Camp Richardson

Came to Camp Richardson for a fun winter vacation in early January 2025. We stayed in their hotel, which is within walking distance of the beach(which is within the property). Location overall is just a few minutes from town, which was convenient. While we were there we got hit with a winter storm, since the room access is from indoors (from within the hotel itself), it was nice not to track in snow with our shoes when we came back from our ventures. There's free parking on the property for guests, when you check in they give you a parking pass for your vehicle. The room we stayed in was a cute 1 bed 1 bath (bonus points for having a full length mirror by the bathroom). It was perfect for us since we were mainly exploring and out in town for the majority of our stay. Would definitely be back.

Overall, I do not recommend Camp Richardson as a vendor for many, many reasons. I booked the bbq area for a lake day event the day before my wedding (at a different vendor) as well as a room block. While the location is nice, it truly was not worth the added stress of dealing with such an unorganized group. Some of the biggest issues are below: |1) Communication was terrible. Multiple e-mails went completely unanswered, phone messages were never returned. Many times I had to repeat plans or requests that had already been discussed but clearly never recorded on their end. |2) I booked a room block...and it was messed up multiple times. One guest was never charged as they were supposed to have been when booked, one guest got a "block rate" (to this day don't know how or why they got this rate as we were told there was no discount for a block rate), one guest was told she needed my wedding coordinator to approve the booking (no idea why). Very inconsistent and again, just added more tasks and more stress for me.|3) The cherry on top was there was a sewage leak the week before the event. Camp Richardson did not notify me of this occurring which significantly impacted my event considering there was a swim advisory (recommendation was children should not be in the water due to risk of swallowing the water which had high levels of e.coli). When I found out about it and reached out, I was told multiple different recommendations and information based on who I talked to (the marina, the group events, or the hotel). I ended up calling US Forest Service in order to get a clear answer and ultimately had to change my event the day before.

We checked into the charming Lodge after a long day of travel. The front desk staff was responsive and helpful throughout, especially Richard. The room was a corner room, spacious and rustic with a comfortable King bed and ample drawer space. The bathroom had a shower and could have used some storage space like a shelf or cupboard. We noted a strange odor in our walk in closet (room 209) which I thought was cat pee. I asked the front desk to address the problem and they sent up a spray from housekeeping and then promised to shampoo the carpet the next day. The spray seemed to do the trick by the next day and I was able to hang out clothes in the closet. Unfortunately, the smell came back again and again and I had to keep asking for the spray over the next few days. The carpet shampoo never happened. I began to have some allergy symptoms almost as soon as we checked in. I assumed it must be pollen or some other problem but when my symptoms got worse by the third day, I needed a doctor and antibiotics for an allergic sinusitis. The doctor noted that there was no pollen to speak of in the area just then and suggested we look for mold in the room. My husband did a thorough search and saw mold in the ceiling of the shower. I guess I had never looked up and was oblivious. We took pictures which we had to submit to our booking service to move to another hotel without penalty. |I had many fond memories of Camp Richardson as a child. We had always camped and never stayed in the Lodge or cabins. I would not recommend the accommodations as they stand now. The manager was nice bout not charging us for the remainder of the stay but argued that the mold was just “dark paint” in the shower which I found very odd. He said that they were addressing the problem and has not rented out the room again. My sister who was staying in the two rooms next to us with her kids said that the room was re-occupied the day we moved out. Why lie about it? And if it was not mold, why not rent it out the same day? It does Not ring true. Anyway, I gave two stars because the lodge public areas were clean, comfortable, and inviting. We spent hours down there playing cards, reading, and visiting. The charming little General Store across the way served a great breakfast and had superb staff.

DO NOT STAY HERE||I would leave zero stars if the system allowed it. Our stay at Camp Richardson was absolutely atrocious, and the business practices of the hotel are unacceptable. We did not sleep at all during our three-night stay, due to an equipment issue known to the hotel, and are being refused the full refund we were promised.||Each night of our stay, we were kept up all night by loud banging noises on our wall that sounded like hammering. On the second night, my partner went to the front desk to complain, and found the guests staying in the room next to us were complaining as well. Staff let him know that these noises were known to the hotel, and were being caused by an 80-year-old water pump. They accepted full responsibility, and told him we would receive a full refund of our stay. In the morning, I talked about the issue with staff as well, and again was promised a full refund.||We tried to stay somewhere else for the third night, but there was no availability for a same-day, one night booking at surrounding hotels, so we were forced to stay for a third night, during which the banging noises continued all night and we did not sleep at all.||The fact that this is a known issue to the hotel, and that they are still renting out the affected rooms, is unacceptable. At the very least, they should have contacted us ahead of time and given us the informed option to cancel our stay and book elsewhere, but even that common courtesy was denied to us. ||To make matters worse, they are now refusing us the full refund. It took five days of emailing, calling, and leaving messages to get ahold of someone from management, only for them to tell us that they would not be honoring the full refund that we were promised on two separate occasions. I would have preferred to resolve the issue directly, but they’ve now caused even more hassle of me having to dispute the charge with my credit card company. This is unacceptable, and shows a blatant disregard for the experience and wellbeing of their guests. If you want an enjoyable trip and the ability to sleep at night, STAY ELSEWHERE!

We had a great time renting bikes at Camp Richardson! The trails were beautiful and easy to follow, with plenty of scenic spots, historic landmarks, and beaches to explore along the way. It made for a fun and memorable ride. The rental prices were very reasonable by the hour, and having front row parking for our car was super convenient. Overall, a smooth and enjoyable experience—we’d definitely recommend it for anyone looking to bike around Lake Tahoe!

We stayed at the resort's RV park. The location just outside South Lake Tahoe is very convenient. Some of the sites are nice and spacious and face the forest, but others are very cramped. The quiet hours are sadly not being enforced and some campers played loud music until well past 10pm. The toilets and showers need updating and more frequent cleaning.

Our family has gone there for a quarter century. The cabins are rustic, but have modern conveniences. Many of them have blue water views. So many things to do around and in camp Richardson. It sits on the best location in Lake Tahoe because most of the rest of the lake is highly developed.

Took the boat tour to Emerald Bay and a tour of Vikingsholm Castle. Captain was friendly and had great information to share. Great boat and very fun excursion. Highly recommend for all ages. Had time to hike to Eagle Falls which was beautiful!

This is a review for a stay at their hotel in the wintertime (it seems like they do a whole bunch of stuff like RV and campsites in the summer). I got a great rate for two nights--and honestly I thought it was gonna be a lot more "rustic". It was cool to be out in the forest just out side of South Lake Tahoe city limits. Even though it feels very remote, it just about 5 minutes from the start of the Tahoe Blvd strip with restaurants and amenities. Heavenly California lodge is about 15m away. The lobby is absolutely beautiful, and I thought the room was nicely updated. It felt very clean and the bed was great. The guy who checked us in was super chill and friendly. Jacuzzi was good too. Negs- Internet was passable, but not great, no microwave. There is also no TV if that's something you care about (I don't). I feel like they should take more advantage of that awesome lobby and have games out or do something to give it more of a community feel--hot chocolate happy hour? Movie night maybe? Anyway, this place will definitely be on my short list for places to stay on a ski trip. Recommend.

Good to be back in the old neighborhood. We used to bike here from the house whenever we got a chance. All the kids used to love it, maybe because we always stopped and got ice cream. If you know, you know. And of course, my review is biased as we have SO many great memories here. Here are a few more websites to study: https://camprichardsonresort.com/ https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ltbmu/recarea/?recid=11780 Quality/Quantity - This trip, we only made it to Pope beach. Yes, we are all getting older... Well some of us more than others since I still feel (and act) like I am in my twenties! Dining options - The Grove, general store, and of course, the ice cream parlor! Atmosphere - Amenities include: Public restrooms (don't expect much), marina, parasailing, boat rentals, jet ski rentals, kayak and paddle board rentals, lodging, entertainment, events, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, bike rentals (we have our own), swimming, etc. Service - N/A, always self-service. Well, the ice cream parlor is good, but there is usually a long line. Price - N/A. Owner Comments - Congrats on your success since 1875. 1967 - Thank you to the Richardson Family for converting this back to government land for all to enjoy.

Yes, 4 years later from last review, and it has only become worse. Bathrooms and showers are EASILY the worst in the nation, especially for a private campground. Gone are the days as a youngster our family would come to Meeks Bay and enjoy all that the Richardsons had - its an absolute mess now. The lodging, I'm told is excellent - the camping, well it is the worst in South Lake Tahoe. The RV sites are very difficult to back your trailer into, only because of the beautiful sugar-pines that are everywhere. Took me about 6 tries and we are about a foot from a huge tree - beautiful - but tough to negotiate. This is our last trip here - my prayer is that this private campground is purchased by someone who is not a slum lord.

We've camped here twice and loved both experiences. Bathrooms are always very clean and showers are responsibly priced.

Staying in the cabins for last 20 plus years we know this is not a luxury 5 star resort. Now it's 0 stars!!! Rearranged, broken and ready for pasture. We are So sad the owners and management have allowed this unfortunate decline. Goodbye Camp Rich. We will hold our past memories close and discard the current ones.

I stayed in the badger's den campground during the week for two nights. Check in was a little confusing as there were no signs, but I arrived after 6 pm. You check in for camping at the hotel office if there are no signs directing you to the north camp. The campground is less than a 10 minute walk to the beach which is nice and it is central for a lot of hikes. There is a little bit of cell service but it could be spotty at times. The bathrooms were always clean and well-kept. You can purchase tokens for the showers in the hotel office as well. I was warned that there could be bears wandering the campground and there were! So make sure you are storing your food properly and locking trash cans once you are finished. Some one left a dumpster unlocked the first night and it was quite disruptive. The bears do not care about humans and did not mess with my tent - they just walked right by. Realistically I will not stay here again because the bears were too close for my comfort level but it was a very nice campsite.

We camped at the Camp Richardson RV park. The bathrooms at this "resort campground" in the RV area are the some of the worst we have seen in our RV travels. Dirty, run down, often without toilet paper or towels. And, only one bathroom facility to serve an extensive RV camping area. We noted that the bathrooms in the tent camping areas are much nicer (so you know how to make nice bathrooms), but still, these are often very dirty, and out of TP and towels. In addition to poor quality, dirty bathrooms, the bear-resistant dumpsters were often full to overflowing (hence the daily and nightly bear sightings!). There was trash strewn about, and no one from the staff making any effort to keep the areas clean. Very sad for such a pretty place near the lake. Finally, and I heard this complaint often from other RV campers, many many of the camp sites are so "un-level" that for some it was impossible to level their RV. A little work with a grader would go a long way into making this an easier place to park your RV. In addition, some WiFi, or cable TV connection, would be nice for the premium prices you charge. Do yourself a favor and find a nice RV park for your stay at The Lake!

We booked the boat tour on the "rum runner" and it was so much fun! Capt Kelly is great.

wonderful camp up at Lake Tahoe ride on the Lake. lots of things to do camping hiking and the Grove restaurant which is a must stop when you're up in this part of Lake Tahoe.

Disappointing experience. We were very excited to stay in a hotel room by the water. In description it says they have TV, and in reality sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Maybe instruction would be helpful about what is available. Internet is slow, hard to use if you need it. No maid services, which was surprising , since the big hotel has it. In that case it would be nice to have a broom in the room, since the sand comes from the beach and makes the floors very slippery. Stuff people in general were rude, not friendly, expecting that all customers are not to be trusted and are the last criminals of the World!!! Tip!!! If you like Rum Runners ask it with Meyers Rum:) much tastier:)

First time staying at Historic Hotel. Family of 3 (2 adults and a 1 year old). We were able to book a queen room last minute. Space was small but we did not plan on spending too much time indoors! Plenty of dresser/closet space and enough restroom space to change and shower. Love the location and how close we were to the everything - only drive once the whole weekend. Had breakfast at the General Store both mornings we were there and the food/staff/seating was great! Also convenient to pick up items we ran out of. Ice cream shop was super close and delicious. Line was long but went really quickly. We were able to try the new Grove restaurant for lunch. Delicious and great menu options! The rum runners were still fantastic. Overall great experience and cannot wait to come back!

Today's experience at the Camp Richardson Marina was not great! We have been yearslong customers of the Richardson Marina and buoy renters for our boat. This year, under new management, we have not had a great experience. Trying to get gas 30 minutes after the marina and gas dock opened we were met by a very unpleasant employee who was not interested in helping us and when asked if we could get some help, he brushed us off and told us he'd be out later "at some point" to assist. He copped an attitude so we left with, have a nice day! Tahoe Keys Marina and gas is a much better experience this year!

The captain was super nice and the yacht was well kept and clean! We will definitely do this again when we're back up in Tahoe!

Camp Richardson needs to do better. We stayed in the "white" cabin. The pictures show the mold in the bathroom. Floor had severe wood rot, and when you sat on the toilet, the floor would sink and move. The condition of the cabin was horrible. Carpet was disgusting and had a huge wet spot thar kept growing as we were there. Notified the main office multiple times and nothing until I actually went to code enforcement myself and filed a complaint. They told us we are not the first ones. We ended up cutting our trip short as they had nowhere else for us to stay. I will never use them again. The kitchen was not fully stocked. I went and bought kitchen items from the store. It's definitely a horrible experience.

Campground for tents: Campground restrooms sometime lock, sometimes do not. So no privacy. Why they use locking door handles makes no sense. We got cited for a perfectly clean camp stove left on our table as well. Watch out for electric bikes on path; they travel extremely fast. We had football stolen from our camp area, so nothing is safe. Lots of bears but people are worse because when a bear appears all the cars panic alarms are set off. Result is usually no effect on bear, but all babies in camp are then awake and crying. Towel dispenser remained broken in restroom for the whole week - this would not be acceptable in lodge, but in campground, management doesn't care. Marijuana smoking is apparently allowed. Extra cars $10/day - 1 car allowed per site included. Showers $2/8 minutes. Finally vehicle speed through camp is not enforced. Adjacent to Pope Beach is nice, but again speed limits not enforced. Basically insufficient and rarely private restrooms is the biggest problem. You may be walked in on during shower or when using restroom. Also no electrical outlets allowed to be used.

Wonderful experience. My husband has trouble walking so this was the perfect way to do it and allow him to experience everything. Boat ride was nice and then perfect amount of time to explore Vikingsholm and hike to waterfall.

The lady at the front charging for parking needs to be fired. Each time I come here she has the most unpleasant attitude and is beyond rude. I'm a 30 year Tahoe local and she's by far the most miserable person I've dealt with at any business. And I'm not the only one that's had to deal with her attitude and rudeness. I really hope she finds a new job, or get a fired for being such a miserable person.

Trying to rate the Grange at camp Richardson - which used to be the Beacon. They charged me $2 for a cup of ice to refresh my sober driver's soda. This is a great venue but they should be more supportive of sober driver's considering the location. Not sure I will be back unless I am staying on property or amazing band.

I love Lake Tahoe and this was our first stay at Camp Richardson. Although there are many positives about CR, I have to say how disappointed we were initially. The electrical boxes are located in the front of each camp spot and made it very difficult to reach when backed in unless you have a long extension cord which we did not. We had to move from our original spot and had to park our trailer very close to the road in the second spot. It all worked out in the end. The only other issue was wi-fi was very weak and caused a lot of frustration. Oh well! The staff was very nice and helped as best they could. We will likely come back but will select a better spot when making our reservation, only another $10. Ug.

I enjoy my camping experience during my four day trip. Lot of bear visits for sure. The shower/restroom situation is the only annoyance. 1. The front desk told everyone $1 per token for 4 mins shower time (pricy!!) but each token actually lasted over 10 mins. I tried to refund the unused tokens... the front desk at the hotel still insisted one token for 4 mins 2. Not each rest room with functional power outlet, so no way to use a hair dryer... bummer. 3. Water draining during the shower... still some problem.

Though still a hot-spot, it has become too commercialized (and much more pricey) for the locals. Great calamari, but price has increased significantly while size of portions has decreased by same. And too bad for about the Rum Runners. Still good, but from @ $6 when I started going there a half-dozen years ago to, say, $15 now. Same drink; more profit for owners.

We came here at 5pm on a Tuesday in mid-August and it was busy but not crowded. At that time, they didn't charge for parking (usually $10). There are restrooms here, but I didn't end up using them since we ate dinner at the restaurant and I just used those. PROS - Coarse sand (easy cleaning!). - Water stays pretty shallow - it only gets waist-high at the far end of the roped off swimming area. - There's a restaurant on site! We stayed for dinner and that was convenient. Note shade structures are not allowed on the sand in front of the restaurant (it would obstruct their views). CONS - $10 parking. - This feels like a more urbanized beach as the swimming area is surrounded on all sides by docks and boats. If you want a more nature-oriented beach, go further west to Baldwin Beach. - Swimming area is relatively small for a beach (the size of a small pool) - fine for kids, but if you wanted to swim a distance to get a workout, this won't be a great spot for that.

Stayed in a RV last month. Overall pretty nice place but, very crowded. Very small sites. Bathrooms were disgusting. Old, dirty & not well maintained. Will never stay again

Easy simple check-in process and safety check. The crew is awesome at helping you get prepared for the adventure. We rented two jet skis and it all went smoothly! The only heads-up is the area you are allowed to run the jet ski. No beaching and no Emerald Bay so the area you are allowed just allows you to ride in circles... Maybe fun for thrill seekers but I preferred a leisurely ride to Emerald Bay or near beaches to sightsee. Still a 5-star rating for the crew and well maintained jet ski.

We went on the Rum Runner cruise and it was a great experience! Captain Shad was friendly and knowledgable, the boat was beautiful with plenty of comnfortable seating, and the Rum Runners prepared by First Mate Brenna were excellent. We cruised over to Emerald Bay and enjoyed the scenic mountain views surrounding Lake Tahoe. Captain Shad even pointed out several Osprey nests on our way back so we even got to see some wildlife. My wife and I had a wonderful time on the cruise and we would highly recommed it to anyone visiting Tahoe. We ate dinner at the Camp Richardson restaurant and it was fantastic. The cruise and dinner was a great way to spend the last evening of our vacation, and we will always remember it!

We recently went on the cruise to tour Vikingsholm. We enjoyed the cruise & and the tour. The boat just cruised directly to Vikingholm and didn't tour the lake at all. We had about 1/2 an hour before our tour and about 45 minutes after the tour to walk around and enjoy the area which would have been good to know that ahead of time how it worked.

Had my wedding on the Rum Runner cruise, rented out the yacht for 20. Really good catering and wedding cake, was amazing! Highly recommend for a lake cruise. Had the best time

Loved our stay and already booked another trip. The summer only cabins are very simple and rustic. I think of these cabins as a "step above camping"

Under new management! I hope they don't ruin it. We've had such an awesome experience in the past. I booked a reservation today and the booking conditions on the website did NOT match the email I received. It also did NOT match what the manager stated on the phone. So here the cancellation policy are (as of today)----Don't cancel because after 6 month you will lose 50% of your money, and all your money if you cancel within 45 days. This is the worst cancellation policy I have ever come across. BTW they will not honor what their website says....said it was a "communication error". They did let me cancel due to a "communication error"....theirs!

I love it here. Will definitely be back! Nice place, nice people, nice location, and nice restaurant on the lake.

Our campsite (though marked with a "private" sign) had a small trail next to it that the entire campground used to take a shortcut to the beach road. People walked through our site at all hours. Zero privacy, and few trees between sites. The restrooms nearest our site were in much need of cleaning and repair. Noise and partying into all hours of the night. Pros: super close to beach (get there early to stake your spot), nice market and ice cream shop, and bike rentals/trails.

Going skiing was not in the plans for us, so we decided to just venture out and go tubing. We went to one hill and it was ok, but when asking around, people told us about Camp Richardson, this guy working at a bar in the restaurant told us that if we didn't mind driving a little bit, it was nice and hidden and really good to tube on the whim. So we packed up and ventured there and it was super fun! There were only a couple of other families there too tubing, and it was easy to park and our little had a blast. Looked like lots of people stay in the little bungalow rooms and there was a restaurant and general good store and we also saw people cross country skiing with their dogs, it was a good find. I wish I knew that guys name so I could thank him for the recommendation.

I did the Vikingsholm cruise to Emerald Bay and it was a great experience. Captain Jack had a lot of information to share along the 30 minute or so trip to Emerald Bay and was good at pointing out area birds along the shoreline. Would recommend to anyone that doesn't want to hike down the 1.5 mile steep trail at Emerald Bay.

Myself and husband were recommended the rum runner cruise to see some spectacular sights on Lake Tahoe and also the special drink served on board. We booked into this the same day, we read the description and decided that following a morning of adrenaline this would be a good relax. We followed the Sat Nav to the address, which led to a car park at the top of the road, but the parking stated for the local hotel only. There was a gentleman sat in a hut who advised us that the marina was down the road to which he was guarding and it was $15 to enter, we paid and headed down, this was not highlighted on the original listing for the activity, in fact there were no directions which was frustrating especially as visitors and not knowing the area at all. The booking confirmation advised us to be there 30minutes before time given, we walked the pier as advised by one of the staff at the marina, we found the boat, but there was no respite from the sun which was blazing. We stood around for 30minutes, which was excruciating. Once on board we swiftly set sail, and the captain and skipper were great. Once out of the bay, the skipper asked did we want a drink, we both had agreed we would have one then the other would have another so that one could drive safely. Once we accepted a drink the skipper returned asking for a card to set up a tab, we accepted and gave him the card having already got our drinks we didn't really have an option, we agreed without knowing the price of the drinks that we wouldn't have any more. Towards the end of the boat ride we were presented with a check, $13 each for some frozen OJ and a splash of rum, this was extortionate. We both really enjoyed the boat ride and were grateful it wasn't too busy but we wouldn't pay it again as the overall cost equated to $215 for a slow boat chug to emerald bay.

Had a wonderful time on the Run runner boat tour on 6/28/24. Kelly, the captain, was outstanding and provided great information along the boat ride. Excellent way to spend the day. A fantastic ride and scenery. Highly recommend for everyone to take and learn about the history and ecology of Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay.

Great staff, rooms in the hotel are fine. Only wish the sheets were not so stiff with bleach. Also, imagine if hotels all used bamboo paper products!

During our recent three-day stay at the campsite, we were initially assigned a specific campground upon arrival. We inquired about the possibility of changing our campsite, only to be informed that such changes required a 24-hour notice and incurred a $10 fee. Later in the day we asked two different individuals and they told us it wouldn't be a problem and there was no charge. This did not lead to a great start. After concluding our camping trip, I was surprised to find an additional charge of $150 on my credit card statement. In an effort to clarify this charge, I had to contact the campsite's management to request a receipt, which was somewhat inconvenient and left me wondering why such documentation was not provided proactively. Resolving the matter of the $150 "unattended campfire charge" proved to be a rather frustrating experience. It took several attempts and a call every day for five days to finally connect with a manager of the campsite's staff. During this process, I encountered a notable lack of responsiveness, consistently needing to call 3 or 4 times in a row before I would stop going to voicemail. Furthermore, one of the staff members I spoke with displayed a lack of professionalism and courtesy during our interaction, which was disappointing. Upon reaching the campsite manager on Friday, I was informed that there were no photographic records of the reported "unattended campfire" incident that allegedly occurred at 11:20 am. The manager indicated that such a fee meant a full-on blazing unattended fire. I offered to provide photographic evidence that we left at 8:11am with clearly no fire burning, but the manager didn't even bother and just agreed to waive the fee simply because I was calling about it. This experience left me with a less than favorable impression of the campsite's administrative and customer service processes. The initial communication discrepancies, difficulty in reaching a live representative, and the inconsistency surrounding the "unattended campfire charge" all contributed to a less than satisfactory experience. While the issue was eventually resolved in my favor, the overall handling of the situation left me with reservations about the campsite's professionalism and customer service standards.

I forgot stuff in the closet of my cabin unfortunately while loading the car and realized 1.5hrs after I checked out. So I and called the office and gave an itemized list. Housekeeping only turned half of my items in with the nicest items missing including my $50 Pendleton beach blanket. So mad. Office staff never called me to tell me they found items in the cabin and then when I mentioned that wasn't all my items in the bag they had for me they said "Our housekeepers don't steal." My concerns were dismissed. Management has never called me back or replied to my email. I filed a police report so that it is on record. The cabin was cute and I had a great time until this. This was my first time staying there on site. I always enjoy my meals in the general store. Their salmon sandwich is great and Buck who runs the general store is always friendly and welcoming. I know they are going to be run by a new concessionaire this upcoming season with improvements coming. I am hopeful to see the the improvements and I would stay again, just make sure you don't leave anything behind as it disappears.

I can't even give them a 1!!! BEWARE I am not the type of person that would want to write a terrible review about a business as I know that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that can be difficult to navigate these days, however this situation has gone on for far too long! I booked a family reunion with Mary Griffin (group manager) well over a year before the reunion. She was always very difficult to get in touch with either by phone or email. I was very patient with her the entire year as I wanted this to be a positive experience for the 80 people I had booked. I did my best not to get frustrated with the lack of response as she was always helpful when I finally did get in touch with her however this is where this took a turn. My daughter had to cancel 5 days before the reunion due to her daughter being taken to the ER and at the time she cancelled she was told that she would only be penalized the deposit. However, she was charged the entire 3 day stay. I was told per the 18 page contract that she would be charged "per the contract" which is understandable EXCEPT I had another family member that had to cancel just a few days before and was only charged for the deposit because the front desk person made a mistake. Not my fault or my problem. I contacted Mary to see if there could be an exemption made and she stated she could possibly get a one night refund which I was not ok with but it would be better than nothing. She stated that she would be getting back with me in few day which she DID NOT. I emailed her twice and yet NO RESPONSE again. I finally called the general manager Adam Fountain and explained the situation to him. He stated that Mary would MAKE IT RIGHT and would get back to me the following day which she DID NOT! Again, I had to reach out to them and spoke with Mary who is unwilling to refund my daughter for her stay because she just decided not to and for no other reason. Finally, I was told that Adam would return my call today and of course no phone call. I left him a straight forward message that I would like for him to call me at the end of business day but NO!! Please do not give this place your business as they are TERRIBLE to deal with or get any respect as a customer!!!

This is unlike me to do this, but I am writing this review before I even stay here. Not because I think it's gonna be three stars, but that's the best they will get after our first interaction. We showed up early to see if we could check in. The lady at the front desk was nice and said the room wasn't ready yet. She said she would call us when it was ready. I asked her if it would be ok to remain parked in their parking lot, so we could walk down to the beach and wait for her call. She told us no. She said we needed to pay the $12.00 to go park down at the beach parking area. I understand the parking issues that arise due to patrons parking there and taking up space, but we are staying there that day and the next. I think it would have been appropriate to allow this leeway. Bad business practice. Do better.

We like to come here for lakeside dining and kayaking. We've never stayed here, but we've camped nearby several times (Emerald Bay and DL Bliss), so it's a convenient place to rent a kayak and have lunch or dinner before or after kayaking. You can also rent boats, pedal boats and ride on their Rum Runner Cruises on the lake. Make sure to have cash with you if you're going to park your car in the resort. It's $12, but you can use it toward your $35 restaurant bill or kayak/boat rental. It costs $45 to rent a double kayak for an hour so the $12 parking fee gets deducted from that. The food is not bad at their Beacon Bar and Grill restaurant. The portions are big, so don't order too much. We ordered a little too much (the Nachos are huge) so we could barely eat our main courses. I ate the fish and left most of the fries on my plate. Service is friendly and this last time we got seated on their outdoor deck so we had a great view of the lake. In the past we've also parked ourselves on the beach with our beach towels and umbrella, and swam in the lake. Always fun to do. Their store is also the closest store to DL Bliss and Emerald Bay State Parks, so we've driven here to get stuff that we needed in the past. Oh and it's nice that they have an Ice Cream shop too. Always appreciated especially when it's 80 degrees out !

This is one of the few places to rent speed boats without requiring Captain experience/license. We were given a long, thorough introduction into boating by Jagger and then off we went. We LOVED catching air over the waves...it was like a roller coaster. Glad that I was wearing my motion sickness patch. Renting the float was NOT worth the money since it was very difficult to hang on to the float and we actually caught more air with the boat rather than the float (which was kind of a disappointment). We did not rent water skis, because it was our first time driving a boat and did not want to risk injuring ourselves. Minus 1 star due to the very dirty bathroom next to the rental shop. Plus, apparently, our speed boat had a throttle problem. Since this was our first experience driving the speed boat, we did not realize that the boat should NOT jerk when moving from rest to the slow 5 knots per hour and should also NOT jerk when slowing down from 5 knots per hour to Neutral. When we returned the boat, the staff had a difficult time parking the boat because she said that the boat had a throttle problem. We then realized, that she was talking about how the boat would suddenly jerk when starting up from Neutral and also shifting down to Neutral.

DO NOT STAY HERE! They will tell you that you must pay a 50$ deposit upon arriving, and then they will not pay it back, the lady at the store named 'Janelle' was so unprofessional and rude over the phone! Makes me question as to why they allow people to treat people this way. Now I'm out 50$ because they lied to me, also didn't even stay the full 2 nights as people kept coming into our campsite saying they were assigned to the camp site? Get your staff and your property together! This place is not worth it! DO NOT STAY HERE.

CAMPING REVIEW: I booked 2 campsites at Camp Richardson for 30 people. Booking was easy and anytime I had a question, I called and got a man named Patrick who was very helpful. We checked-in right at 2PM with no trouble and drove to our two sites which were back to back. The location is great, close to the Highway so there is some road noise. There isn't a ton of shade at the sites but the beautiful pine trees provided some and we didn't mind. The bathrooms are pretty run down except for a new facility that was definitely cleaned while we were there. The one closest to our sites NEED an upgrade; the showers were absolutely disgusting. Several of the toilets in the women's restroom did not work. Now onto the BEARS. We barely slept the entire time because there was one, maybe even two, bears that continued to harass our group and several campsites around the campground. People were constantly yelling, honking their horn, sounding off their car alarm, someone even fired a warning shot with their gun the 2nd night. It felt like we could not relax. I mean, I get it, WE are in THEIR home but this was insane. The bear came directly up to our site WHILE WE WERE AROUND THE FIRE. Knocked over our ice chest. The kids were all frightened and we felt so on edge. Just BEWARE that you will not get much sleep here. Overall, we did have a fun time and loved walking down to the Beacon & the Marina and walking around the lake. It is a beautiful place but I am not sure we'll ever stay here again.

Camp Richardson was something wonderful years ago but now is a health hazard! Room - the pillows smelled like dirty hair & had standard size cases on king size pillows. The sheets were stained. There were holes in the bedspread. One of the windows didn't have a screen. Beach - overcrowded with filthy restrooms. Also there were always long lines at the restrooms. I overheard many people saying they were just going to use the woods as a toilet. Our family had a catered event in the boathouse. It should have had dedicated restrooms but instead the overflow crowd from the beach created long lines. These lines kept us from being present at important parts of the event. Hotel staff - Kitty is amazing, kind & knowledgeable. Your day manager was good. Your night staff told me 11am is summer check out time. When the actual checkout time is 10am! So I was unkindly rushed out of my room. Housekeeping - the manager was quite unkind & did not believe me when I told her about being informed checkout time was 11am. Even as I hurried to vacate the room, housekeeping staff hounded me to get out. Parking & roads - the surface of the parking lot & roads were so bad the undercarriage of my car was torn. On my way home this flipped under one of the tires. It damaged the tire & nearly caused an accident. Do not stay here, your vacation will be ruined!

We stayed at Camp Richardson in the Beachside Inn, and what a disappointment. We stayed in room #3, and our room was so poorly maintained. The comforter was torn, the sheets were threadbare, chairs in the room were dirty and ill-taken care of so I threw a towel over them in order not to be grossed out. The resort is old, but what I don't understand is why it is so poorly maintained and dirty. I have stayed in older hotels around the world, but they are clean and well-maintained. We even had two live frogs and one dead frog in our room... why? My husband was looking under the bed to try and remove one of the frogs and he said to me "don't even look under the bed, it's dirty and there is someone else's sock under there".

Rented a boat from Camp Richardson Marina. Bob, run your business with pride or retire! The boat you rented us was a joke! You should be embarrassed renting that 2010 boat out for $600.00 dollars for 2 hours! How do you sleep at night? The fuel gauge is broken, boat is oxidized, 1884 hours on boat, radio don't work, you taped off the bathroom door but it's all rotten in there. Speedometer doesn't work, no anchor to go swimming off boat because you got sued to many times your staff says. I love Lake Tahoe! I loved being on the lake but you caused me stress because you rent junk!

Probably one of my favorite places in Tahoe. Got lucky it wasn't so busy when we came. $12 entrance / parking fee per car. Good for the entire day. Ample parking along the cabins and the restaurant but there's more in the back by the marina. There's a restaurant by the beach and a huge patio area for dining as well. Live music and just fun vibe overall. The indoor dining has a full bar and a dining room good for families. We went on the RUM RUNNER CRUISE... and that was the best part. The crew really took good care of us. They even let us sit on the front, gave us cushions, and we had some prime views. The boat itself is pretty roomy. There's the upstairs open area and the downstairs where the bar is at (where the rest of the people stayed). The captain was so nice. And the crew was fun! I forgot the name of the gentleman that took care of us, but check pics I uploaded... but he made sure our Rum Runner drinks were perfect... perfect enough you only needed one. Lol. They take you from Camp Richardson to Emerald Bay & back. Beautiful views and overall a great time.

*CAMP RICHARDSON DOESN'T RESPOND TO THEIR WEBSITE FORM SUBMISSIONS OR EMAILS* Stayed at a Badger's Den campsite in late July/early August with a group of 4. The campsite was completely littered with small pieces of trash -- plastics, lots of foil, little bits of fabric and other material. It was really sad, so we spent some time cleaning up our site upon arrival. The bathrooms were pretty clean, but the dishwashing sink outside the bathrooms was filled with trash and old food -- cooked eggs and meat, etc. It seemed like the park wasn't concerned with the bathroom areas baiting bears. I never figured out where the showers were. The camp store is convenient but insanely overpriced. I understand that this resort is in the mountains but it's not an island... prices shouldn't be equivalent to Hawaii ABC store prices. I tried contacting camp Richardson several times as I wanted to change the name on my reservation to ensure that my group could check in if I was going to be arriving late. I emailed them, called and left a voicemail and they never once responded. I recently emailed them twice to check in on their cabin availability. Once you get here, if you can bear with the trash and inconsistent facilities, it's hard to have a bad time at Lake Tahoe. The amount of trash was appalling. Clean up your park.