,562ft
Comf.Jun-Oct5 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento1h57real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 6,562 ft, Van Vleck Bunkhouse has a 5-month comfortable window (Jun-Oct). Winter nights average around 24°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 3 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and quiet. Softest on shade.
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
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jun-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
95%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 13
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 8.
53°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
88 mi
1h57
02
San Francisco
180 mi
4h00
03
Fresno
200 mi
4h27
04
Los Angeles
463 mi
10h17
05
San Diego
604 mi
13h25
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 10.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
14
Peaks
3
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
10.8 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.