Looking for an adventure where you can explore Applegate and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Applegate campgrounds for you and your tent. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Boat-In Sites 1-16
$38 / night
$30 - $99 / night
Donner Memorial State Park offers the summer vacationer opportunities for Donner Lake camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, water-skiing, and hiking. In winter, visitors can cross-country ski and snowshoe on trails and enjoy the season's beauty. Visitors are welcome year-round at the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center and at the Pioneer Monument, built to commemorate those who emigrated to California from the east in the mid-1800's. The Visitor Center features compelling new exhibits that tell the stories of the Emigrant Experience, the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe, Chinese construction of the railroad, and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass.
$35 / night
We are a small privately owned small campground (19 sites only) located on the outskirts of Placerville. The property features 86.5 secluded Tahoe like acres with beautiful year-round Weber Creek. The camp sites are placed along the creek or the bluff overlooking the creek. We have traditional dirt camping, canvas tents on platforms, teepees and glamping tents for those that want the comforts of home. We are tent camping only with only one site that allows a small travel trailer or van. (#14) . We are dog friendly and allow dogs in all but 5 glamping sites. We do enforce camp rules especially our quiet time between 10 PM and 7 AM (please review).
We’ve been told that we have a “family camp” vibe. We are a great place for families wanting a safe environment for their kids but also several group sites for those that want to hang out together with multiple families. We are also a great base site for those wilderness enthusiasts with access to all the El Dorado National Forest including Desolation but want a hot shower at the end of the day.
We have a lodge that is stocked with games and a ping pong table. The lodge has a microwave, Keurig machine and a hot water kettle for those hot drinks (BYO Cups).We have several tables set up for those that want to eat inside as well as multiple picnic tables along the side of the lodge with overhead protection. We have electricity at the at the lodge for small appliances and charging phones. We have a compressor on site to blow up your air mattresses or float toys. We’ve been told that our bathrooms are the “cleanest” ever and have changing tables and diaper pails. We offer nice flushing toilets and hot showers!
For outdoor activities we have basketball, volleyball, pickleball and cornhole not to mention the playground with swing sets, seesaw and tractor play. We have hiking trails throughout the property. Our highlight is a camp fire bowl with bench seating with a stage to display camper talent which is perfect for the evening fire and roasting s’mores (bring the fixings).
The creek starts out in spring looking like a rushing river featuring many fishing and swimming holes. As the summer progresses the water level falls but is still great for water play and fishing.
We have propane BBQs (we provide the propane for BBQs) located throughout the property. We also have a propane grill and charcoal BBQ located in the common area for all to use. There is a dutch oven pit also in the fire bowl area.
We do not allow wood fires at the individual sites but each site has a propane firepit for ambiance (not cooking) that requires you to purchase a 20 lb. propane cannister on site (add in extras) or pay cash on site.
**We require a 3 night minimum for the major holidays - Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. **We do not do checkins on Sunday but do allow camping over Sunday night. We do exclusive events so you may need to explore multiple weekends to find the right reservation.
We are located in the foothills so we are a short hop to many local attractions that include river rafting, gold mines, wineries and historical towns with great eating establishments. Tahoe is less than an hour away and there a many hiking trails within 20-30 minutes.
We have a limited number of items to rent i.e, tents, cots, camp stoves, etc. We also have a small store on site for those items you forgot and a good selection of ice cream. We take venmo or cash.
CHECKIN IS BETWEEN 4 AND 8. IF YOU ARE COMING FROM THE BAY ALLOW 4 HOURS - YOU MUST LEAVE BY 3:00 IN ORDER TO ARRIVE DURING CHECKIN. IF YOU GET DELAYED, FOR THE CONSIDERAITON OF THE OTHER CAMPERS YOU MAY CONSIDER WAITING AND ARRIVING THE NEXT MORNING. THERE ARE NO CHECKINS AFTER 9:00.
$65 - $300 / night
Sweet land with a cute hobbit/ witchy natural Vibe.
Great asthetics, incredible gardens.
Close to town, 30 min drive to 2 different parts of the Yuba River.
Friendly vibe good people live on the land. There is a cute Cob compost toilet, bath house.
Located in an Oak Grove.
We are in the armpit of the Nevada County. A 15 minute drive to either Grass Valley or Nevada City. Or a 15 minute drive to two different parts of the Yuba River, Bridgeport and 49. And about 30 minutes to amazing lakes on the way to Tahoe. Also close to the bike trail you could bike to Nevada City. Before you arrive fill up on spring water from Bitney Springs, we've been drinking it for over a decade. For the extra sensative just ask to use the Berkey water filter. This area is the most bike friendly area in the entire county. Lots of trails a long the NID (Nevada Irrigation Ditch) created during the Gold Rush.
Beautiful trail that over looks a view of an epic creek and a heart shaped lake. Camping stove can be requested, in the beginning stages of building a beautiful outdoor kitchen.
For guests staying the weekend there is availabile usage of bikes, kayak, and paddle board. Need to be reserved a head of time.
Also please the woodstove is currently wood fired. It takes about 5 hours to heat up and a decent amount of wood. We are more than will to prepare it ahead of time, but need a heads up and would prefer if you plan to be in it longer than 20 minutes. Also because of the amount of wood it uses and the labor to takes to prepare it, we request a donation. We love our tub, she is our precious gem, but she's a labor of love and anything opposite from a convience. Also because she is wood fire, I cant burn fires in the summer. So she is only available late fall, winter and spring. When the fire Ban is on there are no fires, including the hot tub.
But due to high demand I will work on including a propane option for next summer.
I love birthday parties.
I love people coming with friends. I love people of all walks of life.
$60 / night
Bowman Lake Campground is a very remote campground with limited services. There are 7 campsites with tables, fire rings and bear proof food lockers. There is no trash service. Bowman Lake is a large lake surrounded by rocky cliffs and scattered pines that are great for fishing and swimming. A few islands are found within the lake. Car top boat launch only. The road to access the campground is very rough, rocky, and narrow. A high clearance vehicle is needed, and towing boats or trailers is very difficult and dangerous. There are several stretches of the road where it is impossible for two vehicles to pass around each other and so if traffic is coming from both directions, someone will need to back up. Despite the difficult access, Bowman Lake is a popular, heavily used area.
Guide
There are two sites at Beal’s Point, the hook up campsite and the tent campsite. We went to the tent campsite and was surprised how many RVs were parked in the tent campsite. We didn’t mind until they used their generators. I wasn’t sure if the camp host saw/heard them but it was on for quite a while and was loud. The campsite we had was beautiful but bug infested and had lots of crawlies. If you are looking for a short walk from the parking to the tent site, call them first. I looked at the photo online for a back in type site. I was expecting that I could just back in and the tent site would be less than 10 steps away. The tent site was quite a walk from the parking lot, can’t even see it from the car. We had to carry heavy stuff back and forth. There’s a nice trail where you can hike or bike. The lake is almost dry, so it wasn’t as beautiful and fun as it used to be. The campsite is very noisy because it’s so close to the main road. We could hear cars, motorcycles, sirens all night long. Shower was out of service at the time we were there. Glad we were only there for 1 night.
Guide
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.
Scout
Clean and best play to stay with beach access, cabins, tents sites and rv sites. Tent site can fit 2 or more tents with fire pit and picnic table. Restroom with shower and warm water.
Scout
I stayed one night in one of the 2-3 tent sites, which was on the water. -It was quite expensive ($55/night) for a tent site. I didn’t request, want, or use them, but I did have a faucet and two 110-V outlets available; perhaps I was paying for that. -Office staff told me I had to sleep in a tent, not my car (I’m testing out a cot in my car; can’t do a tent any more). My thinking is, if I pay and take good care of the tent site, why insist on controlling how I sleep? I found this intrusive - and I set up a tent, but slept in my car. -The sites for RVs were very small. The campground was pretty much full and I felt bad for the RVers, who were almost on top of each other. -Additional notes: good, free showers (but $15 returnable cash deposit to get a restroom/shower key); tent site was on water and had privacy of bush on one side (unlike RVs); friendly office staff; not near town or residential areas, despite being so near an urban area.
Scout
Says right on the web home page, no tent camping ( no car camping either).
Traveler
Nice campground - close to river. .5 mile walk to town for shopping/eating. All sites have fire pit and picnic table. Bathrooms clean and private showers. A little pricey for a tent site - 45.00 and 5.00 for the dog but it’s California.
Scout
Went here a few years ago. Perfect for tent camping. Right along the river. Very quiet and gorgeous. Good spot for families.
GuideI tent camped and loved it. Very quiet and beautiful scenery. A water faucet and picnic table at every campsite .
Traveler
The man made pond is nice for the kids. It has a slide they can use. Rv areas are clean. Tent camping is okay!
ScoutMostly used by the river rafters and rafting companies that use this stop on the river for their shuttles. Many sites are in direct sun. All 5 sites are tent camping only.
Guide
Only $35 dollars, which is the cheapest you'll find north of South Lake Tahoe. Perfect for tent camping. Not busy at all during the non reserve season. Would go again for sure.
Guide
This is a small hidden little gem of a campground. They have flush toilets and bear boxes which makes it nice for those of us that tent camp. Close to the water and sites have plenty of space.
Scout
This campground has it all. It’s clean, has great amenities (pool, showers, kitchen, bathrooms), and it’s a nice walk away from town. It has a spot for everyone - RVs, glamping tents, and the standard tent sites (my style).
Highly recommend!
Traveler
Great place to stay. 1 hours drive from Reno. Lake with in 5 minutes of the campground. Spots for RVs, travel trailers and/or just tent camping. Restrooms spread around the area with access to fresh water. Good size creek flowing through the campground from the lake above.
TravelerWe spent two nights doing a family and friends reunion. We loved our rv spot, the rest of the group had great tent site and glamping tents. Facilities were super clean and nice. Pool was small but the pool area was really nice. Great location for swimming in the Yuba river!
Traveler
At the top of the Sierras, El Dorado national forest, tucked in away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Stunning views, and blue skies, campground is well maintained and accessible. Rvs and tent camping. Shallow lake that warms up a little for kayaking and swimming. Great family lake.
GuideThis review is for tent camping, not RVs.
Nearly all of the tent sites are tiny and crowded very closely together with no privacy breaks at all between them. To make it even more claustrophobic, many of the near-river sites are terraced into the hillside so you stand at the bottom and look up into a wall of tents stacked 3 high on top of each other. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and most of the sites were full so the effect was like looking up into a packed stadium from the bottom row of bleacher seats. That first night was like a giant tailgate frat party. Multiple groups were blasting music & even though that’s against the rules nobody seemed to make them stop. Thank goodness we were able to move a few sites away, and then everybody cleared out the next day. The best site is #31. If you’re going on a weekend or any time during the summer, don’t make any reservation at all if you can’t get #31. I’m not putting that in my google review btw, that’s only for folks on Dyrt.
The facilities have a lot of maintenance issues that just aren’t being taken care of. For example: there are two bathroom buildings, an old one built out of rail cars (?) near the river and a newer-construction one uphill by the RV sites. Both bathrooms have multiple sinks and toilets that are out of order. In the downhill ladies room there was a toilet that ran water constantly and another that wouldn’t flush at all. I actually took that 2nd one apart and fixed it myself. That same ladies’ room had a sink removed completely from the wall leaving hanging pipes sticking out, a 2nd sink that wouldn’t turn on, a 3rd sink with wobbly handles, and a 4th sink that was fully functional. Next to that restroom on one side was what was supposed to be a shower facility but it was completely out of order and locked. On the other side of the restroom there was what was supposed to be a dishwashing station but it was disconnected with pipes dangling and dirt & leaves filling the sink. Why install nice things and then let them fall apart? I don’t understand.
They do seem to keep the toilets stocked with soap and TP and paper towels, and there are lots of garbage cans that do get emptied when needed. However, sometimes campers are naughty and leave behind trash outside the bins. This ranges from micro-trash (bottle caps, wrapper ends) to big pieces (foil pans, beer bottles). We stayed there for 2 days after the giant party moved on, but we never saw camp staff coming around to deal with the loose litter. We were pulling wads of fishing line out of the rocks and throwing away other people’s bottles. Blech.
There is an on-site rafting company. We took a full-day rafting trip that launched right from the campground & we had a great time.
There is a little general store that sells ice, firewood, souvenirs, Tshirts, etc.
It is a gated facility so hopefully secure?
Traveler
Right off the freeway - easy access to the city. We didn’t book ahead much and ended up with a site that just had rocks and a picnic table. No grass except at tent sites. Not wide enough to fully put out slider. The bathroom were great in the tent area. Nice pool and dog area.
Guide
Scott’s Flat is just five miles outside of Nevada City. It is run by the Nevada Irrigation District. One of the many man made lakes in the region. There are bath houses, tent sites and no hookup RV sites. It is clean but can become loud with rowdy camping neighbors. A beautiful lake to boat, fish and swim.
Traveler
Tent camped in spot 72. No shade what so ever, and it was a hot day! However loved the spacing of the campsites. Neighbors were close, though not so close to be crowded. Spot was very close to the restroom, advantage and disadvantage when a strong ordor would breeze on through. Short walk to the lake which was beautiful, spent the day floating and drinking. Have visited before, and will visit again!
TravelerCamp site is clean. You can order food and they will deliver. Wonderful ada bathroom/showers with a fold down bench. Friendly staff. Near freeway (lots of traffic noise. Quiet morning. Stayed for a quick night. The cabins and rv section are top notch. Tent sites are ok. If we come back will choose site 10 of 12. River was dry in july
GuideA great little campground with a fantastic beach on the lake. Sunrise over the water was beautiful. While I personally prefer a more rustic campground (we were in the tent site right next to the bathrooms), I will give them full credit for having a well organized place with very clean bathrooms. Would be a great place to camp with kids.
Ranger
I get the impression this is a family park. There are cabins & tent sites and a handful of RV spots. Good for a shower & dump. The list of park rule are too long to list. Nice bathrooms. Cell & WiFi are poor for AT&T users. I only stayed here because it was all that was open in the area in March and I needed a shower!
Guide
We have been to this camping spot a few times. It is big with a nice store. Music on the weekends on the deck. Some sites on waterside are nice. Nice beach. Can get crowded but we liked it. No issues. RV or Tent sites. Roads are steep in spots but no problems getting into site. You can boat and fish here but we didn't do either. Might be nice in the winter when nobody is around?
Guide
This place was amazing. It was our first trip in our new RV and it couldn’t of been more beautiful. There were super cute cabins available as well as tent sites. We came in the beginning of March and it was fairly empty so that made it really nice as well. River was stunning and it was neat to walk across the bridge and check out the old historic mining town. We are going back in august and can’t wait. Looking forward to rafting in the river !
Legend
This review is based on an off-season visit. During the summer months, this campground would likely have a much different vibe. In fact, our family camped at Rollins Lake 20+ years ago and had a great time (although it was at a different RL campground). This is one of two Rollins Lake campgrounds open in the off-season; it is open for camping, boating, swimming, and picnicking year-round. Although we saw several boat trailers in the day-use area, there was only one occupied campsite on a Tuesday in late October. The camp store was closed for the season.
There is a mix of FHU, electric, and tent sites. The sites have gravel camper pads, and many were not clearly defined and, in fact, seemed to be laid out in a hodgepodge fashion, making it difficult to see where the sites were separated. If the campground was full, there would be little to no privacy/separation between sites.
I thought the fees were a bit high for this campground - $51 for a tent site, $56 for electric, and $65 for FHU. The website does not provide much information on camping, so I called. It took more than a month for my call to be returned. We felt a little like Goldilocks but after eating our lunch, we decided to head further down the road in search of a more affordable campground.
Traveler
This campground offered everything I needed and nothing I did not. My tent site was perfect. The lake was absolutely stunning. I rented a kayak and took a lovely paddle enjoying the serenity and beauty of the High Sierras. Around my campfire, I could here birds singing and wind blowing through the trees. The funny thing is that just down the road is the thriving tourism of Truckee, CA. When I wanted to be social, I went there and had an amazing time too.
Tent camping near Applegate, California, offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and relaxation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.
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