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

Indian Valley

Indian Valley Campground is located alongside the North Yuba River just off Highway 49, about 11 miles west of Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, white water boating, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Whitewater Rafting, North Fork Yuba RiverSummer CampersIndian Valley CampgroundView of Campsites
Photos courtesy of TNF · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups16
Host/management1
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-in20PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
002Back-in40PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
003Back-in35PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
004Back-in35PavedPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
005Back-in35PavedPartialRiverfront6 / 2Yes
006Back-in35PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
007Back-inPavedPartial6 / 2Yes
008Back-in30PavedPartial6 / 2Yes
009Back-in30PavedPartial12 / 4Yes
010Back-in40PavedPartial6 / 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

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

The campground offers both single and double family campsites. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

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

Season & status

SeasonApril 17 to October 15
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$24 per site $5 for extra vehicle

Tahoe National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Indian Valley40°50°60°70°January: 14.69 inches of precipitation, 17.7 inches of snowFebruary: 13.71 inches of precipitation, 19.4 inches of snowMarch: 12.83 inches of precipitation, 17.1 inches of snowApril: 6.39 inches of precipitation, 8.1 inches of snowMay: 4.00 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJune: 1.23 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.02 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.20 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.50 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 4.10 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowNovember: 8.60 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowDecember: 16.25 inches of precipitation, 15.1 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 40.7°F averageFebruary: 40.9°F averageMarch: 43.4°F averageApril: 47.1°F averageMay: 54.7°F averageJune: 62.2°F averageJuly: 68.6°F averageAugust: 68.0°F averageSeptember: 64.1°F averageOctober: 55.4°F averageNovember: 45.7°F averageDecember: 40.1°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Strawberry Valley, 7 miles from the campground at 3,808 feet, station USC00048606 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 83 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 82 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, April 17 to October 15.

Getting there

From Downieville, take Highway 49 south for about 11 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway. From Nevada City, take Highway 49 north for just over 30 miles. The campground is on the right side of the highway.

Nearest townNevada City, California
Coordinates39.5137° N, 120.9835° 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

RV sales & serviceDeMartini RV Sales ↗20.5 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗24.4 mi
Outdoor gearUpcycled Adventures ↗39.4 mi

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

Explore

Video

Indian Valley Campground - Middleville, MI

Worth a stop

Indian Valley Campground is located on the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway (Highway 49) near many gold rush era historical sites and old mining towns such as Camptonville, Goodyears Bar, and Downieville. Many points of interest lie along Highway 49 and are part of the 49 miles of Highway 49 driving tour; look for interpretive signs and other historical sites along this tour route. Other attractions include the North Yuba River, Indian Valley Outpost, New Bullards Bar Reservoir, Downieville, and a network of miles of motorcycle singletrack.

  • 0.3 mi
    North Yuba ↗
    15.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Fiddle Creek Ridge ↗
    5.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle
  • 1.5 mi
    Canyon Creek
    4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Cal-Ida Mc ↗
    17.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Halls Ranch ↗
    5.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 2.6 mi
    Cherokee ATV
    3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

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 →

Tahoe National Forest begins about 0.8 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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 sits on the north bank of the North Yuba River. Tumbled rock piles from early gold dredging activity are scattered around the campground. A forest of oak, fir, pine and madrone trees provides ample shade. Many sites have views of the river.

Recreation

The North Yuba River offers swimming, wading, and rainbow trout fishing. Seasonal rafting, kayaking and tubing are also popular water activities. A network of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singeltrack criss-crosses the surrounding area including the Yuba River, Halls Ranch, and Butcher Ranch trails and the Downieville Downhill.

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 Indian Valley?

Sites at Indian Valley 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 Indian Valley?

$24 per site $5 for extra vehicle

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Indian Valley?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Indian Valley have?

17 sites, including 16 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Indian Valley?

The longest site here provides 40 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 Indian Valley?

Yes, pets are allowed at Indian Valley. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Indian Valley?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Indian Valley?

The North Yuba River offers swimming, wading, and rainbow trout fishing. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Indian Valley?

Nevada City, California. Indian Valley Campground is located on the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway (Highway 49) near many gold rush era historical sites and old mining towns such as Camptonville, Goodyears Bar, and Downieville.

Source: Getting there

What if Indian Valley is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Rocky Rest (0.3 mi), Fiddle Creek (0.6 mi), and Cal-Ida (0.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby