Plasse's resort hidden lake

Early in 1850, Ramon Pierre Plasse left his native city of Lyons, France and sailed around Cape Horn and arrived in San Francisco in time for the gold rush. In 1853 he established the trading post on the Carson Emigrant Trail.



One summer (date unknown) Ramon Pierre Plasse came to Silver Lake Basin and established a summer range for the cattle and horses traded and sold at the trading post to the emigrants going West. A log cabin, still at the resort, served as his home for several years.



Ramon Pierre Plasse married Louise Retrou in 1862 and spent the summers in a two room cabin built by Ramon for his new bride. This cabin is one of the historic buildings located at Plasse's Resort. They had five children who were to continue the tradition of pioneering established by the Plasse family.



As tourism increased, the three oldest children, Pete, Maurice, and Alice established a resort that included a hotel, campground, the existing cook house, general store, and meat market. Cabins and stables were later added. In 1919 the current restaurant building was built.



The Silver Lake post office was established in 1936 with Miss Alice as the first postmistress. The post office remained in operation until it closed in the 1990's.



The original barn, stables and hotel are gone. The original lodge burned down in 1970, resulting in the loss of many priceless artifacts.


Maurice and Caralita, along with their children and grandchildren operated the resort until 2001, when the current owners, all long-time residents of Amador County, purchased the resort.

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167 years later, Plasse's Resort is recognized as one of the oldest campgrounds in the United States by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.