itOpened Guides · Eldorado National Forest
How to actually get a site at Sunset-Union Valley — 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 Sunset-Union ValleyFree 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 Sunset Campground is situated on the shores of Union Valley Reservoir, among the towering cedar and ponderosa pines of Eldorado National Forest. Aptly named, the campground is a fantastic destination for colorful sunset views over the lake. All water activities are popular here, but it's also fun to bring a bike and explore the neighboring bike trail. Eldorado includes the famed gold mining territory of the 1800s. Remnants of the days of the California Gold Rush can be found all around the region. Recreation On the water, sailing, boating and swimming are very popular.
| Total sites | 178 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard, RV, Group |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 114 · RV 4 · Group 1 |
| Area | Eldorado National Forest |
| Managed by | USDA Forest Service |
| Activities | Biking, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Sailing, Swimming Site |
| Directory phone | 831-245-6891 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Sunset-Union Valley 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 Sunset-Union Valley 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:
| Wench Creek | 102 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Ice House | 90 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: Sunset-Union Valley 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 Sunset-Union ValleyFree 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.