Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (2 reviews)

Season: May through October

Bullards Bar Reservoir is located on the North Yuba River at an elevation of 2000 feet. It is located approximately 21 miles north of Nevada City, California. It has a maximum surface area of 4,760 acres and a length of over 16 miles and shoreline of more than 60 miles.

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

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

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/madrone-cove-boat-in-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Boat-in campground on Bullards Bar Reservoir with 10 tent sites offering fishing, boating, and water sports access. Located at 2,000 feet elevation on the North Yuba River with over 60 miles of shoreline.

Wildlife alert: Mountain Lion, American Black Bear, Western Gray Squirrel, Humboldt's Flying Squirrel, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Calliope Hummingbird, American Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, California King Snake

Insider tips for Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground: Book early as this is a federal campground with only 10 sites Visit early in the season (May-July) when water levels are higher to avoid steep uphill walks High-clearance vehicle recommended; roads to the campground are overgrown with low clearance

Skip Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground if: You need hookups - no hookups available. You're visiting late season (August-September) when water levels drop significantly. You have low-clearance vehicles - access roads have tight clearance.

Best time to visit Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground: May-October — Federal campground operates seasonally May through October only. Early season (May-July) — Water levels are higher; late season (August-September) results in low water levels requiring 200+ foot walks uphill to access.

Nearby campgrounds: Garden Point Boat-In Campground (Camptonville, CA), Dark Day Campground (Nevada City, CA), Schoolhouse Campground (Ca) (Nevada City, CA), Cottage Creek Campground (Ca) (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground

Cell signal at Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground (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, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 2.5 (2 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Bullards Bar Reservoir is located on the North Yuba River at an elevation of 2000 feet. It is located approximately 21 miles north of Nevada City, California. It has a maximum surface area of 4,760 acres and a length of over 16 miles and shoreline of more than 60 miles.

Best for:AnglersBoatersFamiliesSites: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
HookupsNo hookups.
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

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 hookups - no hookups available✕ You're visiting late season (August-September) when water levels drop significantly✕ You have low-clearance vehicles - access roads have tight clearance

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 10 sites

Visit early in the season (May-July) when water levels are higher to avoid steep uphill walks

High-clearance vehicle recommended; roads to the campground are overgrown with low clearance

Best: May-October

Federal campground operates seasonally May through October only

Best: Early season (May-July)

Water levels are higher; late season (August-September) results in low water levels requiring 200+ foot walks uphill to access

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: Mountain Lion, American Black Bear, Western Gray Squirrel, Humboldt's Flying Squirrel, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Calliope Hummingbird, American Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, California King Snake

Location

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

From Nevada City, travel approximately 20 miles on Highway 49 to Marysville Road. Turn left onto Marysville Road travel approximately 3 miles to the Dark Day Boat Launch ramp for launching or travel approximately 7 miles to Emerald Cove Marina and launch at the boat ramp there.

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 Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground cost per night?+
Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground open?+
Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground?+
Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground?+
Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground 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 Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
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.

$24 /night★ 2.5 (2)
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 Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground cost per night?+
What season is Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground open?+
Does Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Garden Point Boat-In Campground

Camptonville, CA

From $24/night

Dark Day Campground

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Schoolhouse Campground (Ca)

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Cottage Creek Campground (Ca)

Nevada City, CA

From $48/night

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