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

Skillman

Skillman Campground has individual sites with enough room for parking trucks with trailers. Some of the sites have horse pens and water troughs for horses. It is located in the Tahoe National Forest near Nevada City and three historic mining towns.

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Pioneer TrailPioneer TrailPioneer Traildogwood trees in the area
Photos courtesy of CReed, Forest Service · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups12
Equestrian5
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

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 35 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

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

SiteTypeEntrySurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFires
01StandardBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
02StandardBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
03StandardPartial6 / 2Yes
05StandardPartial6 / 2Yes
06StandardPartial6 / 2
07EquestrianBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
08StandardBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
09EquestrianBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
10StandardBack-inGravelPartial6 / 2Yes
11EquestrianBack-inGravelPartial6 / 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 length35 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Two horse pens are in sites 3,7,9,11,13, and 15. Water troughs are found in the campground. Site 4 is a double site and has 4 horse pens. Each single site can accommodate up to six people, four horses and two vehicles.

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

Season & status

SeasonMay 22 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

Tahoe National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Skillman30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 10.55 inches of precipitationFebruary: 10.06 inches of precipitationMarch: 8.95 inches of precipitationApril: 5.11 inches of precipitationMay: 4.11 inches of precipitationJune: 1.14 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.04 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.20 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.59 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.59 inches of precipitationNovember: 7.20 inches of precipitationDecember: 10.90 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 40.4°F averageFebruary: 39.0°F averageMarch: 41.5°F averageApril: 44.8°F averageMay: 53.1°F averageJune: 62.1°F averageJuly: 70.2°F averageAugust: 69.8°F averageSeptember: 65.1°F averageOctober: 55.5°F averageNovember: 45.1°F averageDecember: 39.2°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blue Canyon AP, 5 miles from the campground at 5,276 feet, station USW00023225 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 62 inches a year. The shaded span is the published season, May 22 to October 15.

Getting there

From Nevada City, travel east on Highway 20 for 14 miles. Turn right at the Skillman Campground sign and then left at the first road intersection into the campground. From Interstate 80 take exit 161, Highway 20 to Nevada City and drive 13 miles west toward Nevada City.

Nearest townNevada City, California
Coordinates39.3184° N, 120.7919° 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 ↗10.1 mi
RV sales & serviceDeMartini RV Sales ↗15.2 mi
Outdoor gearUpcycled Adventures ↗27 mi

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

Explore

Video

Skillman Horse Campground, Tahoe National Forest, California Campsite Photos

Worth a stop

Skillman Campground is located on the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway (Highway 20) near many gold rush era historical sites and old mining towns such as Washington and Nevada City. Nevada City, about 14 miles west, is a scenic historical mining town with many historical attractions, top notch restaraunts, various lodging options, shopping, and stores for everything you may need. Other attractions include the South Yuba River, Washintong Scenic Overlook, Alpha and Omega Scenic Overlook and Interpretive Trail, Rock Creek Nature Trail, Chalk Bluff OHV trails, and Grouse Ridge Non-Motorized Area.

  • 0.1 mi
    Hallelujah
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.2 mi
    Skillman Nordic
    0.8 mi trail · 4WD, snowshoe, ski
  • 0.2 mi
    Omega Overlook Mc Trail ↗
    4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.4 mi
    Towle Mill Loop Mc ↗
    12 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.5 mi
    Stanton
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Burlington Nordic ↗
    4.5 mi trail · 4WD, 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.

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 in a forest of dogwood, cedar and Douglas fir trees, at an elevation of 3,700 feet.

Recreation

The Pioneer Trail stretches 25 miles through the Tahoe National Forest and can be accessed from the campground. The popular trail was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2003. Horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing are favorite activities on this popular trail.

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 Skillman?

Sites at Skillman 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

What time is check-in at Skillman?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Skillman have?

17 sites, including 12 standard sites without power and 5 equestrian sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Skillman?

The longest site here provides 35 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 Skillman?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Skillman?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Skillman?

The Pioneer Trail stretches 25 miles through the Tahoe National Forest and can be accessed from the campground. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Skillman?

Nevada City, California. Skillman Campground is located on the Yuba Donner Scenic Byway (Highway 20) near many gold rush era historical sites and old mining towns such as Washington and Nevada City.

Source: Getting there

What if Skillman is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are White Cloud (2.9 mi), North Fork (7.9 mi), and Tunnel Mills II (8.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby