Van Vleck Bunkhouse in CA -- Campground & RV Camping

Van Vleck Bunkhouse is a historic 1957 structure sitting on a Sierra Nevada peak at 6,000 feet, overlooking a 40-acre meadow and the Crystal Range. Access requires a 6-mile backcountry trek by ski or snowshoe in winter, while summer permits driving to the site. The two-room bunkhouse includes a deck, propane heater, cookstove, living space, bedroom, and an indoor bathroom with running well water in summer. Outside, there is a vault toilet, campfire ring, and parking for six vehicles. Nearby, Cheese Camp Creek and the Tells Creek Primitive Equestrian Trail lead into Desolation Wilderness.

Getting there: From Placerville, drive 21 miles on Highway 50, then turn left on Ice House Riverton Road. Go 23 miles north and turn right on Tells Creek Road. Then drive 5 miles east and turn left on the gated, dirt/gravel road to the bunkhouse, which is 0.5-miles ahead on the left side. Winter access is from the Loon Lake parking area. From Highway 50, go 28 miles north on Icehouse Road and take the right fork to Loon Lake. Go 5 miles to the plowed parking area at the entrance to the campground road. A permit and gate combination is required and should be arranged prior to arrival with the Pacific Ranger Station at (530) 644-2349.

• Secluded here, a single-site campground with the nearest through road 2.7 miles off.
• Cabins and shelters rather than pads.
• McConnell Peak stands 2,580 ft above the map pin, 4.6 miles east.

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