Diablo

Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $18 per night

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (36 reviews)

Season: May through October

Diablo Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, in northern California. It is north of the Yuba River and next to Packer Creek. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing and canoeing.

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

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

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

Diablo Campground offers peaceful creek-side camping with direct access to Packer Creek and nearby Sardine Lake. Reviewers praise clean facilities and the serene natural setting, with a 4.6/5 rating from 15 Google reviews.

Wildlife alert: American Mink, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Long-eared Chipmunk, Varied Thrush, Mountain Bluebird, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Common Sagebrush Lizard, and Sierra Garter Snake documented in the area.

Insider tips for Diablo: Book early as a federal campground with only 19 sites Campsites near Packer Creek offer direct stream access Bring a self-contained RV as no hookups are available

Skip Diablo if: You need RV hookups — this campground has none. You require year-round access — seasonal operations May-October only. Bathroom cleanliness is critical — reviews report inconsistent maintenance.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Berger (Camptonville, CA), Packsaddle (Nevada City, CA), Sardine Lake (Nevada City, CA), Salmon Creek (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Diablo

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

Diablo

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 4.1 (36 reviews)From $18/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Diablo Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, in northern California. It is north of the Yuba River and next to Packer Creek. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing and canoeing.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife 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 RV60 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesBoat Launch
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 — this campground has none✕ You require year-round access — seasonal operations May-October only✕ Bathroom cleanliness is critical — reviews report inconsistent maintenance

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as a federal campground with only 19 sites

Campsites near Packer Creek offer direct stream access

Bring a self-contained RV as no hookups are available

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 Mink, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Long-eared Chipmunk, Varied Thrush, Mountain Bluebird, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Common Sagebrush Lizard, and Sierra Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

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

From Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for 18 miles. Turn right at Bassett and continue just over a mile to the Sardine Lake turnoff. Turn right at Packer Lake/Forest Road 93 and continue to the campground. From Downieville, travel north on Highway 49 for about 18 miles. Turn left at Bassett and continue just over a mile to the Sardine Lake turnoff. Turn right at Packer Lake/Forest Road 93 and continue to the campground.

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 Diablo cost per night?+
Diablo costs $18 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Diablo open?+
Diablo is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Diablo have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Diablo?+
Diablo can accommodate RVs up to 60 feet.
How do I make reservations at Diablo?+
Diablo 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 Diablo?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Diablo is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Diablo open, and what are check-in times?+
Diablo 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.

$18 /night★ 4.1 (36)
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 Diablo cost per night?+
What season is Diablo open?+
Does Diablo have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Berger

Camptonville, CA

From $18/night

Packsaddle

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Sardine Lake

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Salmon Creek

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

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