Packsaddle

Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 3.6 out of 5 (46 reviews)

Season: May through October

Packsaddle Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, north of the Yuba River. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking.

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

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

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

Packsaddle offers 16 spacious sites near Packer Lake with excellent access to hiking, mountain biking, and fishing in the Sierra Buttes area. Google reviewers praise the big sites, proximity to amazing trails and lakes, and location near Downieville.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear present in area — use bear boxes. Also: American Mink, Long-eared Chipmunk, Mountain Bluebird, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Common Sagebrush Lizard, Sierra Garter Snake.

Insider tips for Packsaddle: Book early — this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly Bring your own water containers; only one water spout serves the entire campground Equestrian sites available near horse stalls if you're bringing horses Check bear box condition before settling in; some reported as rundown

Skip Packsaddle if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at sites. You require modern facilities — only vault toilets and one water spout for all 16 sites. You're visiting outside May-October — campground closed seasonally. You have a non-self-contained RV — only suitable for self-contained vehicles.

Best time to visit Packsaddle: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only. Summer — Peak season for hiking, mountain biking, and fishing activities.

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

Cell Phone Coverage at Packsaddle

Cell signal at Packsaddle (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

Packsaddle

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 3.6 (46 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Packsaddle Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, north of the Yuba River. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesBackpackersSites: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 RV100 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsBoat Launch

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 at sites✕ You require modern facilities — only vault toilets and one water spout for all 16 sites✕ You're visiting outside May-October — campground closed seasonally✕ You have a non-self-contained RV — only suitable for self-contained vehicles

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground that fills quickly

Bring your own water containers; only one water spout serves the entire campground

Equestrian sites available near horse stalls if you're bringing horses

Check bear box condition before settling in; some reported as rundown

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Best: Summer

Peak season for hiking, mountain biking, and fishing activities

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 — use bear boxes. Also: American Mink, Long-eared Chipmunk, Mountain Bluebird, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Common Sagebrush Lizard, Sierra Garter Snake.

Location

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

From Sierra City, travel north (east) on Highway 49 for 5 miles. Turn left at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to Packer Lake Road and turn left. Go less than a mile and turn right on Packer Lake Road. Continue for about 2.5 miles and turn left into the campground. From Sierraville, travel south (west) on Highway 49 for about 17 miles. Turn left at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to Packer Lake Road and turn left. Go less than

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 Packsaddle cost per night?+
Packsaddle costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Packsaddle open?+
Packsaddle is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Packsaddle have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Packsaddle?+
Packsaddle can accommodate RVs up to 100 feet.
How do I make reservations at Packsaddle?+
Packsaddle 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 Packsaddle?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Packsaddle is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Packsaddle open, and what are check-in times?+
Packsaddle 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★ 3.6 (46)
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 Packsaddle cost per night?+
What season is Packsaddle open?+
Does Packsaddle have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Berger

Camptonville, CA

From $18/night

Sardine Lake

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Salmon Creek

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Lakes Basin

BLAIRSDEN, CA

From $36/night

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