U.S. Forest Service · Tahoe National Forest · Nevada City, CA

Sierra

Sierra Campground is located on the north bank of the North Yuba River between Sierra City and Yuba Pass. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning.

Reservable · Recreation.gov16 sites80 ft maxPets okFires okTents only

More like this: reservable in California · big rigs in California · tent only in California · pets allowed in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Fall Colors near Sierra CampgroundCampsite along the north fork yuba riverNorth Fork Yuba River at Sierra campgroundNorth Fork of the Yuba River
Photos courtesy of CReed, TNF · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Tent-only16
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

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

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFires
001Back-in92GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
002Back-in62GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
003Back-in40GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
004Back-in20GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
005Back-in31GravelPartial6 / 2Yes
006Back-in27GravelPartial6 / 2Yes
007Back-in42GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
008Back-in42GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
009Back-in34GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
010Back-in30GravelPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length80 ft
EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground offers single-family tent-only sites. Each site has a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets are provided.

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

Season & status

ForestTahoe National Forest
BookingThis site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777), or on-line at www.recreation.gov
Fees$20 per site $5 for extra vehicle
RulesCamping outside designated campground is prohibited in this area

Tahoe National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Sierra30°40°50°60°70°January: 4.16 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowFebruary: 3.93 inches of precipitation, 7.6 inches of snowMarch: 3.57 inches of precipitation, 6.4 inches of snowApril: 1.55 inches of precipitation, 1.8 inches of snowMay: 1.15 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJune: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.34 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.44 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 1.07 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowNovember: 2.03 inches of precipitation, 2.4 inches of snowDecember: 4.28 inches of precipitation, 7.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.1°F averageFebruary: 33.7°F averageMarch: 38.4°F averageApril: 43.4°F averageMay: 51.0°F averageJune: 58.7°F averageJuly: 65.5°F averageAugust: 63.9°F averageSeptember: 58.0°F averageOctober: 48.1°F averageNovember: 38.3°F averageDecember: 30.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Portola, 13 miles from the campground at 4,850 feet, station USC00047085 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 23 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 38 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Sierra City travel north on Highway 49, for about 7 miles the campground is on the right side of the road. From Sierraville travel south on Highway 49, for 15 miles the campground is on the left side of the road.

Nearest townNevada City, California
Coordinates39.6317° N, 120.5578° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

No Show Policy A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). No-show customers are only recorded at staffed facilities. At most remote facilities, all customers are noted as automatically checked-in on the date of arrival. It is recommended that staffed facilities hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. It is recommended that staffed facilities hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation if the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit some or all of the recreation fees. There is no change fee if the customer changes campsites that are the same price and on the same reservation dates in the same campground. If the campsite the customer is changing to has a price difference, the customer will be responsible for any additional fees or be provided with a refund, based on the price difference.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗21.8 mi
Outdoor gearUpcycled Adventures ↗25.7 mi
RV sales & serviceDeMartini RV Sales ↗38.6 mi

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

Explore

Video

Sierra Campground - Tahoe National Forest, CA

Worth a stop

Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals, lodging, and a restaurant. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the basin. A developed boat ramp is located at Gold Lake and accomodates launching of larger boats. Over 30 miles of maintained trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack branch out across the area and the Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed at a few spots in the Lakes Basin area. The historic towns of Sierra City and Downieville offer historic and cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, churches, and vistor information.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.8 mi
    Chapman Creek
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    Howard ↗
    5.6 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.1 mi
    Fifty-Four Road ↗
    12.7 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.1 mi
    Gold Lake Highway ↗
    6 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.9 mi
    Bear Trap Meadow ↗
    5 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.9 mi
    Packer Lake Snowmobile Tr
    2.9 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski

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 Tahoe National Forest, which overlaps 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The campground is situated between the highway and the creek-sized North Yuba River in a forest of mature fir trees. Many sites overlook the river.

Recreation

A large network of trails is available in the area, including the Pacific Crest Trail. Boating, fishing, and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes, about 5 miles from the campground. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals.

Guidebooks for California

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Sierra?

Sites at Sierra are reservable on Recreation.gov. This site can be reserved by calling Toll Free 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777), or on-line at www.recreation.gov Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Sierra?

$20 per site $5 for extra vehicle

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Sierra?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Sierra have?

16 sites, including 16 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Sierra?

Recreation.gov lists no practical vehicle capacity limit for the largest site here, which usually means pull-through or open parking. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Sierra?

Yes, pets are allowed at Sierra. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Sierra?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. Camping outside designated campground is prohibited in this area

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Sierra?

A large network of trails is available in the area, including the Pacific Crest Trail. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Sierra?

Nevada City, California. Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking.

Source: Getting there

What if Sierra is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Chapman (0.7 mi), Salmon Creek (3 mi), and Sardine Lake (3.3 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby