Schoolhouse Campground (CA)

We’ve stayed at both Dark Day and Schoolhouse. Schoolhouse is definitely busier and louder. It’s mixed RV and tent with no RV power so the generators are loud and you’ll be surrounded by them. The parking spots are large enough to fit your boat and tow vehicle so getting to and from the lake isn’t awful. Prefer Dark Day to schoolhouse but we will stay at either.

Pretty busy spot but the campsites are shady and spacious, awesome hiking trail nearby, bathrooms were clean, and the reservoir was beautiful!

Aside from the smoke and the heat these campsites are very spacious and wide open. Bear boxes are a must if you don’t want the big guys in your camp. We never had an issue but many other campers did. Lake level is definitely low but that was to be expected with the lack of rain this year.

This campground is great if you have a boat. There is no access to the reservoir. We had to drive to Dark Day Campground to get close to the water. From there, we had a bit of a hike to reach the water. There is no paved trail to get to it. From the parking lot, we just went in from any opening going to the woods. There is no beach area as well. Mostly we saw a bunch of teenagers who were diving and hanging out on their floaters. The view and scenery was beautiful but it’s not really for swimming unless you have a boat. Also, my kids did not enjoy the mosquitoes and bears. If you are looking for a quiet campground, definitely not this. People arrive late at night and past midnight and lots of generator noises as well. A lot of yelling and late night parties as well.

Overall the campsite was great and well maintained. The sites are mostly level but RV parking is *tight*. While the space was long enough for our 35 ft trailer and truck the pad was narrow and there are a lot of rocks to maneuver around. We were barely able to open our slide and drop the stairs due to the amount of large rocks on each side of the pad - it took a bit of maneuvering but we managed.

Lake access is nonexistent from the campground but is a 2-3 minute drive to the dock. We do not have a boat but brought out paddleboards and kayaks to explore. The ramp access is often crowded and there is little to no beach area around the boat ramp. The water level is really low but warm and overall very nice once you can access the water. 

We ended up leaving a day early from our trip for various reasons but overall a nice place to camp.

Schoolhouse campground is on Bullard’s Bar Reservoir. The reservoir is gorgeous to look out at but the bank all the way around is very steep. From the campground there is no easy access to the water. We were looking forward to spending some time in the water but learned that we could only do that by renting a boat. If you have a boat or want to rent a boat this reservoir is perfect. If you want walk up access to the water while camping, this is not the campsite for you. The campground had flush toilets, large bear bins, dogs were allowed, and was lovely all around. The grounds were well maintained and had access to walking trails. The closest store was at Collins Lake up the road where they also sold firewood. The camp host was not very accommodating for fire wood at Schoolhouse. I would go back to Schoolhouse if I wanted to rent a boat!

This campground was great. We just spent 4 days out there and got to see a little of everything. The campground itself has large spaces, perfect for your own privacy. If you like to hang out by your trailer under an awning, these spots are tough because there are large rocks blocking the parking area that separates you from the rest if the campsite, but other than that it's great. There are trails for hiking or mountain biking. You are minutes from Bullards Bar which is one of the most beautiful lakes around. I definitely suggest a day trip to the lake. You can rent a boat for the day or even a houseboat. You are also just 10 minutes away from the Oregon Creek day area of the Yuba River. It gets crowded, so get there early if you want to stake out a spot, but it's beautiful and so much fun for the kids. If you want more of a beachy area, Collins Lake is also just 15 minutes away and they have a nice beach as well. This is bear country so we had a nightly visitor, the bear boxes are there for a reason so use them! We had site 10 and had family in all the rest of the sites around that circle and it worked out great! I would definitely return.