Best Campgrounds near Garden Valley, CA

Garden Valley, California sits within a diverse camping landscape where the American River watershed provides numerous waterfront opportunities. Established campgrounds like Coloma Resort and American River Resort in nearby Coloma offer full amenities including hookups, showers, and cabin options for those seeking comfort. Camp Lotus and Thousand Trails Ponderosa in Lotus provide year-round access with varying levels of development. The region spans from developed riverside resorts to more rustic options in the surrounding Eldorado National Forest, where Dru Barner Campground offers a more natural setting with fewer amenities but greater seclusion.

Fire restrictions and seasonal water levels significantly impact camping experiences in this area. Summer brings hot, dry conditions with temperatures regularly exceeding 90°F, while winter can see occasional snow at higher elevations. Many campgrounds require advance reservations, particularly during rafting season when riverside sites fill quickly. As one camper noted, "Beautiful fall surroundings right adjacent to the South Fork of the American River. Easy walk or car ride to numerous hiking trails." Bear activity necessitates proper food storage throughout the region, and wildfire risk often leads to campfire bans during late summer and fall months. Cell service varies widely, with better coverage near Coloma and spotty reception in forest areas.

Riverside camping receives consistently high ratings from visitors who appreciate the combination of natural settings with recreational opportunities. The American River provides popular swimming holes, fishing spots, and seasonal whitewater rafting. Campers frequently mention the peaceful sound of flowing water as a highlight of their stay. Wildlife sightings, including deer and occasionally bears, add to the experience. While most campgrounds maintain clean facilities, some visitors note that sites can be close together, particularly at the more developed resorts. Road noise affects some locations, as one reviewer mentioned: "It can be a little noisy with the close proximity to the road. But park is clean with lots of trees." Historical gold rush sites and hiking trails provide additional activities beyond water recreation.

Best Camping Sites Near Garden Valley, California (327)

    1. Coloma Resort

    15 Reviews
    Coloma, CA
    4 miles
    Website

    "Beautiful fall surroundings right adjacent to the South Fork of the American River. Easy walk or car ride to numerous hiking trails."

    "If you ever want to experience the thrill of gold panning, and California history go here!"

    2. American River Resort

    11 Reviews
    Coloma, CA
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 622-6700

    "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."

    "It is right in the American River and next to a class 3 rapid called Trouble Maker. It was awesome watching rafters and kayakers go through it."

    3. Thousand Trails Ponderosa

    9 Reviews
    Coloma, CA
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift."

    "Great spot if you can get in half of the camp got washed away from the rain this year though ."

    4. Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    32 Reviews
    Granite Bay, CA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (916) 791-1531

    $28 - $48 / night

    "As with most of California everything is dry. The lake is very low and a half mile walk from park to get to. The sites are surrounded by dry tall grass and spaced out nicely."

    "As full timers- we thought we hit the jackpot for the area in order to be near the towns we wanted to explore and also have service for good wifi."

    5. Dru Barner Campground — Eldorado National Forest

    7 Reviews
    Georgetown, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 333-4312

    $3 - $8 / night

    "A lovely quiet spot midweek, quiet drive to Georgetown for some great breakfasts if you want some classic American diner fare."

    "Close to Georgetown and to the El Dorado National Forest. Super clean and easy to get to. Signs off 193 are well marked! The have horse corrals too if you’re into that. Highly recommend!"

    6. Peninsula Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    15 Reviews
    Granite Bay, CA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (916) 988-0215

    $28 / night

    "Very quite camping spot very clean.coin operated showers😭 lake is very close by."

    "Folsom lake is a great place to take the boat, beals point has a snack bar, life guards and equipment rentals, there are plenty of places you can drive or boat to get away from the crowds if you prefer"

    7. Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area

    7 Reviews
    Cool, CA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 885-4527

    $38 / night

    "I’ve been here about 8-10 times and every time I love my stay, it’s a quiet getaway around 45 mins away from me and the sound of the river is amazing."

    "Place the cash ($28 a night) in the envelope and put it in the post that’s on the parking entrance."

    8. Ghost Mountain RV Campground

    12 Reviews
    Pollock Pines, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 644-5476

    "It reminded me of Lake Pillsbury north of Clear Lake Ca where we as a family had been camping since 1981. But with just over 2hr drive not 6hr with trailer. There is a pool, and kids pool."

    "About 1.5hr from Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Built thick forest of the Sierra mountains. Nice size campsites. Water and Electricity only."

    9. Ruck-A-Chucky Campground — Auburn State Recreation Area

    6 Reviews
    Applegate, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 885-4527

    "Our site was next to the raft launch/pickup, so there were a couple of groups picked up during the day. Bathrooms were average and the site was maintained well."

    "(Small cars made it down ther without difficulty)

    Once at the camp ground, right on the waters edge, grab up the 3rd site on the right. It is literally on the edge of the river."

    10. Camp Lotus

    3 Reviews
    Coloma, CA
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 622-8672
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Recent Reviews near Garden Valley, CA

1165 Reviews of 327 Garden Valley Campgrounds


  • Shir S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    El Dorado

    Great place before lake tahoe

    We drove from redwood to Lake Tahoe and wanted a place to stay since it got late Good place Online booking and entrance if after hours and affordable price opposed to other sites in the area

  • Levi K.
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Campground by the Lake

    Not all reservations

    This is a great spot. We were out there the whole weekend and enjoyed the campground and lo9k forward to going back. There are first come first serve spaces available and that worked out great. The campground was not packed or to noisy over the weekend. We look forward to going back

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 18, 2025

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Perfect

    Arrived pretty late so didn’t want to disturb others to check out all the sites, luckily there is a huge parking lot type area right in the front. Stayed for a night there with some other cars , no problems. Nice area. Easy drive in.

  • J
    Sep. 17, 2025

    American River Resort

    Perfect match

    During our stay (mid of September) the place was empty and we had the most relaxed time we could have. RV site close to the river and some deers also crossing our ways on the campground

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 14, 2025

    Bowman Lake Dispersed

    Awesome site for SUVs

    Awesome site, stayed in my van on the boat launch. There are tent sites above the boat ramp with bear boxes and fire rings. Left side of tent sites is very loud due to the rushing river. Very secluded from others, only 2 others on the boat ramp in vans. do not attempt to do this in anything smaller than an SUv sedans would definitely not be able to make it to this site. Road has lots of holes and rocks sticking up out the ground.

  • Victoria S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 11, 2025

    Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping

    Serene Camping

    There were definitely a few long term campers here. But the place was very clean. No cell service fyi. Easy to get to, road is dirt but has very few bumps.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    South Yuba Campground

    nice wooded campground

    No cell signal here - speed test is from starlink. Note google & garmin routing from Nevada City takes a bridge with a 4 Ton weight restriction.

  • Steve M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2025

    Mormon Emigrant Trail Dispersed Pull Off

    Good spot for a night or two but nothing here

    Easy to get to and easy to park at although not a great spot for tents. Unfortunately there was a massive fire here and there is nothing to look at but burned out trees.

  • M
    Aug. 28, 2025

    North Fork Campground

    Nice quiet campground and river

    I stopped by here to check out the campground and found it to be very nice quiet and clean. There is a nice river running along the side with a waterfall and a few nice deep swimming holes. I got the only FCFS site and it was nice.


Guide to Garden Valley

Garden Valley camping spots provide access to both the American River and the surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills. Located at approximately 1,800 feet elevation, the area creates a transition zone between lower elevation chaparral and higher pine forests. Winter temperatures range from 30-55°F while summer reaches 85-100°F with little rainfall from May through September.

What to do

Gold panning at Coloma Resort: Experience California history hands-on just minutes from Garden Valley. "If you ever want to experience the thrill of gold panning, and California history go here! You will not strike it rich, but with a couple hours of effort you can get a nice little bottle of gold flakes to take home with you," notes one visitor to Coloma Resort.

Mountain biking on local trails: The Dru Barner area offers excellent single-track options through forested terrain. A camper at Dru Barner Campground reports, "The near by Otter Creek Trail is a nice day hike though a bit of switch backing elevation to get down to the creek. Lots of wild turkeys, deer, and birds."

Rapids watching at American River Resort: View Class III rapids from your campsite. "It is right in the American River and next to a class 3 rapid called Trouble Maker. It was awesome watching rafters and kayakers go through it," shares a visitor who stayed at American River Resort.

What campers like

Riverside camping at Camp Lotus: Grassy tent sites along the water provide comfortable setup spots. "Appreciate the grassy camping spots, showers, and restrooms! For your convenience, there is an on-site deli that serves breakfast, lunch, and pastries. There is also a store where they sell ice, drinks, ice cream, snacks, toiletries, and other items," notes one camper at Camp Lotus.

Secluded forest sites at Dru Barner: Midweek visits often mean having large sections of the campground to yourself. A visitor mentioned, "A lovely quiet spot midweek, quiet drive to Georgetown for some great breakfasts if you want some classic American diner fare. Midweek and off season we had the place to ourselves 3 days."

Clean facilities at Beals Point: State park standards maintain good bathroom conditions. "Nice services; clean bathrooms and coin op showers. Very green early in the season, lake extremely low, warm evenings already. GREAT cell service for working remotely. 5G with 5 bars," reports a camper at Beals Point Campground.

What you should know

Water access varies seasonally: Lake and river levels change dramatically throughout the year. "The lake was VERY low, but it was still fun to play around and float away the hot early fall afternoon," notes a visitor to Mineral Bar in Auburn State Recreation Area.

Limited site privacy at popular campgrounds: Many campgrounds feature closely spaced sites. "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."

Advance planning essential for popular weekends: Holiday periods fill quickly at all campgrounds. "Definitely recommend visiting if you are able to make a reservation! The spaces are a bit small but clean. The bathrooms are spotless and they offer a lot of amenities for families."

Tips for camping with families

Water safety precautions: Supervise children near the American River at all times. "This campground is located on the North Fork of the American River. In season, this campground would be very popular with rafters; there is a raft launch and takeout area close to the campsites. The river was crystal clear and beautiful."

Kid-friendly activities at Coloma Resort: Multiple play spaces available for different age groups. "Pool, playground, basketball and soccer - will definitely be back with the kids soon," shares a visitor to Coloma Resort.

Educational opportunities at Peninsula Campground: Learn about local ecology through nature trails. "A lot of awesome trails and little environmental signs to walk around and learn about the area. Highly recommend! Some of my favorite campsites. Awesome in spring where the flowers and grass are POPPING," notes a camper at Peninsula Campground.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: Most campgrounds offer partial hookups only. "Our site had 30 amp only and I doubt any of them have 50 amp. The power is not good. I had to bypass the surge suppressor because it kept cutting out due to low voltage. Voltage was generally 104-105," reports an RVer at American River Resort.

Tight access roads at some locations: Large rigs face challenges at several Garden Valley area campgrounds. "I would be very cautious about coming here with a larger RV. Ours is 30' bumper to bumper. I think 32 would be ok. Be aware that Garmin nav might take you the wrong way. Apple Maps had it correct though."

Honey wagon services available: Some campgrounds offer scheduled tank pumping. "There is Honeybucket truck that comes around Monday Wednesday and Friday. A dump station on site," notes a camper about Ghost Mountain RV Campground.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Garden Valley, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, Garden Valley, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 327 campgrounds and RV parks near Garden Valley, CA and 21 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Garden Valley, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Garden Valley, CA is Coloma Resort with a 4.7-star rating from 15 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Garden Valley, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 21 free dispersed camping spots near Garden Valley, CA.

What parks are near Garden Valley, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 25 parks near Garden Valley, CA that allow camping, notably Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.