Ice House Campground is located high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. The area is part of the Eldorado National Forest—which stretches across the famed gold mining territory of the 1800—and is surrounded by a mixed conifer forest on the north shore of Ice House Reservoir. The reservoir spans 700 acres at 5,500 feet (1,680 m) elevation. Some campsites at Ice House are right on the shoreline while others are set back just enough for plenty of shade from towering ponderosa pines, cedars and Manzanita bushes. The area is far enough from city lights to make for productive stargazing.
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.