Best Campgrounds near Emigrant Gap, CA

Clean and friendly staff.
Nice stop for showers, laundry and relaxation.

Beautiful spot 1/2 mile walk to lake, wild horses roaming camp, quiet & clean.

We have stayed at two other parks in Reno, both were just okay, from the number of sites to the actual crowding together of the sites. 

 Gold Ranch has very wide interior roads that make navigating easy with a toad. Sites are arranged nicely with a decent distance in-between. We had site 30 which was a pull in, motorhomes only. We had a view of the mountains to the west. The only drawback would be in the summer facing west,  the front windshield would have a lot of heat gain along with some interstate noise. Management was very responsive and considerate. We did have a camper that was allowing their dog to run loose and management responded promptly. We asked if we could extend our stay if needed. We did need to stay one extra day. I was prepared to move the Bird, but they had blocked our site for a few more days. No need to move...that was very considerate. This may not have happened in their busy season, but it was a welcomed! Only 15 minutes into downtown Reno. This will be our go-to when we are back in the area.

If you look at the map from Hwy 50 just south of Kyburz, you will see a green tag.  Hit that tag and it takes you to Bighorn Campground, not the location of the green arrow.

Some friends of ours love North Fork Campground just off I-80 at Emigrant Gap, so we were going to try it on the way back from the California coast to Reno.  North Fork Campground was nice, and would have been a good place to spend the night, but felt a bit dark and tight with dense foliage along the beginnings of the North Fork of the American River.  We saw that Onion Valley Campground was just a bit further.  Nobody there, so we took a spot at the far end of the campground next to the meadow.  Very peaceful for a short afternoon stop and a morning departure.

We visited this camp ground last year for a pre-spring getaway and really liked it.  Tried it again this week, and it was great again.  About 3 weeks later in March than last year so there were a few more people.  The grass is green, and the leaves are out on all the oak trees which makes it more beautiful.  Everyone else was on the loop near the shore.  We picked a site away from everyone else at the other end of the campground with a stunning view over the lake.  Highly recommended for a spring visit.

$28.00 per night

The road up to Iowa Hill is terrifying- especially in the dark. We camped in our 4runner as we got there when it was dark and there was so much glass and shell casings everywhere from what seems to be a local shooting area. the town nearby is a bit eerie but fun to explore. it worked for one night! No amenities, but a bathroom and paid campsite down the rugged road so come with everything you need. Hike nearby with waterfall is beautiful

Sympathique mais pas très calme. Toutes commodités dispo

We came for an overnight after a run of wet weather and it was a little bit muddy. We were prepared for it and the host and helped us pick a good spot so ended up not making any difference. The alpacas were plentiful, the views were good and it made for a good night.

Found this on iOverland. The toad leading up, cuts through a nice neighborhood, has many inverse speed bumps, so take it slow. Once you get to the area you’re navigation tells you you have to walk from there, keep driving through, in between the water tanks and it’ll start to get a little rough, but manageable, even for a small fwd vehicle (saw one in the morning). The sign says closed during the winter, but there were people still coming to hike and explore. Very quiet night, just the water from for the fenced off collection pool system going all the time. Just stayed one night. Arrived at dusk and left after breakfast.

I am a 12 year old and I had tons of fun. Me and my friends were up there and there was conveniently a campground available in there same campsite. We went in the summer and the water was perfect! We went fishing and caught crawfish in a trap underneath the bridge near the front. Overall the staff were really nice and it was a great trip. I recommend it!

This place and his staff were absolutely amazing. I had a couple of different times where I needed to change the spot and without fail they were there to help. Quite CLEAN everything! I wanted to stop awhile 30 days later I was told goodbye👋 cause I know the rules at a State Park!🤦😔😔💩

I am not the easiest but the staff has a heart of gold and at every turn we’re really there to help.

Camped here for what we thought would be a couple of nights for an event. However, event was canceled due to massive wild fire (air quality index was horrible, so stayed 1 night and left ASAP next morning). Campground is right on the main drag through town and just across the street and a short walk to the lake, although the lake does not permit dogs in this area. Nice walking/biking paths, but heavily commercial district means lots of traffic going by. Site (#E06) is huge with enough space for several RVs, but we parked sideways adjacent to the picnic table and had spot near to bathrooms/showers which are clean but a bit ragged around the edges. 

Food aside: Dinner of Curly's pork with cheese and Hatch green chile tortillas. Good to come back here at some point when not high season and can stay more in camping zone, this is a pretty commercial district.

We stayed one night on our way through the area. Spot was nice level and clean. We loved the bike paths all though out the area. Rode In to south Tahoe and had a great experience.