Best Tent Camping near Applegate, CA

Tent camping options near Applegate, California include a mix of established sites in the surrounding Sierra foothills and Auburn area. Lake Clementine Boat In Campground at Auburn State Recreation Area offers tent-specific sites with access to the American River, while Tahoe National Forest's Onion Valley Campground provides more remote tent camping surrounded by meadows and forest.

Most tent campsites in the Applegate vicinity have basic amenities like fire rings and picnic tables, though services vary significantly between locations. Lake Clementine sites require exact cash payment ($28/night) with self-registration, and campers must bring their own water as no potable sources exist on-site. The Auburn State Recreation Area campsites feature vault toilets but no showers or running water. Tent sites at Onion Valley Campground in Tahoe National Forest are more primitive with vault toilets and well-spaced sites. During fire season, restrictions often limit campfires to designated fire rings, and some areas enforce complete fire bans.

Tent sites near Applegate provide access to numerous outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, and swimming. At Lake Clementine, the crystal-clear American River creates excellent conditions for water recreation directly from tent campsites. Onion Valley offers peaceful meadow settings with wildflowers in season and excellent stargazing opportunities from tent sites. Camp Far West North Shore provides lakeside tent camping with more amenities including trash service. Tent camping areas throughout the region experience varying levels of usage, with some locations becoming quite busy during summer weekends. According to one visitor at Onion Valley Campground, "The meadow near the campgrounds is amazing and was perfect for my dog to frolic through. Frogs are noisy at night due to the streams that run nearby."

Best Tent Sites Near Applegate, California (78)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Applegate, CA

875 Reviews of 78 Applegate Campgrounds


  • Dani P.
    Jul. 12, 2019

    Meeks Bay

    Beautiful and big family oriented campground

    Just a small walk away from Lake Tahoe shore. Big beautiful trees cover the entire campground. A couple bathrooms that surprisingly do not smell bad and have a running faucet. Bears are a real issue, so they have big bear boxes at each site - make sure to use them. Sites close together and not much privacy. Camp Host on site. Very limited parking at the sites, but free parking if you park outside of the campground along the main road and walk in. Do not leave food in your car, especially on the outside. And dont forget to Leave No Trace!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 25, 2023

    Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area

    Off-season peaceful stay

    General: Normally, there are 18 designated sites that are reservable only from May 1– October 15. What we didn’t know until we arrived was that only Sites 1-7 were open after this date; fortunately, only two other sites were occupied when we arrived at 5:30 pm on a Monday in late October. The access road is about six miles of curvy, hilly, and narrow (sometimes only one lane) pavement. There is a sign prohibiting trailers; our 18-foot camper van did fine but anything much larger would definitely be challenged. 

    Site Quality: Many of the sites are more suitable for tent campers. The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6. We lucked out with Site 6 – it was large and level and directly across from the vault toilets. A fire pit/grill, large concrete picnic table, and bear box complete the site (although there was a fire ban in effect).

    Bath: Only one vault toilet was open, and it was very clean. It was cleaned again the next morning. 

    Activities: This campground is located on the North Fork of the American River. In season, this campground would be very popular with rafters; there is a raft launch and takeout area close to the campsites. The river was crystal clear and beautiful.

    This was a small but beautiful campground. We were surprised that we had a semi-decent cell signal ranging from 1 to 2 bars (Verizon).

  • Summer A.
    Jul. 25, 2018

    Big Meadows Campground

    Sequoia National Forest Lovely Spacious Camp Sites

    It sounds like there are multiple Big Meadow camp grounds in California. This review is for Big Meadow Campground, Sequoia NF - FS, CA. The photos are of site 009B. My visit was wonderful. The camp sites are large. We set up two 8 person tents and one 2 person tent and there was plenty of room for more. The firepits are very well made. They block the wind while allowing good airflow. There is a very large picnick table at each site, a bear box, and plenty of shade. There is a vault toilet that is cleaned daily. The sites boarder a stream. The water level is about 3 inches in July with temperatures in the 80's. This is a dog friendly site. There is no potable water at this site.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 15, 2023

    General Creek Campground — Sugar Pine Point State Park

    Available off-season camping near Lake Tahoe

    After October 2, it is first come, first available and only sites 26-72 were open so my review is limited to a small portion of the campground. When I researched ahead of time, it was the ONLY open campground I could find in the Lake Tahoe area. At least the per night rate was decreased to $25 ($23 for seniors). I don’t know about the rest of the loops but most of the sites in the open loop appeared to be “doubles” or even “triples”; the camper pads were paved but appeared to be side-by-side parking spaces. Fortunately, there were not many campers so this was not a problem, however, if the park were more crowded, this layout would only make sense if the camper pads were used to park vehicles and people tent camped. All sites appeared to be level. No hookups. Each site had a large picnic table, fire ring, and bear box. 

    We had been warned multiple times that we were camping in an active bear area and although we did not encounter any, one of the other campers told us they had seen a mama and bear cub, along with a coyote. 

    The showers and dump station were closed for the season. There was no host on-site. The restrooms were very basic: toilet and sink but no soap, paper towels, or air dryers. 

    My rating might have been higher if we could have seen other parts of the campground, but our experience was limited to one night and we did not visit the day-use area.

  • Elliott B.
    Sep. 27, 2018

    Eagle Point Campground — Emerald Bay State Park

    Campground with a beautiful layout

    I walked through the seasonally closed Eagle Point Campground while exploring the Emerald Bay section of Lake Tahoe. This campground is a newly renovated area of the peninsula on the South/West side of the Emerald Bay State Park separated into Upper and Lower sections.

    Since the campground was closed we had to park on Highway 89 and walk through the campground to get to the Rubicon Trailhead which is located at the divider between the 2 camping sections.

    As we hiked through I was really blown away with the layout of the campground. I loved that these sites were almost a multi-leveled. Meaning that your tent site might be 10 feet lower than your picnic table, bear box, etc. or it could have a raised fire pit on a small bluff above the tent pad, table. Each site was unique, and this added to the separation between sites, so you’re not on the same level and directly next to your neighbors, adding to the feeling of being in the wilderness. (At least to me)

    Also, it should be pointed out that there were signs everywhere about using your bear boxes and that they’d fine you if you leave anything in your car. I know some people seem to have an issue with this for some reason…but I don’t want a bear roaming through any campground I’m staying at.

    There weren’t any sites that I saw which could hold an RV or 5th wheel, unless you have something under 18 feet… So maybe tents only, and there are no hookups. While I know I got a sterile experience since no one was actually camping, the campground was very clean and well maintained and the restrooms looked really nice. They had running water, flush toilets and pay showers ($1 per 3 minutes). The little amphitheater at the trailhead was cool and seemed ideally setup for presentations with incredible views of Lake Tahoe.

    While pets are allowed in the campground, they’re not allowed on the Emerald Bay SP trails or beaches. Sites are $35 and all are reservable 6 month out, so

  • Rosina A.
    Jun. 1, 2022

    Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    Folsom Lake Penninsula

    Beautiful sunsets. No showers. Bathrooms are clean. Some sites are rather small and have little flat ground. Pics on website are tough to see when booking. Lake to most sites is a drive, but there are a few campsites on the lake. Many sites are on hill, you walk up the hill or down a hill with stairs. Lake has day use area, but also a dock area for camping folks. Lots of mosquitoes. They have a fire are to cook, no fire ring, have a bear box and picnic table. Some sites have plenty of shade while others are just plain sun so be prepared.

    Water is nice temperature and super clean! Nice to kayak, paddle, boat (they have boat ramps), fish, swim. Beach areas are rocks with weeds, but pretty.

  • Kate A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 20, 2021

    Thousand Trails Ponderosa

    Great location, but plan ahead

    This is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.

    One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!

    Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.

    Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.

    Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.

  • Patricia O.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 20, 2018

    Lindsey Lake Campground

    Rustic and remote

    There are only a few campsites here, 12, I think, and a rough road getting (SUV or truck recommended) into the campground. Once you reach camp, you’ll be rewarded with serene and beautiful surroundings. Lots of lakes and hiking in the area. Mosquitos can be a problem so come prepared. Vault toilet. No trash service, no piped water. There are picnic tables and fire rings.

  • A
    Jul. 8, 2020

    Tahoe National Forest Onion Valley Campground

    Great spot

    We rolled in here after midnight and most of the spots were still empty, and they're far enough apart that we were able to set up camp without being too disruptive. There's a vault toilet, picnic tables, fire rings, and some gorgeous scenery. What more could you need?


Guide to Applegate

Tent camping near Applegate, California ranges from primitive forest sites to more developed lakeside locations within a 30-minute drive. The region sits in the western Sierra Nevada foothills at approximately 2,000 feet elevation, providing moderate temperatures for camping from spring through fall. Fire regulations vary significantly throughout the area, with complete bans often implemented during high-risk summer months.

What to do

Water activities at Camp Far West: Camp Far West North Shore offers direct lake access for swimming and fishing. According to visitor Ray B., "We were right on the lake at the end of a peninsula. Not a sound except for the birds. We did a bike ride along the lake through the undeveloped overflow area and beyond to the north east end of the property."

Historical exploration: The OARS American River Outpost Campground provides access to Gold Rush history sites. As camper Momma H. notes, "If you have some extra time, be sure to check out Marshall Gold Discovery Park, home of Sutter's Mill, and the nearby wine country."

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings at Onion Valley Campground offer opportunities to spot local wildlife in the meadows. "Meadow near the campgrounds is amazing... Frogs are noisy at night due to the streams that run nearby," reports camper Jordan R.

What campers like

Off-season solitude: Winter camping at Camp Far West North Shore offers surprising tranquility. "We were the only people anywhere except for folks in the full hook-up area, which was far from us. Perfect when its off season and you are the only people," writes Ray B.

Star gazing opportunities: Open meadows at Tahoe National Forest Onion Valley Campground create excellent night sky viewing conditions. Caroline B. mentions, "I loved the open fields of wild flowers. Those open spaces allow for some great star gazing night."

Well-spaced campsites: Many campers appreciate the privacy at certain locations. Adam B. commented about Onion Valley, "We rolled in here after midnight and most of the spots were still empty, and they're far enough apart that we were able to set up camp without being too disruptive."

What you should know

Cash and registration requirements: Several campgrounds require exact cash and self-registration. At Lake Clementine Boat In, Drew M. advises, "Useful tip, BRING A PEN AND EXACT CASH. Upon arrival, scope out the place and claim your spot by filling out the envelope with your name and vehicle information and how many days your plan on staying."

Limited availability: Many smaller sites fill quickly during peak season. "We stayed there for a weekend in late March and it was gorgeous! The only thing is most of the good spots were closed off," reports Camila about Lake Clementine.

Access challenges: Roads to some campgrounds can be difficult. Lee D. notes about Lake Clementine, "The access road is about six miles of curvy, hilly, and narrow (sometimes only one lane) pavement. There is a sign prohibiting trailers."

Tips for camping with families

Swimming safety: Monitor water conditions at lakeside camping areas. At Peninsula Camping and Boating Resort, sites are often positioned on hills near water, requiring extra vigilance with children.

Plant hazards awareness: Teach children to identify and avoid problem plants. Laura G. warns, "When we arrived to the campground, we found that the sites we reserved were on a hill, and poison oak between them."

Noise considerations: Select campsites based on ambient noise preferences. Ian F. notes about Onion Valley Campground, "It was nice and secluded with not many sites so not many people or noise."

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: Many access roads in the region have limitations. Lee D. cautions about Lake Clementine, "There is a sign prohibiting trailers; our 18-foot camper van did fine but anything much larger would definitely be challenged."

Site leveling needs: Many tent sites near Applegate require leveling. "Most of the sites that have a 'driveway' were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6," advises Lee D. at Oracle Oak Grove.

Limited hook-ups: Most campgrounds offer primitive camping with few amenities. Prepare to be self-sufficient with water, waste management, and power needs as most sites are developed primarily for tent camping near Applegate rather than RV accommodations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Applegate, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Applegate, CA is Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Applegate, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 78 tent camping locations near Applegate, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.