Cold Creek

Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: SIERRAVILLE, CA, CA

Price: From $16 per night

Rating: 3 out of 5 (12 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cold Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, 4.5 miles south of Sierraville, California. The facility location makes Cold Creek a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This is a small campground recommended for tent camping and small campers.

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

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

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

Small, secluded campground set against oak trees with a nearby creek, ideal for tent camping and small RVs. Great base camp for fishing, hiking, and biking on Highway 89 near Sierraville.

Wildlife alert: American Wolverine, Gray Wolf, Mountain Garter Snake, and various bird species including Sage Thrasher and Common Nighthawk documented in the area.

Insider tips for Cold Creek: Request a site closer to Cold Creek rather than highway-side to minimize road noise at night. Book early — this is a federal campground with only 13 sites and high demand. Bear boxes available on-site; campground has potable water and functioning bathrooms with running water.

Skip Cold Creek if: You have a large RV — turnaround exit is not suitable for large vehicles.. You need RV hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs.. You're sensitive to highway noise — some sites experience road noise from Highway 89..

Best time to visit Cold Creek: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only..

Nearby campgrounds: Cottonwood Creek (SIERRAVILLE, CA), Upper Little Truckee (SIERRAVILLE, CA), Sardine Peak Lookout (Sierraville, CA), Yuba Pass Campground (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cold Creek

Cell signal at Cold Creek (SIERRAVILLE, 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 — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cold Creek

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SIERRAVILLE, CA, CA★ 3 (12 reviews)From $16/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cold Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, 4.5 miles south of Sierraville, California. The facility location makes Cold Creek a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This is a small campground recommended for tent camping and small campers.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites: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.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
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 have a large RV — turnaround exit is not suitable for large vehicles.✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available; only suitable for self-contained RVs.✕ You're sensitive to highway noise — some sites experience road noise from Highway 89.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Request a site closer to Cold Creek rather than highway-side to minimize road noise at night.

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 13 sites and high demand.

Bear boxes available on-site; campground has potable water and functioning bathrooms with running water.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months 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: American Wolverine, Gray Wolf, Mountain Garter Snake, and various bird species including Sage Thrasher and Common Nighthawk documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(530) 994-3401· Tahoe National Forest
Getting there →

From Truckee, California, take Highway 80 north to Highway 89 approximately 20 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway. From Sierraville, head south on Highway 89 approximately 5 miles, the campground will be 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 Cold Creek cost per night?+
Cold Creek costs $16 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Cold Creek open?+
Cold Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cold Creek have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Cold Creek?+
Cold Creek can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cold Creek?+
Cold Creek 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 Cold Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cold Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cold Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Cold Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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.

$16 /night★ 3 (12)
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 Cold Creek cost per night?+
What season is Cold Creek open?+
Does Cold Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cottonwood Creek

SIERRAVILLE, CA

From $20/night

Upper Little Truckee

SIERRAVILLE, CA

From $22/night

Sardine Peak Lookout

Sierraville, CA

From $75/night

Yuba Pass Campground

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

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Cold Creek — Tahoe National Forest | CamperWatch