Skillman

Tahoe National Forest — riverside, hiking

Location: Nevada City, CA, CA

Price: From $18 per night

Price range: $18–$36 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (40 reviews)

Season: May through October

Skillman Campground has individual sites with enough room for parking trucks with trailers. Some of the sites have horse pens and water troughs for horses. It is located in the Tahoe National Forest near Nevada City and three historic mining towns.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables

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

Skillman offers excellent trail access with 25 miles of single-track hiking, biking, and horseback riding loops through Tahoe National Forest, plus convenient proximity to Nevada City and historic mining towns. Campers consistently praise the trail system and give it a 4.5/5 rating.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Great Gray Owl, and California Mountain Kingsnake present in area.

Insider tips for Skillman: Book early — it's a popular federal campground. Horse camping available with water troughs and pens; dispose of manure in designated dumpsters. Located near Interstate 80 exit 1 for convenient freeway access, though expect occasional truck noise at night.

Skip Skillman if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.. You require full-service amenities — only fire rings and picnic tables provided, pit toilets available.. You're visiting outside May-October — campground is seasonal..

Best time to visit Skillman: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only..

Nearby campgrounds: White Cloud (Camptonville, CA), North Fork (Ca) (Camptonville, CA), Tunnel Mills Ii (Camptonville, CA), Indian Springs (Nevada City, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Skillman

Cell signal at Skillman (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, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Skillman

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Nevada City, CA, CA★ 3.9 (40 reviews)From $18/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Skillman Campground has individual sites with enough room for parking trucks with trailers. Some of the sites have horse pens and water troughs for horses. It is located in the Tahoe National Forest near Nevada City and three historic mining towns.

Best for:HikersFamiliesSites: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 RV35 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables

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 most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.✕ You require full-service amenities — only fire rings and picnic tables provided, pit toilets available.✕ You're visiting outside May-October — campground is seasonal.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

it's a popular federal campground.

Horse camping available with water troughs and pens; dispose of manure in designated dumpsters.

Located near Interstate 80 exit 1 for convenient freeway access, though expect occasional truck noise at night.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months 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: American Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Great Gray Owl, and California Mountain Kingsnake present in area.

Location

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

From Nevada City, travel east on Highway 20 for 14 miles. Turn right at the Skillman Campground sign and then left at the first road intersection into the campground. From Interstate 80 take exit 161, Highway 20 to Nevada City and drive 13 miles west toward Nevada City. Turn left at the Skillman Campground sign and then turn left at the first road intersection 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 Skillman cost per night?+
Skillman costs $18–$36 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Skillman open?+
Skillman is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Skillman have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Skillman?+
Skillman can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet.
How do I make reservations at Skillman?+
Skillman 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 Skillman?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Skillman is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Skillman open, and what are check-in times?+
Skillman 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.

$18 /night★ 3.9 (40)
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 Skillman cost per night?+
What season is Skillman open?+
Does Skillman have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

White Cloud

Camptonville, CA

From $24/night

North Fork (Ca)

Camptonville, CA

From $24/night

Tunnel Mills Ii

Camptonville, CA

From $99/night

Indian Springs

Nevada City, CA

From $24/night

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