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Best Glamping near Downieville, CA

153 Reviews

Sardine Lake's glamping options feature comfortable canvas accommodations at this hidden Sierra Nevada gem, with sites perfectly positioned near stunning alpine lakes and hiking trails. The glamping sites boast picnic tables, drinking water access, and fire rings, while accommodating both walk-in and drive-in visitors seeking an elevated outdoor experience. Little Bear RV Park offers additional glamping accommodations with modern amenities including full hookups, showers, and trash service in a picturesque setting. One visitor noted, "Despite the beautiful Joshua trees this campground is not a great place to stay. The roads are in terrible condition, trash is strewn throughout, and staff is less than friendly or helpful."

Glampers enjoy direct access to spectacular water recreation at Jackson Meadows Reservoir from East Meadow Campground, where several luxury canvas tents provide comfortable beds and rustic furnishings. Swimming at Sand Pond, paddleboarding on crystal-clear alpine lakes, and hiking to Sierra Buttes create memorable outdoor experiences. The nearby Thousand Trails Snowflower property includes yurt accommodations with heated interiors and comfortable furnishings for year-round glamping possibilities. A recent visitor mentioned, "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." The most popular glamping locations require advance reservations, particularly during the peak season from May through October.

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Best Glamping Sites Near Downieville, California (33)

    1. Sardine Lake

    9 Reviews
    Sierra City, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 478-6253

    $24 - $48 / night

    "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."

    "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."

    2. East Meadow Campground

    7 Reviews
    Sierra City, CA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 265-8861

    $24 - $48 / night

    "So remote and private but everything you need at the campground with water access within walking distance. Sites are great with picnic tables and bathrooms near by."

    "Bugs were minimal, a far cry from about 3 weeks ago at a nearby site. We were in Site 16, which has the ‘camp’ side opposite of our camper door - only reason we gave 4 stars & not 5."

    3. Little Bear RV Park

    5 Reviews
    Blairsden-Graeagle, CA
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 836-2774

    $39 - $47 / night

    "Surprised how well maintained and friendly staff assisting with set up. Nice dog large area without enclosed fencing. All short term campers are located in the center very cozy."

    "The staff was friendly. The bathroom/shower was closed and I wish there had been easier access to the river but other than that it was a great place to stay."

    4. Inn Town Campground

    12 Reviews
    Nevada City, CA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 265-9900

    "The common house has a fully stocked kitchen so you can camp without having to bring supplies! The campground is exceptionally clean and meticulously maintained."

    "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)."

    5. Black Rock Campground

    3 Reviews
    Yucca Valley, CA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 534-6500

    "Very pretty views of the valley from the campground, and having hiking trails start from the campground was really nice. Only complaints are very close neighbors and little shade."

    6. Thousand Trails Snowflower

    6 Reviews
    Emigrant Gap, CA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "Great lake for swimming and water play. Too warm for trout and too small for kayaks/SUPs. But it does make a beautiful backdrop. 
    The park is rather spread out, so a bicycle/ebike is a plus."

    "I am a member of Thousand Trails and that being said this is one of my favorite TT spots in California. Family friendly, great little Lake for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding."

    7. Lodgepole Campground

    5 Reviews
    Emigrant Gap, CA
    22 miles
    Website

    $32 / night

    "The campsite was close to other campers, but not right on top of them. The location is ideal. Bathrooms were the least favorite part, only one bathroom (with 4 stalls?)"

    "There are plenty of places to fill up potable water, recycle and dump trash. "

    8. Collins Lake Recreation Area

    22 Reviews
    Oregon House, CA
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 692-1600

    "*pros: great little market, very nice staff, clean, great views *cons: rocky watch your step, especially at the beach and a long the shore."

    "We’ve been to Collins Lake a few times and we love it! Lots of different camping spots and the lake is stocked with fish. Ice cream at the store is a must."

    9. Golden Trout Campground

    1 Review
    Strawberry Valley, CA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 283-2050

    "This campground had riding trails that could bring you to Sly Creek and secret camping sites that a quad or 4 wheel drive could find. It's closed until 2023 due to the fires."

    10. Lake of the Woods

    4 Reviews
    Sierraville, CA
    23 miles

    "Small lake perfect for kayak fishing."

    "Nice campground at great lake. Nice water for swimming. Fire rings and benches for each site. A dirt road to get to the campsite, but doable for experienced drivers or high clearance cars."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Downieville, CA

23 Photos of 33 Downieville Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Downieville, CA

153 Reviews of 33 Downieville Campgrounds

  • Gina C.
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Lake Francis Resort

    Fun cabin rental

    Some of my family has camped here in the past at one of the tent sites. We decided this time around to reserve one of their cabins. We stayed at the Diamond P cabin which has the best view of the lake within this group of cabins. You can walk to the lake (it’s about 100 yards) from this location. Though it does fill up fast (by 11am it was pretty full). They have a large portable toilet there for use. We spent our time at the pool which is near the flushable toilets and the ice cream parlor, restaurant, and camp store. The pool goes from 3.5’ ft to 5’ back to 3.5’ ft.

    The cabin was great. Two bedrooms, each with twin bunk beds and a full bottom bunk and twin above. Small bathroom with shower, mini fridge, hot plates, microwave, and dishes. Dining table and futon in the living area. Nice wide front porch to sit on and enjoy the view, communal tables and bbq for all the cabins. This unit also had a swamp cooler to help manage the heat.

    Check in is 4pm and check out is 11am. There is also a small game room with a pool table, a baseball field, paddle boats, and kayaks to rent.

    The down side is how quickly the easiest access to the lake fills up. Everyone has to drive over from the tent RV site to access the water. There are other places you can drive and park to get to the water, but there it a drop off into the water from there vs a gradual walk in.

  • A
    Jun. 18, 2020

    Inn Town Campground

    Unlike Any Other!

    The Inn Town Campground is unlike any other campground I’ve ever been to. We have stayed in one of the glampinig tents, and have also brought our RV. The common house has a fully stocked kitchen so you can camp without having to bring supplies! The campground is exceptionally clean and meticulously maintained. We even had a heated mattress pad in our glamping tent to keep warm 😁 The owners, Dan and Erin Thiem, really have thought of everything. Staying with them is a must!

  • Travis S.
    Jul. 25, 2019

    Inn Town Campground

    In a word, excellent!

    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!

  • H
    Aug. 1, 2021

    Inn Town Campground

    Great getaway!

    We 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!

  • m
    Aug. 13, 2018

    Thousand Trails Snowflower

    SUP and kayak friendly

    we found there to be a lot of rules at this campground such as no fires, however there is a community fire pit. No driving over 5 MPH, no charcoal grills or smokers, only electric and propane grills. They are also very serious about the 11pm quiet time.

    Aside from all the rules this was a very clean, family and pet friendly campground. Very clean bathrooms with showers!! There are a few lakes that are very nice for fishing and kayaking. Nice calm water for a leisurely SUP experience.

  • T
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Coyote Group Campground

    Coyote Group Camp

    • Large croup camp site with lots of flat places to pitch a tent. • Clean pit toilets. • 3x Bear food and 4x trash/recycling bins. • 2 (or 3?) water spigots • 4 big picnic tables • Some shade • Uneven terrain around sites and lots of fallen trees • Lots of parking, including triller/RV parking. Parking is paved and flat.

    • Walking distance to the river • Big fire pit

    We enjoyed this site! Excellent for a big group. I think we had 18 people. There could an additional bear bin to support as much food/scented items as a group of 25 would need. We ended up using the extra bear-proof trash bins as overflow scented item/food storage. Worked well.

  • Eric S.
    Aug. 30, 2020

    William Kent Campground

    What a great spot in Sunnyside/Tahoe City.

    What a great spot in Sunnyside/Tahoe City. This is the cleanest campground we’ve ever stayed in. When we arrived the camp hosts were very welcoming and informative with local suggestions (we’re up here at least 8-10 times a year if only on a day drip or long and I learned some insights) they also warned about momma bear and her cubs. Unfortunately we never caught a glimpse but a good warning to be careful with where you leave food. The bathrooms were cleaned several times a day and even had soap. Our site was freshly raked and the fire pit was freshly cleaned out as well. The campers were respectful and not a party crowd like you can get on the South Shore. We will definitely be back.

  • Alex P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2020

    Laufman Campground

    Very secluded

    It appeared that this campground hadn’t seen much traffic recently, some of the sites were very overgrown. There were pit toilets that seemed like they hadn’t been maintained but they were there nonetheless. It’s a one way drive thru so you have to drive up past the sign to the upper part of the drive thru. Picnic tables and fire rings, but you’ll need your own water and trash must be packed out. Free site, very lovely.

  • A
    Aug. 20, 2019

    Little Bear RV Park

    Gem in the words

    Surprised how well maintained and friendly staff assisting with set up. Nice dog large area without enclosed fencing. All short term campers are located in the center very cozy. Lots of families and kids and noisy. We were able to ride bike in the park and on the road that was safe with little to no traffic. Several grass areas for guest minus pets. The perimeter areas are for permanent residence with several for sale. So no chance of getting some nice sites. A number of tiny cottages to rent. The railroad tracks along side of park and loud in early hours you got use to it. Will return but off season when kids are back in school. Also no access to creek from park. Recommend very clean park

Guide to Downieville

Glamping close to Downieville, California offers an elevated camping experience in the Sierra Nevada mountains at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 7,000 feet. The region experiences warm summer days with temperatures typically between 75-85°F and cool nights dropping to 45-55°F. Most glamping sites remain open from late May through mid-October due to seasonal snowfall that makes winter access challenging.

What to do

Swimming at clear mountain lakes: Lake of the Woods provides excellent swimming opportunities with its shallow areas featuring white sand. "Nice water for swimming. Fire rings and benches for each site. A dirt road to get to the campsite, but doable for experienced drivers or high clearance cars," notes one Lake of the Woods visitor.

Hiking to scenic viewpoints: The Sierra Buttes trail system offers challenging terrain with significant elevation gain. A visitor to Sardine Lake mentions, "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!" Many trails connect directly to Sardine Lake campground, making it convenient for day hikers.

Fishing in stocked waters: Multiple lakes in the area maintain healthy fish populations. "Great fishing in the lower lake," reports a Sardine Lake camper, while another notes that Lake of the Woods is "a small lake perfect for kayak fishing."

What campers like

Proximity to multiple water bodies: The region features numerous lakes within short driving distances. "Gorgeous view of sardine lake and sand pond in walking distance and lots of other lakes around the area," reports one camper, while another adds, "The lake is beautiful and Sand Pond is great for swimming."

Peace and seclusion: Many campers appreciate the quiet atmosphere. One Inn Town Campground visitor notes, "Close to town but feels like faraway. Very nice campground. Next to train museum. Great common area. Lots of places to explore."

Clean facilities: Campgrounds in the area maintain good standards. At East Meadow Campground, a visitor appreciates that "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."

What you should know

Seasonal insects: Mosquitoes can be problematic in certain areas, particularly near water. A visitor to Lake of the Woods warns, "The mosquitoes were gone by the morning but mosquitoes do love hanging out by the water."

Variable site quality: Not all sites offer equal amenities or views. At East Meadow Campground, one camper notes, "First time there and we reserved a spot, site 21 and the door of our camper wasn't facing our camp. I noticed a few sites like that. It's pretty tight spaces and not a lot of privacy."

Limited cell service: Most glamping locations have minimal or no connectivity. "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," advises a Sardine Lake visitor.

Advance planning required: First-come, first-served sites fill quickly during peak season. As noted for Lake of the Woods, "Spots are first come first served and can fill up quickly."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Downieville, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Downieville, CA is Sardine Lake with a 4.9-star rating from 9 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Downieville, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 33 glamping camping locations near Downieville, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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