Spooner Lake State Park Campground

About

Spooner Lake is part of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and serves as the primary access point for the park's backcountry camping areas. Three primitive walk-in campgrounds are available: Marlette Peak, Hobart, and North Canyon. Each campground provides basic amenities including restrooms, picnic tables at each site, and bear-resistant food and trash storage boxes. Campers must pack out all trash and bring their own water and supplies. The backcountry area spans nearly 14,000 acres and offers extensive trail systems for hiking and mountain biking. Spooner Lake itself sits at approximately 7,000 feet elevation in the Carson Range. The area features beautiful aspen groves, meadows, and views of Lake Tahoe. Dispersed camping is prohibited around Marlette Lake and anywhere else within park boundaries outside the designated campgrounds. Two backcountry cabins are also available for rent from May 1 through October 15: the Spooner Lake Cabin (sleeps 4) and Wildcat Cabin (sleeps 2). Both feature composting toilets, beds, cook stoves, and wood-burning stoves. A 14-day camping limit per 30-day period applies to all backcountry camping.

Directions

Located on Highway 28 between Carson City and Incline Village, at the junction of Highway 50 and Highway 28 on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.