North Fork (Ca)

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Camptonville, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (97 reviews)

Season: May through October

North Fork Campground is located along the North Fork of the North Fork American River in the Tahoe National Forest, off of Interstate 80, at the Emigrant Gap Exit. Visitors enjoy fishing and swimming in this scenic area.The campground offers single-family sites, a few of which are designated for tent camping only. Each site is 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, Fishing

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

North Fork Campground offers scenic riverside camping along the North Fork American River in Tahoe National Forest with excellent fishing and swimming opportunities. Campers praise it as a beautiful, quiet, and peaceful destination with spacious tent sites and friendly camp hosts.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear present in area. Also: Canada Goose, American Dipper, Peregrine Falcon, Mountain Chickadee, Southern Alligator Lizard, Sierra Garter Snake, Mountain Garter Snake.

Insider tips for North Fork (Ca): Book early — this is a popular federal campground Some sites are very close to the river with a swimming hole a short walk away A few secluded and private sites available if you arrive early

Skip North Fork (Ca) if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs. You're visiting outside May through October — seasonal operations only. You prefer larger campgrounds — only 16 sites total.

Best time to visit North Fork (Ca): May through October — Official operating season for the campground.

Nearby campgrounds: Tunnel Mills Ii (Camptonville, CA), Indian Springs (Nevada City, CA), Big Bend Group (Yuba River) (Nevada City, CA), Skillman (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at North Fork (Ca)

Cell signal at North Fork (Ca) (Camptonville, 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›North Fork (Ca)
North Fork (Ca) — photo 1
North Fork (Ca) — photo 2
North Fork (Ca) — photo 3
See all photos
Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

North Fork (Ca)

Share:
Camptonville, CA, CA★ 4.5 (97 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

North Fork Campground is located along the North Fork of the North Fork American River in the Tahoe National Forest, off of Interstate 80, at the Emigrant Gap Exit. Visitors enjoy fishing and swimming in this scenic area.The campground offers single-family sites, a few of which are designated for tent camping only. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.

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 RV50 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
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 — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You're visiting outside May through October — seasonal operations only✕ You prefer larger campgrounds — only 16 sites total

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground

Some sites are very close to the river with a swimming hole a short walk away

A few secluded and private sites available if you arrive early

Best: May through 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: American Black Bear present in area. Also: Canada Goose, American Dipper, Peregrine Falcon, Mountain Chickadee, Southern Alligator Lizard, Sierra Garter Snake, Mountain Garter Snake.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-265-4531· Tahoe National Forest
Getting there →

From east bound Interstate 80 take exit 158A or west bound Interstate 80 take exit 158B south to Emigrant Gap. After exiting the interstate take a right on Texas Hill Road towards Emigrant Gap. Continue on Texas Hill Road for about 6.5 miles and turn right into 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 North Fork (Ca) cost per night?+
North Fork (Ca) costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is North Fork (Ca) open?+
North Fork (Ca) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does North Fork (Ca) have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at North Fork (Ca)?+
North Fork (Ca) can accommodate RVs up to 60 feet.
How do I make reservations at North Fork (Ca)?+
North Fork (Ca) 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 North Fork (Ca)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at North Fork (Ca) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is North Fork (Ca) open, and what are check-in times?+
North Fork (Ca) 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★ 4.5 (97)
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 North Fork (Ca) cost per night?+
What season is North Fork (Ca) open?+
Does North Fork (Ca) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Tunnel Mills Ii

Camptonville, CA

From $99/night

Indian Springs

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Big Bend Group (Yuba River)

Nevada City, CA

From $95/night

Skillman

Nevada City, CA

From $18/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$24 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability