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.

## 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.

Sardine Lake

Join the fun near Sierra City. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Sierra City campgrounds just for you. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.

Sierra City

The Best Camping Near Sierra City, California

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!

Great Family Campground

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.

Amazing 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. 

Beautiful views 

Beautiful location and good campground. Seems like it gets busy. Clean bathrooms, plenty of trash cans, and sinks for cleanup.

Good facilities and reasonable campsites

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.

Incredible campground close to unlimited adventure spots

I camped here often with my two sons and have fond memories of the Sierra Buttes

My old stomping grounds

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. 

Good Camping trip 

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. 

Beautiful and serene 

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.

Photos of Sardine Lake

Real photos from real campers