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Facilities

Established Camping

Sardine Lake

Sardine Lake, near Camptonville, California, is a fantastic destination for families and outdoor lovers alike. With stunning views of the Sierra Buttes and easy access to nearby lakes, it’s a prime spot for fishing, swimming, and hiking.

The campground is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for evening gatherings under the stars. Visitors have praised the clean facilities, including tidy bathrooms, which make for a comfortable stay. One camper noted, “The campground was situated nicely with perfect trees for our hammocks,” highlighting the natural beauty surrounding the area.

For those eager to explore, Sardine Lake is just a stone's throw away, offering breathtaking hiking trails that lead to picturesque waterfalls and granite spires. The area can get a bit buggy in the summer, so don’t forget your bug spray! While the sites are close together, the friendly atmosphere and abundance of outdoor activities make it a great choice for a memorable camping experience.

Description

National Forest

Tahoe National Forest

Overview

Sardine Lake Campground is located in the North Yuba River area, near the beautiful Sardine Lakes. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

Recreation

Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes and Sand Pond. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals, lodging, and a restaurant. A large network of trails is available in the area, including Deer Lake and Tamarack Lakes Trails and the Pacific Crest Trail.

Natural Features

The campground stretches along a wet meadow at the base of the scenic Sierra Buttes. A forest of lodgepole pine offers partial shade. Beautiful high mountain lakes and rugged peaks can be found throughout the surrounding area.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (530) 265-4531.

Nearby Attractions

Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes, less than a mile to the west. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the basin. A more developed boat ramp is located at Gold Lake and accomodates launching of larger boats. Over 30 miles of maintained trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack branch out across the area and the Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed at a few spots in the Lakes Basin area. The historic towns of Sierra City and Downieville offer historic and cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, churches, and vistor information.

Charges & Cancellations

No Show Policy A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). * No-show customers are only recorded at staffed facilities. At most remote facilities, all customers are noted as automatically checked-in on the date of arrival. * It is recommended that staffed facilities hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. * It is recommended that staffed facilities hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation if the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit some or all of the recreation fees. There is no change fee if the customer changes campsites that are the same price and on the same reservation dates in the same campground. If the campsite the customer is changing to has a price difference, the customer will be responsible for any additional fees or be provided with a refund, based on the price difference. Where recorded, no-show customers are assessed a $20.00 no-show fee and forfeit the first night's recreation fee for a campsite or forfeit the entire day-use recreation fee for a day-use facility. We recommend customers contact the facility if they are en route to their reservation but cannot make it by the check-in date. In these cases, no refund will be issued, but the facility can ensure that a "no-show" fee is not assessed.

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Location

Sardine Lake is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

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 to Packer Lake Road and turn left. Continue for about 1 mile and turn left into the campground.

Address

YUBA RIVER RANGER STATION THIS IS THE ADDRESS FOR THE RANGER STATION, NOT THE CAMPGROUND 15924 HIGHWAY 49
Camptonville, CA 95922

Coordinates

39.619689 N
120.617159 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

9 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 11, 2022

Amazing place to stay

We had great time at sardine lake campground. Great place for active families. Gorgeous view of sardine lake and sand pond in walking distance and lots of other lakes around the area.

Site16
Month of VisitJuly
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  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Jekaterina M., July 11, 2022
  • (12) View All
Reviewed Jun. 13, 2021

Beautiful and serene

Campground was situated nicely with perfect trees for our hammocks and bathrooms were tidy. Beautiful hiking within minutes of the campground with gorgeous views of the lake and boulders - and even waterfalls! There’s no cell service and no services at the campsite so pick up firewood from the one motel/cafe/gas/market on the way in.

Site17
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Danielle B., June 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Danielle B., June 13, 2021
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Danielle B., June 13, 2021
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Sep. 8, 2020

Good Camping trip

Our site was great, but didn’t have very much shade. It was nice to be hike up to volcano lake from our campsite as well as sardine lake and upper sardine lake.

  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Erika B., September 8, 2020
Reviewed Jul. 12, 2019

Incredible campground close to unlimited adventure spots

Family filled campground with many spots. Just down the road from Sardine Lakes and Sand Pond, which are great for fishing and swimming. Gets buggy in the summertime. Sites located very close to one another so not a ton of privacy. Road to access is easy for all cars. The campground can get trashed easily, so do your part to pack out your trash and leave it better than you found it.

  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Dani P., July 12, 2019
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Dani P., July 12, 2019
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Dani P., July 12, 2019
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jun. 10, 2019

Beautiful views

Great campsite at the bottom of lower sardine lake. Busy on the weekends. Booking advised.

Facilities are good.

Great fishing in the lower lake.

Trail to the upper lake is a nice steady incline. About an hour there and back. Little shade so wear a hat.

Upper lake is accessible by 4x4 but high clearance is necessary and good understanding of lines is recommended.

Reviewed Jun. 7, 2018

Amazing views!

This campground is one of my all time favorites! Shhhhh don't spread the word too much. The typical Sierra granite spires around the lake make for the scenery. There's a bar/shack on the water at the resort which is so cute and fun too. It's not open but for like a couple hours before each dinner seating but it's still fun none the less. Hiking around here is beautiful as well.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed May. 17, 2018

Great Family Campground

My family has been camping here since before I was born and we love it! It's definitely a gem of the Sierras. The lake is beautiful and Sand Pond is great for swimming. There is plenty of hiking and fishing around and it is such a peaceful place to relax and read a book. I would recommend hiking up to the Buttes if you're looking for a challenge. Be sure to stop at Bassett's for some icecream on your way out!

  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Hannah O., May 17, 2018
  • Review photo of Sardine Lake by Hannah O., May 17, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Sardine Lake?

    Sardine Lake allows vehicles up to 48 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Sardine Lake?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Sardine Lake, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Sardine Lake have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Sardine Lake does not have wifi.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Sardine Lake?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Sardine Lake. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Sardine Lake, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Sardine Lake?

    There are 27 campsites at Sardine Lake and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts