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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

South Shore Campground

Forest Service campground in Eldorado National Forest, Amador County, California. About 5,900 feet.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Eldorado National Forest
Elevation
About 5,900 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
21 12 tent only non-electric, 9 standard non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Amador County

Overview

South Shore Campground is located next to Lower Bear River Reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest the central Sierra Nevada Mountains. It's a prime location for fishing and boating.

Recreation

Lower Bear Reservoir covers 166 acres and has 2.5 miles of shoreline. Activities include fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing and picnicking. Anglers may catch rainbow, brown and mackinaw trout. A boat ramp is located within a mile of the campground.

The Pardoe Trail can be accessed a short distance past nearby Upper Bear River Reservoir, and borders Mokelumne Wilderness.

Facilities

Each campsite comes with a picnic table and grill. One campsite is accessible, as is one of the vault toilets. Drinking water is provided.

A general store is about a mile from the campground on the northern part of the reservoir.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled in a mixed conifer forest on a hillside just above the south shore of Lower Bear River Reservoir at an elevation of 5,900 feet. Some campsites offer partial views of the lake through the trees.

A Mediterranean climate extends over most of the forest, with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • swimming site

The land around South Shore Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 2, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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