Sunset Union Valley Reservoir Campground Eldorado National Forest California
Sunset Union Valley Reservoir Overview

Sunset Campground (Union Valley Reservoir) has 121 campsites and is located next to the reservoir in the El Dorado National Forest. Aptly named, the campground is a fantastic destination for colorful sunset views over the lake.
The campground is set up in three loops: Shady (Sites 1-31), Meadow (Sites 32-75) and Sunset (sites 76-101). Single, double and triple capacity sites are available. Group camping is also available.
Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. There are 30 tent-only sites. Parking spurs range from 25 to 40 feet for tent sites and 40 to 50 feet for trailer/RV sites. Each site also has a table, food storage locker (bear box), fire ring and grate.
Campground amenities include drinking water, showers, vault toilets and trash collection. There’s also a boat ramp, picnic areas, swimming beach and a dump station. Firewood is also available for sale from the camp host. Cell service is good.
Sunset Union Valley Reservoir – Area Recreation
The main attraction is the beautiful reservoir which offers a variety of water recreation including boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming and sailing. Visitors can also enjoy mountain biking or hiking through the towering cedar and Ponderosa pines of Eldorado National Forest. Eldorado includes the famed gold mining territory of the 1800s.
Other campgrounds in the area include Wench Creek, West Point, Camino Cove, Yellowjacket, Smud, Azalea Cove, Jones Fork, Fashoda and Wolf Creek.
Make a Reservation for Sunset Union Valley Reservoir
Amenities
- BBQ Grills
- Boat Launch/Ramp
- Boat Ramp
- Cafe
- Campground Host
- Campsite Tables
- Cell Service - Good
- Comfort Station
- Drinking Water
- Dump Station
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Firewood Available
- Food Storage Locker
- Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
- Grills
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Recycling Center
- Restrooms (Vault Toilets)
- Showers
Activities
- Beach
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Boating
- Boating (non motorized)
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic Sites
- Kayaking
- Lake
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Paddle boarding (SUP)
- Paddle Boating
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Reservoir
- Sailing
- Stargazing
- Swimming
- Walking Trails
- Water Sports
- Wildlife Viewing
Sunset Union Valley Reservoir sold out? Get an alert when a campsite becomes available at Sunset Union Valley Reservoir!
Create Campsite Availability AlertBest Campsites
7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 27, 38, 41, 43, 46, 48, 51, 59, 61, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 99, 109, 111, 112, 114, 115, 119
Regions
Campsite Types
- ADA
- Group
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
# of Campsites:
121
Campsite Vehicle Size:
25 to 50 feet.
Season:
Late May – Late September
Elevation:
4,977
Sunset Union Valley Reservoir Comments & Reviews
Visited Sunset Union Valley Reservoir Campground lately? We'd love to hear about your adventure. Did you find us useful? Did we forget something? Anything our community should know before heading out to Sunset Union Valley Reservoir?
I would like to know where you got the map of the Sunset-Union Valley campground that you have posted on your site? How old is it? It shows different numbers than the campground had last year and now I’m confused.
Hi Juls,
Thanks for pointing that out. We had a dated campground map. I just uploaded the current Sunset Union Valley Reservoir campground map (from US Forest Service) and you can click on the ‘Campground Map’ button to view it. It is also below. Thanks again!
Thank you!!
You’re welcome and thanks again for the heads up!
What is the difference between the RV sites and the general sites? None have water or power, so aren’t they all the same with overall length being the only difference?
Hi Sherrie,
Good question! There are three RV only campsites (24, 26 and 100), 30 tent-only sites and the others can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs. “Standard” sites include the tent only and other sites (for tents, trailers and RVs). As you pointed out, none have hookups. Hope this answers your question.
Hi, I am trying to download the current map you have picture of Sunset Campground. I tried going to the forest service website but cannot find it. Can you let me know the specific site?
Hi Tanya,
Here is the link to the USFS website for Sunset – Union Valley Reservoir Campground:
Hello, I noticed a comment above from July 2021 where you had an old campground map loaded, but you replied to the poster that you have now uploaded an updated map. Question: are the site photos associated with the site numbers from the old map? For example, the spots that should have water view do not in the photos (and vice versa)….which makes me think the photos still have the “old” site numbers associated with them. Can you confirm? Are you able to update the site numbers for the photos so that the photo is associated to the correct new site numbers on the updated campground map? I hope this makes sense 🙂 Thank you!
HI Jen,
Thanks for the heads up and reminder. The recently redid the campground area and we are scheduled to get new photos of the campsites this (late) spring. We will post the updated campsite photos as soon as we get those done.