Salmon Creek

Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $24 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (82 reviews)

Season: May through October

Salmon Creek Campground is located in the North Yuba River area. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.A large network of trails is available in the area, including Tamarack Lake and Deer Lake Trails and the Pacific Crest Trail.

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/salmon-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Salmon Creek offers excellent access to North Yuba River recreation with a wide network of trails including the Pacific Crest Trail, plus boating and fishing at nearby Sardine Lakes. Campers praise it as "one of the best spots" with breathtaking scenery and peaceful atmosphere.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, American Mink, Long-eared Chipmunk, Douglas' Squirrel, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Sierra Garter Snake, and Common Sagebrush Lizard verified in area.

Insider tips for Salmon Creek: Book early — this is a popular federal campground Fill drinking water at the spring down the road if concerned about water quality RVs need to be self-contained; no hookups available at most sites

Skip Salmon Creek if: You require shower facilities. Your RV needs hookups (water, electric, sewer). You're visiting outside May-October season.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Sardine Lake (Nevada City, CA), Diablo (Nevada City, CA), Packsaddle (Nevada City, CA), Sierra (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Salmon Creek

Cell signal at Salmon 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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CamperWatch›CA›Salmon Creek
Salmon Creek — photo 1
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Salmon Creek — photo 3
Tahoe National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Salmon Creek

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 4.2 (82 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Salmon Creek Campground is located in the North Yuba River area. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.A large network of trails is available in the area, including Tamarack Lake and Deer Lake Trails and the Pacific Crest Trail.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites: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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
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 require shower facilities✕ Your RV needs hookups (water, electric, sewer)✕ You're visiting outside May-October season

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground

Fill drinking water at the spring down the road if concerned about water quality

RVs need to be self-contained; no hookups available at most sites

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: American Black Bear, American Mink, Long-eared Chipmunk, Douglas' Squirrel, White-headed Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, Sierra Garter Snake, and Common Sagebrush Lizard verified in area.

Location

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

From Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for 18 miles to Bassetts. Turn right and continue two miles to the campground, which is on the left side of the highway. From Sierra City, travel north on Highway 49 for 5 miles. Turn left at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile, campground is on the left just past Packer Lake Road.

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 Salmon Creek cost per night?+
Salmon Creek costs $24 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Salmon Creek open?+
Salmon Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Salmon Creek have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Salmon Creek?+
Salmon Creek can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Salmon Creek?+
Salmon 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 Salmon Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Salmon Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Salmon Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Salmon Creek 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★ 4.2 (82)
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 Salmon Creek cost per night?+
What season is Salmon Creek open?+
Does Salmon Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Sardine Lake

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Diablo

Nevada City, CA

From $18/night

Packsaddle

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

Sierra

Nevada City, CA

From $18/night

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