Cal-Ida

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 3.4 out of 5 (23 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cal-Ida Campground is located on Highway 49, across the road from the North Yuba River and 13 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, fishing, biking and enjoying the cool waters of the North Yuba River. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cal-ida to be notified when sites open up.

Cal-Ida offers riverside access to the North Yuba River with recreational activities including fishing, swimming, and hiking. The campground is operated by Tahoe National Forest and located on Highway 49, 13 miles from Downieville.

Wildlife alert: North American River Otter and ringtail mammals present in area; American Dipper, Wood Duck, and Common Merganser birds documented within 8km.

Insider tips for Cal-Ida: Book early as this is a federal campground with limited availability North Yuba River offers rainbow trout fishing and seasonal rafting/kayaking opportunities Only 12 sites total; suitable for self-contained RVs only with no hookups available

Skip Cal-Ida if: You need RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites. You plan to visit November through April - seasonal closure. You prefer larger campgrounds - only 12 sites available.

Best time to visit Cal-Ida: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Carlton (Nevada City, CA), Fiddle Creek (Nevada City, CA), Indian Valley (Nevada City, CA), Ramshorn (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cal-Ida

Cell signal at Cal-Ida (Nevada City, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cal-Ida

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 3.4 (23 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cal-Ida Campground is located on Highway 49, across the road from the North Yuba River and 13 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, fishing, biking and enjoying the cool waters of the North Yuba River. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV30 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites✕ You plan to visit November through April - seasonal closure✕ You prefer larger campgrounds - only 12 sites available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with limited availability

North Yuba River offers rainbow trout fishing and seasonal rafting/kayaking opportunities

Only 12 sites total; suitable for self-contained RVs only with no hookups available

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: North American River Otter and ringtail mammals present in area; American Dipper, Wood Duck, and Common Merganser birds documented within 8km.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(530)478-6253· Tahoe National Forest
Getting there →

From Downieville, travel south on Highway 49 for about 13 miles. The campground is on the right side of the highway. From Nevada City, travel north on Highway 49 for about 31 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Tahoe National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Tahoe National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cal-Ida cost per night?+
Cal-Ida costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Cal-Ida open?+
Cal-Ida is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cal-Ida have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Cal-Ida?+
Cal-Ida can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cal-Ida?+
Cal-Ida is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cal-Ida?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cal-Ida is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cal-Ida open, and what are check-in times?+
Cal-Ida is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$24 /night★ 3.4 (23)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cal-Ida cost per night?+
What season is Cal-Ida open?+
Does Cal-Ida have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Carlton

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Fiddle Creek

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Indian Valley

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Ramshorn

Nevada City, CA

From $20/night

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Cal-Ida — Tahoe National Forest | CamperWatch