93% (253 reviews)
Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Tahoe National Forest adventure.
Though the lake isn’t in the forest’s boundary, you can see it in panoramic views.
Popular ways to camp
Community favorites near Tahoe National Forest
Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.
Public campgrounds in the park
Stay at a public campground in Tahoe National Forest
Top-rated campgrounds near Tahoe National Forest
The best camping near Tahoe National Forest guide
Overview
About
Running along the crest of the Sierra Nevada lies 850,000 acres of forested wonderland. Ranging in elevation from 1,500 feet to 9,400 at the top of Mt. Lola, it’s easy to dial in a comfortable temperature whatever season it is.
Climbers will be delighted to pull on some of the best climbing this side of the Sierra. Classic crags like Donner Pass and Lover’s Leap offer abundant bouldering, sport, and trad in every grade imaginable.
One might argue there is no better swimming in Northern California than the majestic Yuba River. Its deep green pools are so clear you can see all the way to the bottom. This comes in handy when you are tempted to jump off the perfect granite cliffs that ring most of them.
Whitewater lovers will find their paradise at the American River. The South Fork is great if you’re just starting out. Experienced paddlers may want to try the Class III and Class IV rapids of the Middle Fork.
Don’t forget about Tahoe NF once the snow starts falling. There are miles of trails to cross-country ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile. Snowboarders will be psyched on the backcountry options at Donner Pass. You might even find a homemade jump or two.
Nearby attractions
Your North Fork of the American River camping trip will be one for the books. Nestled within the Sierra Nevada mountains, the pristine river and surrounding wilderness offer endless outdoor activities. Rafting, fishing, or simply relaxing by the riverside will fill your days with joy.
93%
253 ratings · 61 reviews
June 2023
My favorite of the North Yuba campgrounds. Surrounded by the cleaned boulders of the tailing piles. It’s amazing how much work was done by the miners (mostly the Chinese) during the gold rush. Still very obvious after over 100 years! Just a unique experience to behold. Whomever the USFS hired to keep the sites and bathrooms clean, they sure have pride in their work. Very impressive to say the least. Thank you for the obvious dedication and continued hard work.
Roland K.
2 years on Hipcamp
June 2023
Simply amazing area. The first North Yuba campground heading north from the big cities. Sites are close together, sometimes there are obnoxiously loud campers. You could eat off the bathroom surfaces…well, almost. Maybe someone will volunteer to be a host?
Roland K.
2 years on Hipcamp
May 2022
Have camped here many times. Hipcamp is mistaken when they recommend taking a swim in Sardine Lake! It is a drinking water source and swimming in NOT allowed. Please correct your posting of amenities. You can, however, swim in nearby Sand Pond. Great for kids as its warm, shallow and has lots of tadpoles, frogs, snakes, etc.
Fae G.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2021
Nice location in the Tahoe NF. Has pit toilets and potable water, but bring extra water for convenience. Campground is right off and backs up to Hwy 20. Quiet in the evening, reasonable during the day. Campground connects to the Pioneer Trail which runs Scott's Flat to Spaulding Lake (approx. 25 miles).
Harmony Ridge Market is nearest cell service, but also an amazing market with everything you need. Even fresh sandwiches and cheesecake. Get the Espresso cheesecake if its there. They also carry Liquid Death, if you're into that.
Scott's Flat nearby has a day use parking lot past the campground which has restrooms and Kayak/SUP rentals. There is a capacity limit for the day use area, so arrive somewhat early.
Jacob C.
3 years on Hipcamp
March 2021
Nice. Almost impossible to rent. Bay area people rent out everything months in advanced.
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Kristen R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· November 2020
I camped at Campsite 23 at French Meadows, and it was AMAZING. Plenty of space and didn't feel too close to the other camps, and I was right behind the reservoir. Put my hammock up in the trees near the water, and had coffee on a big piece of driftwood and looked at the water in the morning. Highly recommend booking in advance to pick a waterfront spot.
Karen C.
8 years on Hipcamp
November 2020
Omg, I can't believe I forgot to leave a positive review of Salmon Creek campground! We went almost a year ago now and it was AWESOME! Our campsite was this out-of-the-way meadow abutting the woods with the creek, which was great for my kid to explore. It was beautiful. It rained A LOT while we were there so there was a lot of puddle jumping in the meadow. AND there was a porta-potty. Perfect for the kid! Loved the sound of the creek and the rain.
Chell M.
5 years on Hipcamp
July 2020
This campground is 10 feet away from the road. Not really what I had expected.
Robyn B.
4 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· December 2019
If you like to horse camp, Skillman Horse Camp is one of the best in northern California. It is maintained by the local equestrian group, Gold Country Trails Council, who have added corrals to many of the campsites. It is not a good camp for non horse people, as there are horses high lined and tied to trailers, not safe for children or pets off leash. Nevada City is not far for for supplies.
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J. M.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2019
This place is beautiful, accessible and great for groups. There are just two sites, so you can easily rent both for a big group and have the whole place to yourself. It's across the bridge from the fire station and you have a nice chunk of river to play in.
Each site has a bunch of tables and a big fire ring and a BBQ. You can hear the freeway sound which isn't ideal, but the other amenities really make up for it. Just bring earplugs for sleeping.
Melody W.
5 years on Hipcamp
August 2019
This is truly a hidden gem. Right off the freeway so there is that ambient noise, but it's also very convenient to get to. The river is low and slow and perfect for floating and swimming.
It's just two big sites, so we rented both of them. There's plenty of parking and the toilets are clean.
Melody W.
5 years on Hipcamp
July 2019
Hello, My Name is Andrew Blash and for four Seasons, I hosted this camp. Last season I spent 3 months redoing all the rocks and refurbishing the camp. It is small camp but it comes with Fresh spring water. This water was used to make BOCA BEER, which is Now Anchor Steam beer, they bought the recipe. If you go to the top of the camp you will see, a fenced inclosure, this is where the filter is and as well the old system. You will too, find the old pipes for the brewery here 1890 -1960 or so
Animals you will see here: are raccoons, woodpeckers Blue Jays, tanagers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, maybe a Bear, they do not come here much. We do get some rattle snakes. In the Meadow runs water from the spring, in that stream are craw dad.
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Andrew B.
5 years on Hipcamp
July 2019
We camped here on July 4th weekend after originally aiming to camp at North Fork campground about a half mile down the road. We arrived late on July 3rd at North Fork and all of the walk-in sites were taken and the campground was slammed. Just up the road Onion Valley's sites (all walk-in / first come, first served) were wide open. A few people came late on the 4th, but still was pretty quiet. The swimming hole that draws the crowds to North Fork is easily accessible from Onion Valley. Fill up your water at the running spring fountain there too as there's no running water at Onion Valley. There are vault toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables though. Great spot overall.
Thomas W.
4 reviews
Not recommend
· June 2019
Right next to Highway 80 (you can look up and see the freeway) - the freeway noise is unbearable! Woke up at 1am from the noise and just left - it was that bad.
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Susannah L.
6 years on Hipcamp
June 2019
The North Fork Campground sign is gone so if it's your first time going there it's the first camp on your right 6 miles up. There is no host on site and no stores near by so take everything you will need.
The Ranger does come by daily to stock vault toilet paper. That's it. We stayed in site #7 for 5 days and think it's one of the best sites, ground level and feets of the raging creek. It's a small family oriented campground with happy campers. The trail to the waterfall is just 1 mile between site 8 and 9. I would return again and highly recommend it. It has both lots of shade and sunny areas.
Although I love site #7 it is very rocky. I don't have trouble walking but kept tripping over the rocks. It may be tricky for some folks.
Natalie Carmen R.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· February 2019
Fun!
Suzanne A.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· December 2018
Last minute reservations are often possible here and the proximity to the Yuba is decent.
Brittney R.
8 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· December 2018
A nice site for family camping. Lots of trails and off roading adventures to be had!!
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Terri G.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2018
Amazing for backpacking!
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Kaylene R.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2018
No potable water available at this campground. The spout was totally dry! Glad we brought our own water for washing up.
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Sophear O.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2018
Absolutely loved this campground and can't wait to go back. Camping is free and the camping spots are large with room for multiple people and have fire pits and bear boxes, as well as vault bathrooms. The view from the top of the ridge is gorgeous and there are multiple hiking trails with access to multiple small mountain lakes great for swimming and/or SUPing. Free range cows sometimes walk through the campground, you'll hear their cowbells, we found the sound very calming/soothing. The access road to the site is about 6+ miles of unimproved/dirt, we were able to drive our 2WD Sprinter conversion in and out with no problems. It is also pet friendly! There are no trash bins, so pack in/pack out and leave no trace. Enjoy this wonderful site!
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Amanda S.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2018
Gorgeous spot! We visited at the beginning of the week in early September and we were the only ones there. The road is rough and 4wd vehicle with high clearance is highly recommended. Definitely going back.
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Bobby C.
6 years on Hipcamp
August 2018
Arrived here on a Friday morning in July, the campground was essentially empty! We were able to pick a large campsite right next to the meadow with plenty of shade. We have a wonderful weekend camping here. We spent most of our days at the creek swimming, evenings were spent watching the hundreds of butterflies and dragonflies over the meadow. The campground did fill up later on Friday but even then there were empty spots on Saturday. I will definitely return!
Nicole P.
4 reviews
July 2018
Tried to drive to Carr lake. Found out PG&E closed road aout 1/2 mile from lake.
Bummer for this old man
Miguel U.
6 years on Hipcamp
July 2018
This campground is very pretty, lots of trees and foliage. Do not bring large RVs here, tight turns, trees and overgrown foliage makes it hard to navigate. We camped in #10, which is a drive- through site. We scratched the side of our 28' trailer and had to jockey it around to get it parked and then out again. Not too noisy on the river side of the grounds. Pit toilets were not well taken care of. No dump station for RVs. We camped 7/20 -22/ 2018. The river was very nice for swimming. We felt it was a little high. Overall I'd give it 3 stars.
Paul S.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2018
I wish I could keep this to myself. This one is a gem. Easy-ish hikes to waterfalls crisp clear running water, and the tastiest spring water you will ever find at a campsite.
Kristi F.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· February 2018
Lovely, but close together. Try to get a space near the water and nowhere near the bathrooms or people will walk through your site. It's a thing.
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Danielle W.
7 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· February 2018
Lots of bees and hikers walking through.
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Bobby N.
7 years on Hipcamp
January 2018
Was fortunate enough to book this for a January 2018 winter camp out (high demand took over 2 years to get a reservation). It was our first time and was by far one of the coolest places. Awesome views and so pretty in a snow storm. Fire Tower had cell phone service (not sure if that’s good or bad) & was surprisingly well stocked with all kinds of items including: gas heater, gas stove, & gas lights (gas is provided), Dishes, cookware, sink, comfy 6” mattress pads, and a variety of knick knacks like books, games, etc. Couple items that were not included: a shovel for the snow/ice on stairs (salt is provided), a head lamp, spare mantles for gas lanterns, matches, & plenty of water. Also: there are 2 gate codes that you need to call to get.
Brandon & Marsha E.
10 reviews
Recommends
· November 2017
Bring fun water gear!
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Sydney S.
7 years on Hipcamp
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- Tahoe National Forest