Tahoe National Forest is an 871,495-acre forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It includes portions of Nevada County, El Dorado County, Placer County, Plumas County, Sierra County, and Yuba County. The largest portion of it is in Sierra County. However, the Tahoe National Forest supervisor's office is in Nevada City.

A 2002 study by the Forest Service identified nearly 84,000 acres of the forest as old growth. The forest is full of popular locations for camping and hiking.

Places

American River Ranger District

Big Reservoir Area

Big Reservoir is in Placer County. Its elevation is 4,000 feet.

• Big Reservoir Campground—18 sites, vault toilets, piped water, RV waste station, on Big Reservoir (no motorboats allowed)
• Morning Star Lake Campground—100 sites, on Morning Star Lake

French Meadows Reservoir Area

French Meadows Reservoir from French Meadows Campground in Placer County. Photo by queerbychoice. French Meadows Reservoir is in Placer County. Its elevation is 5,263 feet.

• Ahart Campground—12 sites, vault toilets, on the American River middle fork
• Black Bear Campground—on French Meadows Reservoir
• Coyote Group Campground—3 group sites, vault toilets, piped water, on French Meadows Reservoir
• French Meadows Campground—75 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on French Meadows Reservoir
• Gates Group Campground—3 group sites, vault toilets, piped water, on French Meadows Reservoir
• Lewis Campground—40 sites, flush toilets, piped water, on French Meadows Reservoir
• Poppy Campground—12 sites, vault toilets, on French Meadows Reservoir

Sugar Pine Reservoir Area

Sugar Pine Reservoir is in Placer County. Its elevation is 3,618 feet.

• Forbes Campground—Forbes Creek, on Sugar Pine Reservoir
• Forbes Creek Group Camp—2 group sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Forbes Creek and Sugar Pine Reservoir
• Giant Gap Campground—30 sites, vault toilets, RV waste station, fishing boats, on Sugar Pine Reservoir
• Manzanita Picnic Ground
• Shirttail Creek Campground—30 sites, vault toilets, RV waste station, on Shirttail Creek and Sugar Pine Reservoir

Other Areas

• Granite Chief Wilderness
• North Fork Campground—elevation 4,400 feet, 17 sites, vault toilets, piped water, American River north fork
• Robinsons Flat Campground—elevation 6,800 feet, 14 sites, vault toilets, well water
• Talbot Campground—elevation 5,600 feet, 5 sites, vault toilets, American River middle fork
• Tunnel Mill Group Camp—elevation 4,400 feet, 1 group site, vault toilets, no running water, American River north fork

Sierraville Ranger District

Highways 49 and 89

Highway 49 intersects with Highway 89 in the town of Sattley in Sierra County. The elevation of Sattley is 4,950 feet, but the campgrounds around it range in elevation from 5,600 feet to 6,700 feet.

• Bear Valley Campground—10 sites, vault toilets, piped water
• Cold Creek Campground—13 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Cold Creek
• Cottonwood Campground—48 sites, vault toilets, piped water
• Lower Little Truckee Campground—15 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Truckee River
• Upper Little Truckee Campground—26 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Truckee River
• Yuba Pass Campground—20 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork

Jackson Meadows Reservoir Area

Jackson Meadows Reservoir is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 6,036 feet.

• Aspen Group Campground—1 group site, vault toilets, no running water, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• East Meadow Campground—46 sites, flush toilets, piped water, RV waste station, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Findley Campground—14 sites, flush toilets, piped water, RV waste station
• Fir Top Campground—12 sites, vault toilets, piped water, RV waste station, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Jackson Point Boat-in Campground—10 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Laiser Meadow Horse Camp—12 sites, vault toilets, hand-pumped water, RV waste station, on the Pacific Crest Trail
• Pass Creek Campground—30 sites, flush toilets, piped water, RV waste station, Pass Creek, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Pass Creek Annex Campground—6 sites, flush toilets, piped water, Pass Creek, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Silver Tip Group Campground—2 group sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir
• Woodcamp Campground—20 sites, flush toilets, piped water, RV waste station, on Jackson Meadows Reservoir

Meadow Lake Area

Meadow Lake is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 7,200 feet.

• Meadow Knoll Group Camp—2 group sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Meadow Lake
• Meadow Lake Campground—15 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Meadow Lake
• Shoreline—10 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Meadow Lake

Trails

• Kyburz Interpretive Trail—0.5 miles
• Cottonwood Botanical Trail—0.5 miles
• Mount Lola Trail—13 miles round-trip
• Mount Lola/White Rock Trail
• Pacific Crest Trail

Truckee Ranger District

Barker Pass Area

Barker Pass is in Placer County. Its elevation is 6,500 feet.

• Ellis Peak Trail
• Pacific Crest Trail

Boca Reservoir Area

Boca Reservoir is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 5,700 feet.

• Boca Campground—26 sites, vault toilets, no running water, boat launch, on Boca Reservoir
• Boca Spring Campground—17 sites, vault toilets, piped water, horses, on Boca Reservoir
• Boca Rest Campground—38 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Boca Reservoir
• Boyington Mill Campground—13 sites, vault toilets, no running water

Donner Summit Area

Donner Summit is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 7,000 feet.

• Cold Stream Trail
• Glacier Meadow Loop Trail
• Heath Falls Overlook Trail
• Lower Lola Montez Lake Trail
• Mount Judah Loop Trail
• Painted Rock Trail
• Palisade Creek Trail
• Pacific Crest Trail
• Sand Ridge Lake Trail
• Summit Lake Trail
• Warren Lake Trail

Prosser Creek Reservoir Area

Prosser Creek Reservoir is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 5,715 feet.

• Annie McCloud Campground—on Prosser Creek Reservoir
• Donner Picnic Ground
• Lakeside Campground—41 sites, vault toilets, piped water, boat ramp, on Prosser Creek Reservoir
• Prosser Campground—29 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Prosser Creek Reservoir
• Prosser Ranch Group Campground—1 group site, vault toilets, piped water, on Prosser Creek Reservoir
• Sagehen Campground—11 sites, vault toilets, no running water

Squaw Valley Area

Squaw Valley is in Placer County. Its elevation is 6,200 feet.

• Bear Creek Trail
• Granite Chief Trail
• Pacific Crest Trail
• Squaw Creek

Stampede Reservoir Area

Stampede Reservoir is a 2.25-hour drive from Yuba City or Marysville. It is in Sierra County. Its elevation is 5,951 feet.

• Davies Creek Campground—7 sites, on Davies Creek and Stampede Reservoir
• Emigrant Group Campground—2 group sites, recirculating flush toilets, piped water, on Stampede Reservoir
• Logger Campground—252 sites, recirculating flush toilets, piped water, RV waste station, on Stampede Reservoir
• Stampede Campground—on Stampede Reservoir
• Stampede Vista Picnic Area

Truckee River Corridor Area

The Truckee River corridor is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 5,800 feet.

• Goose Meadows Campground—25 sites, vault toilets, hand-pumped well water
• Granite Chief Wilderness
• Granite Flat Campground—75 sites, vault toilets, piped water
• Silver Creek Campground—27 sites, vault toilets, hand-pumped well water, on Silver Creek and the Truckee River

Trails

• Bear Creek Trail—4 miles round-trip
• Coldstream Trail—12 miles round-trip
• Ellis Peak Trail—2.5 miles
• Glacier Meadow Loop Interpretive Trail—0.5 miles
• Granite Chief Trail—7 miles round-trip
• Hole In the Ground Trail—15.6 miles round-trip
• Lower Lola Montez Lake Trail—6 miles round-trip
• Mount Judah Loop—6 miles
• Overland Emigrant Trail
• Pacific Crest Trail
• Palisades Creek Trail—18 miles round-trip
• Painted Rock Trail—12 miles round-trip
• Sand Ridge Lake Trail—12 miles round-trip
• Sawtooth Trail—9.1 miles
• Summit Lake Trail—4 miles round-trip
• Warren Lake Trail—14 miles round-trip

Yuba River Ranger District

Bullards Bar Reservoir

Bullards Bar Reservoir is in Yuba County. Its elevation is 2,200 feet.

• Dark Day Walk-in Campground—16 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Frenchy Point Boat-in Campground—on Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Garden Point Boat-in Campground—19 sites, on Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Hornswoggle Group Campground—on Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Madrone Cove Boat-in Campground—14 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Bullards Bar Reservoir
• Schoolhouse Campground—67 sites, flush toilets, piped water, on Bullards Bar Reservoir

Bowman Lake Area

Several of the campsites at Bowman Lake Campground in Nevada County are either directly on the lake or directly on Jackson Creek. Photo by queerbychoice. Bowman Lake is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 5,558 feet.

• Bowman Lake Campground—7 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Bowman Lake and Jackson Creek
• Jackson Creek Campground—14 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Bowman Lake and Jackson Creek
• McMurray Campground—on McMurray Lake
• Weaver Lake Campground—on Weaver Lake

Grouse Ridge Area

Grouse Ridge is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 6,160 feet.

• Canyon Creek Campground—20 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Canyon Creek near Faucherie Lake and Sawmill Lake
• Carr-Feeley Campground—5 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Carr Lake
• Faucherie Group Campground—2 group sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Faucherie Lake
• Grouse Ridge Campground—9 sites, vault toilets, no running water
• Lindsey Campground—7 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Lindsey Lake

Highway 20 Corridor

The Highway 20 corridor is in Nevada County. Its elevation in the area of the campgrounds is 4,000 feet.

• Skillman Group/Equestrian Camp—15 sites, vault toilets, no running water
• White Cloud Campground—46 sites, flush toilets, piped water

Indian Valley Area

Indian Valley is in Sierra County. Its elevation is 2,200 feet.

• Cal-Ida Campground—21 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork
• Carlton Flat Campground—21 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork
• Fiddle Creek Campground—15 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Fiddle Creek and the Yuba River north fork
• Indian Valley Campground—17 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork
• Ramshorn Campground—16 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Ramshorn Creek and the Yuba River north fork
• Rocky Rest Campground—10 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork

Interstate 80 Corridor

The Interstate 80 corridor is at the border between Nevada County and Placer County. Its elevation in the area of the campgrounds is 6,000 feet.

• Big Bend Group Campground—2 group sites, vault toilets, piped water
• Cisco Grove Campground—flush toilets, piped water
• Hampshire Rocks Campground—31 sites, vault toilets, piped water
• Indian Springs Campground—35 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River south fork
• Kelly Lake Campground—on Kelly Lake
• Lodgepole Campground—18 sites, vault toilets, on Lake Valley Reservoir
• Sterling Lake Campground—6 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Sterling Lake
• Woodchuck Campground—8 sites, vault toilets, no running water

Lake Spaulding Area

Lake Spaulding is in Nevada County. Its elevation is 5,014 feet.

• Blue Lake Campground—2 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Blue Lake
• Fuller Lake Campground—on Fuller Lake
• Lake Spaulding Campground—elevation 5,000 feet, 24 sites, vault toilets, boat ramp
• Rucker Campground—elevation 5,800 feet, 10 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on Rucker Lake

Sierra Buttes Area

The Sierra Buttes are in Sierra County. Their peak elevation is 8,547 feet, but most of the campgrounds are at the foot of them, at around 5,500 feet.

• Berger Campground—10 sites, vault toilets, no running water
• Chapman Creek Campground—elevation 6,000 feet, 29 sites, vault toilets, piped water, Chapman Creek, on the Yuba River north fork
• Diablo Campground—18 sites, vault toilets, no running water
• Loganville Campground—elevation 6,000 feet, 29 sites, vault toilets, piped water, RV dump station, on the Yuba River north fork
• Packsaddle Campground—elevation 6,000 feet, 15 sites, vault toilets, pumped water
• Salmon Creek Campground—elevation 5,800 feet, 32 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Salmon Creek
• Sardine Lake Campground—elevation 5,800 feet, 29 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on Sardine Lake
• Sierra Campground—elevation 5600 feet, 16 sites, vault toilets, no running water, on the Yuba River north fork
• Snag Lake Campground—16 sites, vault toilets, no running water, Snag Lake
• Union Flat Campground—elevation 3,400 feet, 11 sites, vault toilets, piped water, on the Yuba River north fork
• Wild Plum Campground—elevation 4400 feet, 47 sites, vault toilets, piped water, waterfalls

Trails

• Grouse Lakes-Beyers Lake Trail—6.25 miles
• Grouse Lakes-Crooked Lakes Trail—2.25 miles
• Grouse Lakes-Lindsey Lake Trail 3.5 miles
• Grouse Lakes-Round Lake Trail—2.25 miles
• Loch Leven Trail—5 miles
• Pacific Crest Trail
• Pioneer National Recreation Trail—25 miles
• South Yuba Trail—15 miles

Links

Tahoe National Forest entry on Wikipedia U.S. Forest Service: Tahoe National Forest GORP: Tahoe National Forest StateParks.com: Tahoe National Forest Wildernet.com: Tahoe National Forest TotalEscape.com: Tahoe National Forest TotalEscape.com Tahoe Camping ForestCamping.com: Tahoe National Forest Campgrounds