1 / 32

Bear Creek Retreat

96%

· Garden Valley, El Dorado, California

Hosted by Rachael S.

Garden Valley is a small town on the Georgetown Divide--the area of the foothills wedged between the North and South Forks of the American River. To get here, you have to go all the way down the American River Canyon and all the way back up--hence, we're naturally protected from any of the suburban sprawl by all that twisty-turning time-consuming driving! It's peaceful and serene here, undeveloped and very very laid back. My property is 27 acres of mixed Doug Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Cedar, Oak, and broadleaf maple. The beautiful Bear Creek runs through the property, and there are a few trails to wander on the property. The camping spot is a small clearing that you can access by car, with a primitive tee-pee built in the style of the indigenous peoples of this area: it's about 12 feet in diameter, you can stand in the center, and it's constructed mostly of cedar bark. Adventure and immersion into nature start with a short walk down the path on my property to Bear Creek and it's beautiful 12 foot waterfall and swimming hole. The hole is about 25 feet in diameter, about 6 feet deep, and refreshingly cold all year round. The cleanest water you could want. Again, right in my backyard. We also have amazing access to the American River: white-water rafting just a short drive from our site--in the nearby town or Lotus, or at the Chili Bar Park location. Swimming. Miles and miles of trails at the Confluence. Let me know what you're interested in. And the excellent hiking starts right on our road. The ridge at the top of my property is the beginning of National Forest land that goes on all the way to Lake Tahoe with trailheads scattered all around. Miles and miles and miles of multi-use trails, right in my backyard. Creeks and other waterfalls to explore. And if you're wanting different kinds of hiking, the possibilities are unlimited with just short drives.

Activities

Biking

Hiking

Horseback riding

Swimming

Natural features

Forest

River, stream, or creek

Swimming hole

Waterfall

96%

28 ratings · 18 reviews

Zoe N.recommends

September 19, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

Loved it! Rachael let us use her cabin that personal friends/family typically use, instead of the tee-pee, because her neighbors had been a bit peeved by the last couple of renters. It was an upgrade imo! The cabin has a loft area above the full bed (which was pretty comfy) and our friends put their queen air mattress up there with a lot of space. The waterfall is easy to get to and private. Rachael is super sweet and has a yuuuuuuge dog named Zoltan who my friends and I were semi-obsessed with. There's also a garden where you can grab some kale for the road! We didn't try it, but I'm sure it was as awesome as everything else on the trip. Thank you, Rachael!

Joe D.recommends

September 6, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

Tee-Pee Hollow was a very cool spot in a rather our of the way area. The campsite was very neat and the waterfall/swimming hole was absolutely incredible. There were also some great trails for hiking within the nearby vicinity. Something to note: there were a fair amount of spiders inside the actual tee-pee. We did not end up sleeping in the tee-pee, but set up our tent right outside. This was no problem at all and just as enjoyable! Rachael was the kindest host! Unfortunately, our car battery died on our second night at Tee-Pee Hollow, but Rachael was more than happy to help us out with a jump and a smile. We highly recommend staying here for a quite and relaxing get away! Thank you Rachael!!

Sophie L.recommends

August 31, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

The waterfall is the real star of the show here! I would bring your own tent due to the spider party in the tee pee, though it is beautiful. The waterfall is magical....you will love your time here!

Ioan B.recommends

August 26, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

I really enjoyed my time at TeePee Hollow. The owner was gracious enough to leave supplies for us, the site was very comfortable and decently private, and the nearby waterfall was absolutely magical. The only thing I didn't like was the number of spiders that had taken up residence in the teepee itself. I don't think it would have been a problem during the winter or spring when you can use the small fire pit inside the teepee to drive them out, but in the middle of summer with fire restrictions, that was a no-go. Fortunately, tenting alongside the teepee was fantastic and gave us an incredible view of the stars and moon. I would definitely come back again.

Cynthia A.recommends

August 25, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

I had incredible time camping here. Rachel our host was super nice. She greeted us as we got to the site. She told us about the hiking trails near by and the awesome waterfall/watering hole. She even kindly redirected us when we got a little lost on the way to her waterhole. Once we got to the waterfall it was perfect. The water is super clear and the sun cuts through the trees making sure it isn't too cold to swim in. If you climb the waterfall it leads to a smaller pool of water, which I tub the hottub. I literally spent the whole day there. I definitely will be coming back to this spot soon.

Katie C.recommends

August 24, 2016

Tee-Pee Hollow

The location was a great jumping-off point for day-hikes, and it was such a treat to come back to camp after a hot hike and hop in the swimming hole. Rachael was a wonderful host. We enjoyed meeting her and loved our time at the Tee-Pee!

Location

Garden Valley, El Dorado, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla and Nisenan First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Rachael S.

Joined in July 2015

Things to do nearby

Safety at Hipcamp

Learn More

Learn More

Learn More

Safety partners

Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.