Looking for dispersed camping near Calpine? Find everything from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking with The Dyrt. From secluded to easily reachable, we offer dispersed campsites near Calpine just for you.
There is no "campground here" Please be aware most of the Dog / Sardine Valley is private property and a working ranch. The places near the valley floor with picnic tables - those are sheep camps. The places with firepits, also sheep camps. Please respect private property and make sure you are camping in the BLM / USDA lands that rim the valley. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Dog Valley provides excellent viewing of both wildflowers and flowering shrubs. Forest, meadows, and streams make up Dog Valley’s landscape, creating a cool and refreshing retreat for this popular recreation area. Dog Valley is also home to two rare plant species, Dog Valley ivesia and Webber’s ivesia. Dog Valley ivesia can only be found in Dog Valley. Other attractions include wildlife viewing and the Crystal Peak Mine, a popular spot for crystal-hounds. Dog Valley offers a variety of opportunities to view wildflowers in the Jeffery pine forests and meadows. As you enter Dog Valley from Verdi, you will see the recovery from the 1994 Crystal Fire with displays of mahala mat, silvery lupine, and chokecherry. Explore the openings in the forest with extensive displays of mule’s ear, balsamroot, buckwheats, paintbrushes, yampah, bitterbrush, bare-stem desert parsley, and manzanita. Walking around, it is easy to enjoy the smaller, less visible flowers, including collomia, prairie star flower, and blue-eyed Mary. Wetter areas have displays of shooting stars, delphinium, and Rydberg’s penstemon. Best Viewing Times: The best time to visit is June and July. Safety First: Creeks and streams can cross the road. Be careful when crossing water and watch for washed-out portions of the road. The road can be very muddy. California OHV registration is required for all vehicles. Campfire permits are also required in California and can be obtained from the Carson District Office or the campground host.
The Loch Leven begins at Placer County Road Pla-9140-2 and ends at High Loch Leven Lake. At the south end of lower Loch Leven, a trail junction continues left to middle and high Lochs, or right to Salmon Lake. Fishing is generally good, and camping is dispersed throughout the basin. Campfire permits are required for campfires, backpacking stoves, BBQs, and lanterns.
Most of Tahoe National Forest is open to camping free of charge which is referred to as “dispersed” camping. Dispersed camping is prohibited in certain areas, generally within a ¼ mile of major highway corridors, in the Lakes Basin Area (Sierra Buttes), near Prosser, Boca, Stampede, French Meadows, and Sugar Pine reservoirs, and other locations. Please see the full list of areas where dispersed camping is not allowed below.
Maps and staff are available at most Tahoe Forest Service offices to assist visitors in finding a suitable spot.
Not being in a developed campground means that there will not be certain conveniences:
Water Quality: Be prepared to bring your own drinking water or have a water filter. Lake, stream or spring water may be contaminated. Human Waste:Proper disposal of human waste is crucial. Human waste can spread disease, lead to contaminated water supplies, contaminate soils, attract wildlife, and spoil a dispersed camping area for future users. Portable eco-friendly human waste disposal systems which allow you to safely "Pack It Out" are commercially available and recommended. As a last resort, choose a spot at least 200' away from water sources and dispersed campsites, dig a small hole at least six inches deep, and cover it when you are through. Seal your toilet paper in a bag, pack it out, and dispose of it properly. No trash service - Pack It In, Pack It Out Maximum stay limit for camping is 14 days per District. Please remove all your equipment and garbage when you leave. The beauty of the natural vegetation around your campsite is probably why you chose it. Keep it healthy and growing by not cutting anything down, not putting nails into trees, and treading carefully along meadows, streamsides, and other sensitive areas. Keep your vehicle at least twelve feet from designated roads and trails to prevent resource damage and to adhere to Travel Management Regulations.
When you pick your spot, make sure that it is at least 200 feet away (about seventy paces) from streams and lakes, to help protect streamside vegetation, and prevent water degradation and sedimentation. Dispersed campsites must be outside the boundary markings of developed campgrounds and dispersed camping closure areas.
There are many fine camping spots you can reach on Tahoe National Forest motorized routes and trails, but some routes may be rough, steep, or narrow and not suited for low-clearance or for large recreation vehicles.
Guide
Just off of 80 @ the Mustang exit, east bound side. Industrial area, so trucks going by, mostly during the day, but occasionally throughout the night. Good, clean spot to rest for a night. Adjacent to the river
Guide
okay. let’s be real. the road is a beast. I would not drive it with any vehicle other than SUV/Truck. DO NOT bring up an RV/Trailer. you’ll regret it. we stayed and car camped. an awesome view of the lights of Reno. can be very windy but if you get between some of the trees it’s not to bad.
Ranger
The two closest roads coming in from the West are blocked off and labeled no unauthorized vehicles. This is due to the construction of the new neighborhoods and they probably annexed the area. You could probably access it from the East but I have no idea how many miles it would be in from where you would come in.
Ranger
It's sad where we have this public land to camp on and people just dump tons and tons of trash and abandoned cars and demolished cars on the property would not recommend going. There's some more BLM land about 15 to 20 minutes north on Red Rock road.
ScoutNot really sure if we camped in the right spot. It isn’t great, but it got the job done to just crash for a night. Felt like we were in a construction zone
Guide
(September 28th, 2023) Got here after dark and found an empty clearing to park in for the night. The moon and the stars were so bright, it felt like we were on another planet. Got to explore the area in the morning, such a cool spot! Very quiet when we were there.
Traveler
If you are looking to be near the water and no service, this is perfect. The rough road in I believe must keep some folks out but the lake is amazing.
GuideThis place was a slice of heaven, but only accessible by way of 4 x 4 with decent clearance. The trail will take you off road for quite some time , but it's well with the adventure. Traction boards and a winch could help you through unexpected obstacles and are recommended to have on hand, but you most likely won't need them. No running water, but there are restroom buildings, fire rings and bear boxes to use. Mosquitoes are abundant here. Don't forget your repellent. The lake is gorgeous, a great fishery, and there are plenty of inspirational views and solitude to be had.
ScoutThe road kinda sucks but VC is a good time. It was nice other than the road. Please remember to pack everything out, there was a lot of trash I had to pick up that was left behind by others.
Guide
The last five miles to get to this campground was narrow and rocky. Once we got to the campground, I realized narrow and rocky are okay. We were there last weekend in June and there was still snow on the ground. Woot! It was awesome. Quite a few sites there with fire rings, beat up, bear boxes that didn't open and picnic benches that were in bad shape. They had two pot toilets. This was a very busy campground. Lots of traffic on and out, I'm sure to beat the heat. It was 25 degrees cooler up there than in Sacramento. We loved this campground. I can't wait to go back.
Scout
Site looks beautiful but road turns from pavement to 4x4. Pulled over right after the pavement ended. Lots of mosquitos
TravelerDog Valley is a special place where we come to boondock. It’s quite and has a great creek. People come out here to camp, ride atvs, side by sides, dirt bikes, or off road. People target practice a lot and the ranger is very nice.
ScoutGreat camping spot and quiet.
ScoutTrash everywhere, homeless camps, didn’t feel safe but I only drove a half mile in and turned around.
ScoutI love the quietness of this spot and the view is wonderful! The only thing I don’t like is that they took the port-a-potty out, quite possibly for the cold season.
GuideI live nearby, so my family and I went for the day. We left just before sunset. It's gorgeous here. The dirt road is pretty good and not difficult for my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. There were about 3 other groups. We were there on a Thursday. We walked around the whole area where the rocks were. The campsite overlooks a valley where there is an airport. We saw a couple of paragliders. On the way in from Reno, it's very easy to find. I would love to stay here in my travel trailer. There were some huge rigs out there. All of those people had dune buggies, but nobody was driving around on the rocks when we were there. There are no amenities at all. There is just a big clearing for campers. We took our dog. She had fun.
GuideI live 10 minutes away, so I checked it out. It's sketchy driving in with a lot of trailers and cars along the road closer to the main road. There may or may nor have been people in them. We didn't see people walking around except one guy who was walking his dog on the dirt road and another guy nearby with a table next to his car. Maybe he was flying a drone. The dirt road was very rutted in a few areas. No big deal, but I was in my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. I didn't have my trailer with me. The view of the city is great, but that's it. The area to pull off is not that big, so I think it would be crowded with more than 2 other trailers. It wasn't windy at all when we were there, but I'm sure it could be because it can be very windy in this area. I wouldn't stay here unless I absolutely had to for the night. I did hear gunshots in the distance. We only stayed a few minutes to take a few pictures. No amenities like fire rings or tables.
TravelerI tried driving up the other day, but couldn’t make it due to rocks. The road starts out as a nice, easy fire road, gets a little rocky, and then by mile 6 or 7 it goes full blown rock garden. SxS’s were going through it slowly, if that helps.
Virginia City seems like a fun little town, though. And the area itself is pretty cool, just couldn’t make it all the way.
Guide
The road in is paved until you reach the real spot where you can actually set up camp. It is VERY rocky and looks like it’s pretty beaten up by Off Road Vehicles.
If you have a Trailer or RV this is NOT the place to go. There is another spot down the road that is better.
Forecast said no rain… it rained. Woke up this morning to 4inches of snow! It was majestic.
GuideIt rained when we got here… which over night at some point turned into the first snow!!!
How insanely beautiful!
Highly recommend this spot
ScoutNot such a good place. Housing construction getting very close. Lots of local foot traffic. Didn't feel comfortable here, almost felt as I was intruding. It does beat driving around aimlessly searching for a spit, plus its rather close to freeway. You have to leave somewhat early. Lots of joggers and mountain bikers. It has been trashed in the past so left lots of bad tastes in folks.
TravelerDid the trick for a night. There was one man with two rv’s there during our visit that gave us pretty bad vibes. Couldn’t go much further up the hill in our 2-wheel drive vehicle. All in all, it’s a gravel lot and road, good views, cool spot.
ScoutHaven't camped yet. Looking forward to camping in the fall. M,
TravelerTucked off, dirt road with enough seclusion and privacy to feel comfortable at night. Be forewarned that the road is super rough and you will definitely need a car with more clearance to get up it. There is a little pull out before you get to where the directions take you that is perfectly cool to camp. I wouldn’t go all the way up that little stretch of road past the water tanks unless you have a 4x4. The pullout also has a portajohn and sink if needed.
One thing to note! There are many joggers and bikers that go up this road pretty much as soon as the sun goes over the hill (about 6 in July) so just be aware of that when camping here. I wasn’t bothered by anyone and I had about 4 people pass by my car this morning.
ScoutFeels weird driving in, but there are some pull offs that have good views of the valley. Very open. Lots of trash and casings, but was quiet and felt safe. Good place to pull over if you are in the Reno area and just need to sleep.
Legend
We were looking for an overnight spot in this area and checked out this listing but there's just still too much snow at this time. The weather isn't cold, but the snow plows have pushed all the snow off the road so that it's impossible to get to any pullouts or open dispersed camping areas.
Roads are clear though, if you want to drive through and check it out.
We actually had cell reception with Verizon and Att here, which surprised us.
It's a beautiful area to come back to when the snow clears!
ScoutGot stuck for over a day trying to get to the site. Tow truck also got stuck. Would not recommend coming until spring.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Calpine, California, where nature's tranquility awaits. With a variety of options, you can enjoy the great outdoors while exploring stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Calpine, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Calpine, CA is Big Dog Valley with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Calpine, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 dispersed camping locations near Calpine, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
