Date of Trip: February 19-24, 2025
I had never heard of Camino, California prior to visiting. I enrolled in a conference in South Lake Tahoe and found the accommodation prices far outside my budget (and kinda 80s) so I just kept zooming out on the airbnb app until I found something less expensive and super cute. I spoke to the host before booking and she was so lovely, giving me lots of ideas for a winter trip. Wineries, orchards, beautiful hikes in perfect weather, and the perfect cozy cabin. Ultimately, I’m so happy we ended up choosing El Dorado County because we had just the best time and I feel lucky to have discovered such an underrated gem. I’m going to outline the details below to include logistics, activities (to include Lake Tahoe), food and of course wineries!!
If you’re even a little curious, I hope this guide helps you plan your own escape. And if you need more tips, I’m always happy to hype up this hidden gem—just reach out!
Logistics
🔹Flights: Because the original trip was planned for South Lake Tahoe, I booked my flight into Reno, NV before booking the Airbnb in Camino (2 hours and 40 minutes driving the northern pass). Steve flew into Sacramento that night which was much closer (52 minutes).
🔹Car rental: With the trip being in February, I had to consider snowy conditions. Traditional rental companies do not allow chains and do not provide snow tires. I ended up using Turo for the first time ever and the process was seamless- car was left in the deck with the keys inside and cash to pay the garage fee. I rented an SUV with snow tires. North Tahoe near Donner Pass was the only area where I felt uncomfortable driving but I made it. The road conditions were completely fine in Camino (2,000 feet elevation rather than 6,000).Â
🔹Accommodation: This Airbnb MADE the trip. It was an old farmhouse cabin with a tin roof and a flowing river running right next to it. There was a hot tub, gas fireplace and overall super cozy vibe. The host even brought us dinner one night and left local donuts and fruit from the orchards. The location was perfect and led us to explore so much of the area we probably never would have known existed otherwise (including our “wine hike” to the nearby orchards and wineries).
Link: https://www.airbnb.com/l/CKwtOvKi
Overview
🔹Favorites Around Camino
◾️Hikes
-South Fork American River Trail
-Jenkinson Lake Loop
-Cronan Ranch Trails (sunset!!)
◾️Restaurants, Orchards and Wineries
Placerville:
-Pachamama Coffee Roasters
-Annie’s Mimosa (breakfast)
-Smith Flat House (Farm to Table)
-Bricks Main Street
-Old Town Grille
Apple Hill/Camino:
-Rainbow Orchards (best donuts)
-Abel’s (donuts & bbq lunch)
-Barsotti’s/North Canyon Cider
-Delfino Farms (Wine Tastings and pie, summer concerts)
-Larsons (Apple Pie with a museum and park)
-High Hill Ranch
-24 Carrot Farm (Organic Produce)
-Lava Cap Winery
-Pine O Mine (best brewery beer)
Coloma:
-Lotus Pub (Must-do, limited hours and seating)
-Argonaut: coffee, gelato and organic local farm fare
-Sierra Rizing: excellent bakery
🔹 Lake Tahoe Hikes and Viewpoints
South Lake Tahoe was an hour and 45 minutes from Camino on the open mountain route
-Cave Rock (Nevada Park Fee)
-East Shore Trail
-Hidden Beach (stop along the East Shore Trail)
-Memorial Point
-Sand Harbor
-Paddle House Brewery for coffee and breakfast
-Emerald Bay State Park Lookout en route to Vikingsholm Trailhead
-Vikingsholm Trail (California Park Fee)
Daily Itinerary and Details
Day 1: Atlanta to Reno flight. Landed in the afternoon and was quickly able to get my Turo car and hit the road after stopping at Raley’s Grocery store near the airport(get the app for discounts). I had to pick Steve up from Sacramento Airport that night, so planned to find a long hike on the way and coordinated with my Airbnb host to find a beautiful sunset hike.
From the Airport to trailhead took nearly 3 hours with the snow and traffic over Donner Pass and apparently delays are to be expected. I reached Cronan Ranch around 4:30pm and started the hike which was 4.3 miles with 524 feet in elevation gain. Driving through the snow near Tahoe, I was worried about the trail conditions but the elevation dropped several thousand feet and there was no snow.
đź“Ť East Ridge and Cronan Ranch Loop on AllTrails
The trail was absolutely beautiful although with my late start, I ended up hiking in the rain and eventually darkness. Although alone on the trail, I felt safe in the area.
The trail was absolutely beautiful, very New Zealand-esque and not at all what I expected.
Day 2: Days started late on this trip due to my conference, so we didn’t start hiking until 3 pm. Our host left fresh apples and apple donuts from Boa Vista Orchards which we packed up to take on the recommended hike nearby at Jenkinson Lake. There is a park fee of $5 so have cash to deposit in the envelope to avoid ticketing.
We did the whole Lake Loop which was 8.5 miles. It was not technical but felt a little tedious and the waterfall was apparently dry. So honestly, not my favorite hike.
đź“Ť Jenkinson Lake Loop on AllTrails
(Supposed to be a waterfall there ⬆️)
We went to dinner in Placerville then enjoyed our hot tub at the cabin
Day 3: We did two hikes this afternoon and I highly recommend both!
First stop was Kalithea Park in El Dorado Hills overlooking Sacramento. No hiking here, but a cool viewpoint on a clear day and it was right on the way to the hike.
The hike was about 15 minutes from here (total drive time 50 minutes from our cabin). We arrived at 2:15pm with a goal to finish in time to sprint to the next hike for sunset. It was a 7.3mile out and back with 1289 feet elevation gain, basically walking down to the river and back up.
đź“Ť South Fork American River Trail and Satan’s Cesspool on AllTrails
We drove to our next hike in Cronan Ranch, the same hike I did in the rain on the way to pick up Steve. We started at 5:30pm to catch sunset overlooking the river. We did an out and back similar to this hike below:
đź“Ť West Ridge Trail and West Ravine Trail Loop on AllTrails
We drove from here to Lotus Pub about 10 minutes away for dinner. I will never forget this wonderful meal. The chef was from San Francisco and created really amazing dishes. My favorite was the beef bourguignon! There weren’t many people there off-season but our server and Airbnb host warned that you have to get there early to get a table peak-seasons.
I’d return to the area JUST to eat here again, which says a lot!
Day 4: We took our new Lotus Pub friend’s advice to head to Tahoe super early to avoid hours long delays. And as a bonus got to see sunrise over the lake along the pass (and managed to avoid the crowds the first couple of hours).
Views along El Dorado Freeway pull-out just passed Echo Summit Pass
Below I’ll outline the order of stops we did to see as much of the lake as possible. Total drive time just around the lake was 2 hours and 57 minutes:
đź”·From South Lake Tahoe:
◾️Cave Rock
◾️East Shore Trailhead (walked to Hidden Beach and Back along the trail)
◾️Memorial Point Scenic Overlook
◾️Emerald Cove
◾️Sand Harbor Visitor Center to explore Sand Point Beach
◾️Recommend Whale Beach but we didn’t have time
◾️Brunch or Coffee at Paddle House Brews
◾️ Emerald Bay State Park Lookout
◾️Vikingsholm Trailhead
🔹Cave Rock: Could’ve hit this on the way back but I wanted the to catch the early morning views here.
I’ve linked a trail you could do for aerial views.
đź“Ť Cave Rock Trail on AllTrails
🔹East Shore Trailhead: Free parking here in winter. Followed the trail to Hidden Beach and back. We did not need our crampons as it was mostly paved.
đź“Ť Tahoe East Shore Trail on AllTrails
Tunnel to Hidden Beach
🔹Hidden Beach
🔹Memorial Point Scenic Overlook: There is a tiny parking lot here and some stairs down to the lake, so more than just a pullout along the road
🔹Emerald Cove
🔹Sand Harbor Visitor Center to explore Sand Point Beach: We spent the most time scrambling around here.
🔹Recommend Whale Beach next but we skipped it to eat brunch
🔹Paddle House Brews: We had coffee and brunch here and it was yummy and perfectly on the way to our next stop
🔹Emerald Bay State Park Lookout: Just happened to catch this along Emerald Bay Road, but I’d suggest entering into your GPS so you don’t miss it! Apparently it’s an iconic overlook
🔹Vikingsholm Trailhead: This spot was super crowded. We arrived at 11am and the parking lot was packed, so if possible, I’d recommend going early. We did the 1.7 mile from the top of the viewpoint to the lake. We did need our crampons in February.
đź“Ť Vikingsholm Trail on AllTrails
We were not able to tour the castle as they only offer this during the summer, starting after June. In the summer, there seemed to be much more to do in the area.
Drive time back to Camino was 1 hour and 15 minutes, and leaving by 12:45, fortunately there was no traffic. Apparently the ski slopes close at 4pm and traffic gets wild so keep that in mind.
We stopped by Boa Vista Orchards on the way home and got some apples and of course apple donuts.
Our host dropped off a homemade dinner which was so unexpected and appreciated after a long day.
Day 5: Today was one of my favorite days. We decided to do a self-made winery crawl (really more of a winery hike), from our airbnb to the surrounding orchards and wineries! It was a really fun way to avoid driving tipsy and also see the beautiful scenery in our neighborhood. We ended up doing over 6 miles with an unexpected elevation gain of 614 feet. In the spring or summer, you could definitely add even more orchards to your crawl as many were closed for winter.
I’d definitely recommend following @applehillofficial and @eldoradowines on Instagram for all the ongoing activities for the area.Â
https://www.instagram.com/applehillofficial?igsh=MXI4OXhzeTkweThreg==
https://www.instagram.com/eldoradowines?igsh=eHh0b3ZiY3pydnRx
🔹First stop: Delfino Farms
Delfino Farms is a gorgeous spot with great views and super generous pours during tastings. In the winter, they just had a few snacks, but in the summer their homemade pies are a must. They also do a concert series in the spring, summer, and fall, which makes for a fun evening with wine, music, and mountain views. Check them out on Instagram @delfinofarms
https://www.instagram.com/delfinofarms?igsh=MTMwdTdlcm9qZmswZw==
We sat on the patio and enjoyed the views. We bought two bottles of wine and the tastings were free!
Next we headed toward El Dorado Orchards but they were closed for the season. We noticed some great shops we would have loved to visit also, but we’ll have to come back in the summer or fall!
🔹We were hungry, so we decided to hit Boa Vista Orchards again since we knew they were open (and tasty). We grabbed lunch and enjoyed the views from the orchards.
🔹 Next, we headed to Lava Cap Winery, which was absolutely delightful. The patio overlooks the vineyards and has a laid-back, peaceful vibe—perfect for sipping and soaking in the views. We ended up buying four bottles, and the tastings were free with the purchase. Our host was super knowledgeable—not just about the wine, but also the history of the winery and the Apple Hill area.
Check them out on Instagram @lavacapwinery
https://www.instagram.com/lavacapwinery?igsh=c3V0OXplcXhqZWN1
Sunset on the way home from Lava Cap was so dreamy and we enjoyed our last night checking out the stars from the hot tub that evening.
Day 7: We soaked up the last hours in our lovely cabin before driving back to Reno. Taking the direct route, drive time was 2 hours and 18 minutes. Returning the Turo was straightforward and there were plenty of gas stations around the airport. I’d say my first time trying Turo went really well and I’ll definitely consider using again.
To close:
Honestly, I had zero expectations for this trip. I only booked Camino because it was cheaper and close enough to Tahoe. I figured we’d be driving into Tahoe every day, but to my surprise—we only went once. There was so much to do in and around Camino that beautiful Lake Tahoe became the side trip.
If I hadn’t been searching for more affordable places to stay, I never would’ve found this gem. No one I know had even heard of Camino, but now I can’t shut up about it. The wineries were chill and welcoming (with actual pours, not thimble tastings), the scenery was gorgeous, and the whole vibe was laid-back in the best way. Forget Napa— Camino has way more character, way fewer crowds, and a lot more heart. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
If you’re even thinking about heading that way, feel free to reach out—I’ll happily convince you.
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