Dora Belle Campground — Hotel in Shaver Lake

Dorabelle campgrounds is a place that is just breath taking. After coming to Dorabelle I didnt want to leave or return home. There was just so much beauty surrounding us. I encountered probably only 3 wasps on our trip which was a relief considering when we visited lake tahoe there were swarms of wasps at our campsite. The sites have partial shade and it worked out perfectly.

The campgrounds are clean and very spacious. The fire pits have a nice grill that rotate off and over the fire for easy cooking. The locker to store your food in was perfect. We took a massive cooler and it fit right into the locker with extra space for other things.

There are bathrooms on every corner which is really nice and accessiable. The ONLY thing we dislike about that is the stentch because they are vault bathrooms. In the morning it isnt so bad but when you use it during the day the smell is overwhelming I nearly vomitted going into the restroom. The bathrooms are well stocked with toilette paper. There are no SHOWERS. The water faucets at your campsite are not for washing your belongings so bring a refillable water gallon jug to fill with clean water and clean your dishes at your campsite. The drains at the water faucet at your campsite arent for dumping any liquids or food.

The lake, Shaver Lake is nearby (walking distance) it is absolutely gorgeous and breath taking. We will definitely visit again. Our host Penny was delightful and very nice. After our drive it was refreshing to check in with her and she made us feel so comfortable we felt right at home.

Make sure if you are camping during this time to over pack with many blankets. In the day time you dont need jackets or sweaters its beautiful sun light out but always pack hoodies and beanies and gloves. We made the mistake of not packing hoodies or beanies and extra blankets that we almost froze to death at night. It is extremely COLD at night. I had my socks on, jacket on and pants on in my sleeping bag and I was still shivering, I did not get any sleep for the two nights we were there. Bring lots of tea bags or coffee for hot drinks. We brought two coolers filled with drinks and ended up drinking tea 90% of the time we were there. They dont sell wood at the camp site so be prepared before you pull up to Dorabelle campgrounds. We had no problems with neighbors.

Lastly enjoy your visit. We cant wait to return next month but...

This is a fairly recently renovated camp site with very clean with lots of well kept bathrooms, zen manicured fire pits with swing out grill (I kid you not, they rake zen patterns around the fire pit between guests), large bear boxes and very flat camping spots.

There were a few things of note that stopped this being a 5-star experience: It's actually fairly expensive per night for a simple camp site. I think the lowest rate was at least $25 a night when we stayed in late summer. It's reasonably large and the waterfront access is open to non-campers. So if you want to go down to the water with a bunch of people and stuff to spend the day they charge extra for day parking so you may end up driving down, dropping stuff off, going back to your camp and then walking down - and the reverse at the end of the day. As far as I know there is no discount on day parking even if you're paying $50+ a day for a spot. The camp hosts who keep it so clean are sticklers for the rules so make sure you know them. They will also come stomping through your site at all hours - if you're a light sleeper then ear plugs are advised - which is probably always because this site can attract a younger crowd from Fresno here to party for the weekend. You just never know when there will be late night shenanigans. If you're in a trailer you'll probably be okay - in a tent YMMV. The hosts don't seem to patrol beyond 10pm so that party that roles in at 11pm or midnight and starts up - you'll have to go complain yourself. Some of the individual spots have really quite small camping areas - you might barely get too smallish tents on them. So if you are splitting your site choose carefully. They have double sites for family groups. There is a video on YouTube that has a picture of every single site and a few recommended ones for shade called out. Some sites have no shade, some partial and some full. You never seem to be far from a well lit bathroom and potable water so...

This campsite is convenient and clean. Sites are kept immaculate and the are lots of bathrooms and water stands. Each site designated for tents has a very flat gravel pad which you are expected to camp on. It's good for two smaller tents or one large tent, any more would be a squeeze but doable. From most sites it's a short walk to the water although you are on a small inlet of the actual lake so you won't get to see all of it unless you go for a long swim or paddle. Some of the sites are very close together and some have little shade - check the site map for shade and drive slope info plus there is s pretty good YouTube video you can find that shows all the sites. Most are just a 100' or so from water and bathrooms (pit toilets only but clean and well lit). Fire grills are excellent and plenty of places in Shaver Lake closer by to get wood from. ||||The camp hosts are very attentive to compliance with rules and warning - if you show up late they will come to your site early and post a dire warning about checking in by 9am. The lake is a resort lake and kids from Fresno come here to party so your experience may vary depending on your neighbors - we were enjoying the peace until a large group of guys showed up and we're talking, drinking and chopping wood at all hours. This kind of thing can happen at any site though - if you aren't into confrontations with a large group of drunk folks or raising the camp host at midnight then I strongly advise earplugs at all campsites! ||||Most people were quiet when we were there - good luck with campsite neighbor bingo. PS at $30 a night minimum with $7 extra for a second car this is kind of expensive for a basic facilities site. The RV park next door is a bit more but has showers etc. If you can share it with friends then I guess it's...