Carlton

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (49 reviews)

Season: May through October

Carlton Campground is located along the North Yuba River, adjacent to Highway 49 and 13 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.The North Yuba River offers swimming, wading and rainbow trout fishing.

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/carlton to be notified when sites open up.

Carlton Campground sits along the North Yuba River with excellent access to fishing, swimming, and a network of hiking trails. The location offers diverse recreational activities including boating, water sports, and hunting in the Tahoe National Forest.

Wildlife alert: North American River Otters and Ringtails present in area. Waterside camping may encounter American Dippers, Wood Ducks, and Common Mergansers. Sierra Garter Snakes and Northern Alligator Lizards also documented within 8km.

Insider tips for Carlton: Book early - this is a popular federal campground with only 17 sites North Yuba River offers rainbow trout fishing and seasonal rafting/kayaking opportunities Bring your own water system - no hookups available, suitable for self-contained RVs only

Skip Carlton if: You need RV hookups - none available at this campground. You're visiting November through April - seasonal closure. You prefer larger campgrounds - only 17 total sites available.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Cal-Ida (Nevada City, CA), Fiddle Creek (Nevada City, CA), Indian Valley (Nevada City, CA), Ramshorn (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Carlton

Cell signal at Carlton (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

Carlton

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 4 (49 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Carlton Campground is located along the North Yuba River, adjacent to Highway 49 and 13 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.The North Yuba River offers swimming, wading and rainbow trout fishing.

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
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
PetsAllowed
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 - none available at this campground✕ You're visiting November through April - seasonal closure✕ You prefer larger campgrounds - only 17 total sites available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early - this is a popular federal campground with only 17 sites

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

Bring your own water system - no hookups available, suitable for self-contained RVs only

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 Otters and Ringtails present in area. Waterside camping may encounter American Dippers, Wood Ducks, and Common Mergansers. Sierra Garter Snakes and Northern Alligator Lizards also 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 just over 13 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway. From Nevada City, travel north on Highway 49 for just under 30 miles. The campground is on the right 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 Carlton cost per night?+
Carlton costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Carlton open?+
Carlton is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Carlton have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Carlton?+
Carlton is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Carlton?+
Carlton 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 Carlton?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Carlton is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Carlton open, and what are check-in times?+
Carlton is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
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●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★ 4 (49)
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 Carlton cost per night?+
What season is Carlton open?+
Does Carlton have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cal-Ida

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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