Rocky Rest

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (31 reviews)

Season: May through October

Rocky Rest Campground is located off of Highway 49, in the North Yuba River area near Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, white water boating, and gold panning. 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, Fishing

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

Rocky Rest offers excellent access to the North Yuba River for swimming, fishing, and water activities, with a maintained 7.5-mile trail for hiking and biking right at the campground. Campers praise it as a clean, well-maintained spot with spectacular views and nearby river access.

Wildlife alert: North American River Otter, American Dipper, Wood Duck, and three garter snake species (Sierra, Mountain, and Halsbandnatter) verified in the area.

Insider tips for Rocky Rest: Book early—this is a popular federal campground that fills up. Come fully self-contained; no hookups available and nearby services/supplies are limited. Bring your own heat source; fire restrictions are common in this zone.

Skip Rocky Rest if: You need RV hookups—none are available at most sites.. You visit outside May-October—the campground is closed seasonally.. You require modern bathroom facilities—reviewers note the bathroom is not great..

Best time to visit Rocky Rest: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during this period only..

Nearby campgrounds: Indian Valley (Nevada City, CA), Fiddle Creek (Nevada City, CA), Cal-Ida (Nevada City, CA), Ramshorn (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Rocky Rest

Cell signal at Rocky Rest (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

Rocky Rest

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 3.9 (31 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Rocky Rest Campground is located off of Highway 49, in the North Yuba River area near Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, white water boating, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.This location is unstaffed.

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 RV30 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 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—none are available at most sites.✕ You visit outside May-October—the campground is closed seasonally.✕ You require modern bathroom facilities—reviewers note the bathroom is not great.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground that fills up.

Come fully self-contained; no hookups available and nearby services/supplies are limited.

Bring your own heat source; fire restrictions are common in this zone.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during this period 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: North American River Otter, American Dipper, Wood Duck, and three garter snake species (Sierra, Mountain, and Halsbandnatter) verified in the area.

Location

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

From Downieville, take Highway 49 south for about 11 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway. From Nevada City, take Highway 49 north for 31 miles. The campground is on the right side of the highway.

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 Rocky Rest cost per night?+
Rocky Rest costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Rocky Rest open?+
Rocky Rest is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Rocky Rest have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Rocky Rest?+
Rocky Rest can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Rocky Rest?+
Rocky Rest 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 Rocky Rest?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Rocky Rest is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Rocky Rest open, and what are check-in times?+
Rocky Rest 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★ 3.9 (31)
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 Rocky Rest cost per night?+
What season is Rocky Rest open?+
Does Rocky Rest have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Indian Valley

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Fiddle Creek

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Cal-Ida

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Ramshorn

Nevada City, CA

From $20/night

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