U.S. Forest Service · Plumas National Forest · California

Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp

Snake Lake is located at approximately 3900 ft in elevation and is about 8 miles from the quaint town of Quincy, CA. Upon arriving, you are greeted by a mixed pine and fir forest as well as the shallow, lilly pad filled Snake Lake. Easy access to multi use trails can be found within the Snake Lake Basin.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov21 sitesFrom $15 per night25 ft maxNo hookupsPets ok

More like this: reservable in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Site mix

Standard, no hookups9
Equestrian8
Host/management4
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

8 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteShadeWater / sewerPeople / vehiclesFires
08PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
09PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
10PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
11PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
12PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
13PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
14PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes
15PartialNo / –8 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length25 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
FeesSites are $15 per day; maximum stay limit is 14 days in a calander year. Pay by cash or check using the provided fee envelopes or scan the QRCode and submit fees directly to REC.GOV (only works if the REC.gov app is already installed on your portable divice).
  • These improvements can be found at each campsite:
  • Fire pits
  • Picnic tables
  • Food storage locker
  • Vault toilets
  • For the equestrian users there is a small corral and a ADA mounting ramp
  • Please use certified weed-seed-free feed for horses
  • Please remove, scatter or bury manure piles left in corrals or while dispersed camping
  • Use the provided corrals or hitching posts to stage horses; use high lines with tree saver straps to protect trees and minimize impact while dispersed camping

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestPlumas National Forest
BookingNo reservations; first come first served. 17 campsites are in the multi-use campground for all campers. 8 sites have corrals for equestrian campers.
RulesHorses allowed overnight in equestrian campsites only. Watering horses at lake edge is prohibited for safety reasons. Water may be bucketed for horses at the spillway. Remove or scatter manure from the corrals and campsites. Please use "weed-seed-free-feed or pellets for horses. 14 day camping limit. 6 people per campsite. 2 vehicles per campsite. OHV riding is not allowed.

Plumas National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp30°40°50°60°70°January: 7.65 inches of precipitation, 5.8 inches of snowFebruary: 7.59 inches of precipitation, 7.6 inches of snowMarch: 6.66 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowApril: 3.14 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowMay: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.71 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.14 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 4.06 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowDecember: 7.32 inches of precipitation, 6.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 34.5°F averageFebruary: 38.0°F averageMarch: 42.6°F averageApril: 47.1°F averageMay: 54.7°F averageJune: 61.8°F averageJuly: 68.3°F averageAugust: 66.6°F averageSeptember: 61.1°F averageOctober: 50.9°F averageNovember: 40.3°F averageDecember: 34.2°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Quincy, 4 miles from the campground at 3,420 feet, station USC00047195 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 42 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 28 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates39.9739° N, 121.0154° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceReliable RV ↗36.1 mi
Outdoor gearREI ↗45.5 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

The hamlet town of Quincy hosts many activities during the warm summer months. Music festivals, the Plumas County Fair, and other random activities are within a quick drive from the campground.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Snake
    1 mi trail
  • 0.3 mi
    Smith Tie
    0.5 mi trail
  • 0.4 mi
    Smith Tie Spur
    0.2 mi trail
  • 0.6 mi
    Snake Tie Spur
    0.5 mi trail
  • 0.6 mi
    Gopher
    0.6 mi trail
  • 0.7 mi
    Wapaunsie
    1.3 mi trail

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Plumas National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

Snake Lake is a shallow reservoir that promotes the growth of Lilly Pads.

Recreation

This campground is a hub of activity and hosts staging areas for mountain biking, equestrian, and OHV use. Play hard and respect everyones rights and activies. This is one of the only campgrounds that has use access to forest roads directly from the campground.

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp?

Sites at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp are reservable on Recreation.gov. No reservations; first come first served. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp?

Sites are $15 per day; maximum stay limit is 14 days in a calander year. Pay by cash or check using the provided fee envelopes or scan the QRCode and submit fees directly to REC.GOV (only works if the REC.gov app is already installed on your portable divice).

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp have?

21 sites, including 9 standard sites without power and 8 equestrian sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp?

The longest site here provides 25 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp?

Yes, pets are allowed at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp?

This campground is a hub of activity and hosts staging areas for mountain biking, equestrian, and OHV use. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Meadow Camp (3.2 mi), Hallsted (4.3 mi), and Spanish Creek Campground (4.5 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby