Cottonwood Creek

Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: SIERRAVILLE, CA, CA

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (83 reviews)

Season: May through October

Cottonwood Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, four miles south of Sierraville. Its location makes it a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by Lake Tahoe Hospitality LLC for the Tahoe National Forest.The campground offers several single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.

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

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

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

Federal campground in Tahoe National Forest offering excellent base camp for fishing, hunting, hiking, and biking with well-maintained facilities and family-oriented atmosphere.

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

Insider tips for Cottonwood Creek: Book early — this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly. Request larger sites or book two adjacent sites if camping with groups, as some sites are small. Bring a self-contained RV as there are no hookups available.

Skip Cottonwood Creek if: You need RV hookups — facility has no hookups.. You're visiting outside May through October — campground is seasonally closed.. You prefer spacious individual campsites — some sites are noted as small..

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

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Cottonwood Creek

Cell signal at Cottonwood 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, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cottonwood Creek

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SIERRAVILLE, CA, CA★ 4.2 (83 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Cottonwood Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, four miles south of Sierraville. Its location makes it a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by Lake Tahoe Hospitality LLC for the Tahoe National Forest.The campground offers several single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites: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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
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 need RV hookups — facility has no hookups.✕ You're visiting outside May through October — campground is seasonally closed.✕ You prefer spacious individual campsites — some sites are noted as small.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly.

Request larger sites or book two adjacent sites if camping with groups, as some sites are small.

Bring a self-contained RV as there are no hookups available.

Best: May through 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 surrounding area.

Location

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

From Truckee, travel north on Highway 80 to Highway 89 approximately 20 miles to the campground. From Sierraville, travel approximately 5 miles south on Hwy 89, the campground will be 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 Cottonwood Creek cost per night?+
Cottonwood Creek costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Cottonwood Creek open?+
Cottonwood Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cottonwood Creek have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood Creek?+
Cottonwood Creek can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Cottonwood Creek?+
Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cottonwood Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cottonwood Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Cottonwood Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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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.

$20 /night★ 4.2 (83)
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 Cottonwood Creek cost per night?+
What season is Cottonwood Creek open?+
Does Cottonwood Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cold Creek

SIERRAVILLE, CA

From $16/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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