Fiddle Creek

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (27 reviews)

Season: May through October

Fiddle Creek Campground is located alongside the North Yuba River, just off Highway 49, about 12 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing and mountain biking. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.This location is unstaffed.

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

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

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

Fiddle Creek is located alongside the North Yuba River with excellent water recreation opportunities including swimming, fishing, and seasonal rafting. The campground offers accessibility features with paths and ramps to the water, and clean facilities.

Wildlife alert: North American River Otter, Ringtail, American Dipper, Wood Duck, Common Merganser, Sierra Garter Snake, and Northern Alligator Lizard verified in the area.

Insider tips for Fiddle Creek: Book early — this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly Water levels can rise rapidly; check conditions before planning water activities Accessible campground with paths and ramps to water for those with physical limitations

Skip Fiddle Creek if: You prefer privacy and space between campsites — sites are close together. You need RV hookups — no hookups available. You want to avoid seasonal closures — operates May through October only.

Best time to visit Fiddle Creek: May-October — Official operating season for the campground.

Nearby campgrounds: Cal-Ida (Nevada City, CA), Indian Valley (Nevada City, CA), Ramshorn (Nevada City, CA), Dark Day Campground (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Fiddle Creek

Cell signal at Fiddle Creek (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

Fiddle Creek

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 4 (27 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Fiddle Creek Campground is located alongside the North Yuba River, just off Highway 49, about 12 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing and mountain biking. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.This location is unstaffed.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:Tent
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 RV15 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesBear Boxes
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

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 prefer privacy and space between campsites — sites are close together✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available✕ You want to avoid seasonal closures — operates May through October only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly

Water levels can rise rapidly; check conditions before planning water activities

Accessible campground with paths and ramps to water for those with physical limitations

Best: May-October

Official operating season for the campground

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, Ringtail, American Dipper, Wood Duck, Common Merganser, Sierra Garter Snake, and Northern Alligator Lizard verified in the area.

Location

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

From Downieville, travel south on Highway 49 for about 12 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway. From Nevada City, travel north on Highway 49 for 30 miles. The campground is on the right side of the higway.

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.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Fiddle Creek cost per night?+
Fiddle Creek costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Fiddle Creek open?+
Fiddle Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Fiddle Creek have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Fiddle Creek?+
Fiddle Creek can accommodate RVs up to 15 feet.
How do I make reservations at Fiddle Creek?+
Fiddle 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 Fiddle Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Fiddle Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Fiddle Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Fiddle Creek 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 (27)
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 Fiddle Creek cost per night?+
What season is Fiddle Creek open?+
Does Fiddle Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Cal-Ida

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Indian Valley

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Ramshorn

Nevada City, CA

From $20/night

Dark Day Campground

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

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