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Camping near Strawberry Valley, California ranges from forested sites and lakeside retreats to full-hookup campgrounds, all within Plumas National Forest. The area features Sly Creek Campground, which sits along the shores of Sly Creek Reservoir, and several other options within driving distance such as Schoolhouse Campground and Dark Day Campground. Most sites accommodate both tent and RV camping, with varying levels of amenities. The surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills provide a scenic backdrop with opportunities for hiking, fishing, and water recreation at nearby lakes and reservoirs.
Most campgrounds in the Strawberry Valley region operate seasonally, typically from mid-May through mid-September due to winter conditions at higher elevations. Sly Creek Campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis, while others like Schoolhouse Campground accept reservations. Basic amenities such as vault toilets and drinking water are available at most established sites, though hookups are limited. Cell service is spotty throughout the area, particularly at more remote locations. Fire restrictions are common during summer and fall months, so visitors should check current regulations before arrival.
Conditions vary significantly between developed and more remote sites. Campgrounds closer to Highway 49, such as Fiddle Creek, provide easier access but may experience road noise. According to reviews, some campgrounds require navigation on gravel or rough forest roads that can be challenging for larger vehicles or trailers. One visitor noted that sites at Giant Gap Campground feel "quite a good distance from highways with no stores within a half-hour drive," creating a sense of disconnection from urban areas. For those seeking more amenities, Collins Lake Recreation Area offers full hookups, showers, and a market, making it suitable for longer stays or families needing more facilities.
"This campground is above Marysville California."
"They were both lake front campsites, which meant the water or shoreline was right at our "front door" from our 27' travel trailer."
"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."
"It’s mixed RV and tent with no RV power so the generators are loud and you’ll be surrounded by them."
from $24 - $48 / night
Check Availability"I love this campground and this area of California. It is not directly situated on the Hwy, and abuts the Yuba River, which is clear and gorgeous and draws a lot of birds and wildlife."
"We were looking for a spot next to the Yuba River and found this gem. Only 17 campsites so it’s not crowded. It’s also away from any road noise."
from $24 - $48 / night
Check Availability"Great walking trails group sites are great love it"
"With pristine wilderness surrounding your tent, you can camp alongside the beautiful reservoir."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"Sly Creek Reservoir is a beautiful mountain lake with several campsites along a small portion of the lake. There is a boat ramp and ATV riding on the forest roads in the area."
"Our site even had a little bit of a private beach access to the river once you walk down from the bushes. Our site was pretty much in the sun so bring a canopy!"
from $24 / night
Check Availability"They said it would be okay as long as I had the gear to sleep outside in a tent as well. The place was quiet and we had no issues."
"Very nice campground, but cell coverage is nonexistent outside of one small area."
"You park and walk to you camping which is with other camps right by. It's not too bad and if you get a group you can get your own little slice of the campground to yourself. "
from $24 / night
Check Availability"If you are looking for a small campground with full hookups, on the lake, close to Table Mountain and Feather Falls, this is for you."
"Really enjoyed this campground which is part of the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. The staff where we checked in were helpful with all of our questions about the area."
from $45 / night
Check Availability"Dark Day is a drive up camp, but there's boat in camping available at the lake as well."
"One of our favorite Lakes"
from $24 - $72 / night
Check Availability
LegendThe campsites are on both sides of the forest service road. We were never able to locate site 1 so it must have been eliminated.
If you enjoy camping and OHV riding then this should be on your list of campgrounds to visit.
LegendDeanes campground was empty when we visited. There are sites that provide ample space and our 26’ toy hauler would fit in with no trouble.
Vault toilet was clean and most of the camp sites were well maintained.
Of the three campgrounds in this area, Deanes was my favorite.
LegendThis campground is situated between the creek and meadow. At 6100 feet it offers some relief from the valley heat.
When we visited there were three sites, 4-6, which were the nicest of all the sites.
Site 6 is close to the meadow and when we visited this campground there were two deer enjoying the tall grass in the meadow.
Site 5 is closest to the creek and the creek sounds are enjoyable and relaxing.
Site 4 is the largest of all the sites and site 3 is not only small but the road to access the site is in poor condition which makes access difficult.
ScoutWe stayed on a Tuesday night in July and we think there was only one other camper in the campground. We aren’t sure because we arrived at 10:00 pm and didn’t see anyone but then saw them the next morning while touring the entire campground. Paved pads that were somewhat level, concrete picnic tables that were pretty clean, clean bathrooms and showers that required tokens. Pretty nice overall with some campsites arranged for groups of campers while others had good spacing. We stayed in site 28. The fire pit was very tall(36”) and about 75% full of ashes but we did not have a campfire. Mid-July was pretty warm with a low at night of 72. Overall a nice campground that is on the hills and above the lake. Some sites have lake views.
GuideThis appears to be another roadside pullout in the Demonstration Forest area rather than a legal overnight campsite. Based on on-site clarification from CAL FIRE at a nearby listing, overnight camping is not permitted in this Demonstration Forest area. Only the campground run by PG&E is legal.
Guide--- Not a legal campsite: confirmed by CAL FIRE ---
I originally stopped here with an in-progress cargo trailer conversion because this looked like an excellent roadside pullout: large, easy to access, relatively level, and long enough to maneuver a truck and trailer without drama. As a short stop, turnaround, or day-use staging spot, it is genuinely useful. However, this should not be listed or treated as an overnight campsite. While I was on-site, I was contacted by Officer Steve Garcia with CAL FIRE, who advised me that overnight camping is not permitted at this location. I had interpreted the posted seasonal“no parking” signage as suggesting that public use might be allowed outside the snow-removal season, but he clarified that the signage relates to snow removal and does not authorize overnight camping in the Demonstration Forest area. For practical details: the pullout itself is easy to enter and exit, with enough room for a modest trailer rig to get fully out of traffic and turn around. Road noise drops off substantially overnight, though traffic begins again in the morning. The area may be useful for a brief rest stop, equipment check, turnaround, or day-use pause. But as a camping location, the important information is simple: Do not plan to camp here overnight. I’m updating this review so others don’t make the same assumption I did. This is a good pullout, but it is not a legal overnight campsite.
GuideIf you are looking for Free Dispersed camping then this is the place. No hookups but there is a toilet at the entrance (about 1 mile from the highway). The first mile was gravel. Turning towards the Sheep Camp the road gets a lot rougher and narrow. I have a smaller RV with 9-10” ground clearance and we were jumping around a bit and taking a lot of trees down the side of the RV. We set up at the end of the road past the Sheep Camp and got Absolutly Overrun with an actual Sheep Herd along with their protectors (3-4 dogs who just barked as us and visited several times in the middle of the night just to remind us not to mess with their sheep). We moved closer to the bathrooms away from the sheep. We were able to get good sky views and solid Starlink connection. This was 4th of July and there was no one there the first day and only two other sites the next. Very quiet. Near the bathrooms there is a dozen sites but I think there are way more if you don’t turn at the bathroom and continue down the road you can camp more in the meadows.
GuideIndian Valley. Site 5. I love this campground and this area of California. It is not directly situated on the Hwy, and abuts the Yuba River, which is clear and gorgeous and draws a lot of birds and wildlife. A small, quiet family campground with an excellent local host couple. Vault toilets are kept clean. Site 5 has a large open space to the right and a beautiful view to the scenery beyond the river. The vault toilet was close, and now and then I could smell an odor, but it was not constant, nor terrible.
ScoutClean sharp fun to be there. Lots of staff roaming around and helping. Bring your BBQ
Dispersed camping near Strawberry Valley, California ranges from forested sites to reservoir-adjacent spots between 3,000 and 4,000 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Summer temperatures typically reach the high 80s during day and drop to the 50s at night. Most campgrounds in this region have bear boxes due to active black bear populations, making proper food storage essential for campers.
Water recreation at Sly Creek Reservoir: The pristine waters at Sly Creek Campground offer excellent kayaking and fishing opportunities. As one camper noted, "We enjoyed getting into our kayaks and on to the water. We took some video footage as well. There was great fishing but we didn't catch anything."
River swimming and floating: The North Yuba River runs near several campgrounds in the area. At Fiddle Creek, "People pan for gold and some walk up the road to Jackson Hole to float down. About 5 mins up, pass a few houses on your right."
Wildlife viewing: The region supports diverse wildlife populations. At Lake of the Springs, "Each day a family of deer came thru our site and were so tame they ate fruit right out of the kids' hands. So cool!"
Hiking nearby trails: Multiple hiking options exist within short drives of campsites. Carlton Flat Campground offers "awesome place for bird watching, hanging up your hammock and enjoying nature. Wonderful views of the mountains and sunset. Also best place for a long hike."
Secluded riverside locations: Indian Valley provides quiet camping away from busy roads. One camper described it as "Beautiful and peaceful. We were looking for a spot next to the Yuba River and found this gem. Only 17 campsites so it's not crowded. It's also away from any road noise."
Spacious campsites: Many campgrounds offer generous spacing between sites. At Schoolhouse Campground, "the campsites are shady and spacious, awesome hiking trail nearby, bathrooms were clean, and the reservoir was beautiful!"
Swimming options during hot weather: Lakes and reservoirs provide relief from summer heat. At Lake of the Springs, "It was over 100 degrees the wknd we were there so we spent practically the whole wknd in the lake. It was the perfect temperature to sit in for hours. No motorized water craft kept it quiet."
Clean facilities: Most campgrounds maintain well-kept amenities. Bidwell Canyon Campground has "clean campground, efficient check in" and "bathrooms were top notch clean!"
Road noise impacts some campgrounds: Highway proximity affects certain sites. Carlton Flat Campground has "ROAD NOISE. So. Much. Road. Noise. There was next to zero peaceful outdoor serenity. Not only the noise from the road, but the headlights hit our tent all night as well."
Water access varies significantly: Not all waterfront campgrounds offer easy shore access. At Schoolhouse Campground, "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."
Limited cell service: Many campgrounds have poor connectivity. Lake of the Springs has "no cell service in any of the loops and WiFi isn't great" while at Bidwell Canyon Campground, visitors report "spotty cell service."
Seasonal wildlife concerns: Depending on timing, insects can be problematic. At Fiddle Creek, "Another negative is the abundance of mosquitoes, which I guess you have to expect when you're near a river but still not pleasant."
Look for campgrounds with beach access: Collins Lake Recreation Area offers family-friendly shorelines. "Great Lake and RV Park. We stayed in spot 110 with a lakefront view" and another camper noted it's "Great place for family camping. They also have boat rentals."
Choose sites with shade during summer: Temperature management matters for comfort. "The site gets a lot of sun in the morning and afternoon, so bring a popup canopy for shade—it made a big difference for us!"
Consider off-peak timing for less crowding: Some campgrounds become very busy during peak periods. One camper at Collins Lake reported it was "Not a bad campsite, but was surrounded by RVs and people walking around. Can't bring dogs onto the beach area which was a bummer, but was too crowded anyways."
Prepare for wildlife encounters: Bears frequent many campgrounds in the area. At Schoolhouse Campground, "This is bear country so we had a nightly visitor, the bear boxes are there for a reason so use them!"
Check site dimensions carefully: Many campgrounds have challenging terrain for larger rigs. At Bidwell Canyon Campground, "A lot of the sites are very uneven, ours was almost terraced, and the tent area was barely big enough for our 8 person tent. When I took a drive around it looked like many were similarly sloped/terraced not a flat site."
Reserve lakefront sites early: Premium waterfront locations fill quickly. At Collins Lake, "Both campsites, #66 and #116 had power, water and sewage. They were both lake front campsites, which meant the water or shoreline was right at our 'front door' from our 27' travel trailer."
Be prepared for tight navigation: Some campgrounds have challenging entry points. Schoolhouse Campground can be difficult as "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."
Plan for generator noise or restrictions: Different campgrounds have varying policies. At Schoolhouse Campground, "It's mixed RV and tent with no RV power so the generators are loud and you'll be surrounded by them."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Strawberry Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Strawberry Valley, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 304 campgrounds and RV parks near Strawberry Valley, CA and 13 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Strawberry Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Strawberry Valley, CA is Collins Lake Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 26 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Strawberry Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 free dispersed camping spots near Strawberry Valley, CA.
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