itOpened Guides · Eldorado National Forest
How to actually get a site at Ice House — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Ice HouseFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Ice House Campground is surrounded by a mixed conifer forest on the shores of Ice House Reservoir. Just 12 miles from Riverton, CA, the campground offers hiking, biking, jet skiing and fishing. Ponderosa pine is a pleasing part of the surrounding region. The trees fill the air with a vanilla aroma and it's the tallest known pine tree in the country. To date, the tallest Ponderosa measured was an impressive 268. 35 feet tall.
| Total sites | 90 |
|---|---|
| Site types | RV, Standard, Walk-to / hike-to |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 60 · RV 17 · Walk-to / hike-to 10 |
| Area | Eldorado National Forest |
| Managed by | USDA Forest Service |
| Activities | Biking, Boating, Camping, Hiking, Water Activities |
| Directory phone | 831-245-6891 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Ice House is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Ice House around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Sunset-Union Valley | 178 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Wench Creek | 102 sites · same area |
| Loon Lake | 82 sites · same area |
| Wrights Lake | 77 sites · same area |
| Pipi Campground | 73 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Ice House campground page · Eldorado National Forest park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Ice HouseFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.