Best Dispersed Camping near Grizzly Flats, CA
Searching for a dispersed camping spot near Grizzly Flats? The Dyrt can help you find the best dispersed campsites for your next trip. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.
Best Dispersed Sites Near Grizzly Flats, California (21)
1. USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
6 Reviews•27 Photos•233 SavesKyburz, California- Pets
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
2. Iron MT. Dispersed
6 Reviews•20 Photos•360 SavesEldorado National Forest, California- Pets
- Fires
- Dispersed
- Firewood Available
- WiFi
- Alcohol
3. Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
14 Reviews•21 Photos•534 SavesEcho Lake, California- Fires
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
4. Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
5 Reviews•10 Photos•228 SavesKyburz, CaliforniaIf you like to camp away from it all, but you prefer to drive there in your car, the National Forests have just what you are looking for. Most of the land in the National Forest is open to camping free of charge which is referred to as “dispersed” camping. Visitors can camp just about anywhere in the national forest, unless specifically prohibited*. Maps and staff are available at most 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: Maximum stay limit for camping outside of a developed campground is 10 days per district/per calendar year. Please remove all your equipment and garbage when you leave.
Water Quality: It is best to bring your own water. Lake, stream or spring water may be contaminated.
Human Waste: Proper disposal of human waste is important. Leaving human waste in dispersed camping areas can spread disease, lead to contaminated water supplies, contaminate soils, attract wildlife, and spoil a camping area. 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 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
- Fires
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
5. Mormon Emigrant Trail Dispersed Pull Off
1 Review•1 Photo•8 SavesGrizzly Flats, California- Pets
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
6. Bear Valley Dispersed Camping
7 Reviews•16 Photos•407 SavesBear Valley, California- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Equestrian
- Dispersed
- Drinking Water
7. Packsaddle Pass - El Dorado National Forest Dispersed
2 Reviews•4 Photos•24 SavesTwin Bridges, CaliforniaMost of the land in the Naonal Forest is open to camping free of charge which is referred to as “dispersed” camping. Visitors can camp just about anywhere in the naonal forest, unless specifically prohibited*. Maps and staff are available at most Forest Service offices to assist visitors in finding a suitable spot.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
8. Top of Arnold - FR 5N56 Dispersed
2 Reviews•5 Photos•170 SavesArnold, CaliforniaDispersed camping takes a lot more effort than camping in a developed campground, but for those with an adventurous spirit, it can be a lot of fun.
Here are some important points to remember about dispersed camping:
The maximum length of stay in a forest ranger district is 21 days per year. Please practice good outdoor ethics about camping, travel and behavior while visiting. Dispersed campers are allowed to park within one vehicle length (including any tow vehicle) of a National Forest transportation route and walk into camp. Dispersed camping is not permitted in developed campgrounds and day use areas. Other areas closed to dispersed camping include historical and archaeological sites. Also, be certain that you are within the boundaries of the National Forest before setting up camp. To prevent resource damage please keep your campsite within 150 feet from a roadway. Dispersed camping is not allowed in these areas: within one mile of Pinecrest Basin along 7N83, Clark Fork Road along Hwy 108 between Clark Fork Road and Kennedy Meadows Road Leave No Trace Camping – Camp so no one notices you while you are there, and no one even knows you were there after you leave. Please respect nature and other visitors by keeping noise to a minimum. Always pack out whatever you pack in. No permanent structures are to be constructed to an area, such as building rock-lined fire pits, trenches around tents, or carving into trees. Human waste should be deposited in a hole dug 6 - 10 inches deep and then covered with organic soil. Vehicles are not permitted off of roads, but if you can safely park your vehicle adjacent and parallel to the road and are not blocking the roadway, you may park and camp. Most sites will have a parking spot nearby while other sites may not. Because the footprint of a vehicle can have a large impact to soils, please do not create new “parking spot” for a campsite. Please park in designated or already impacted spots. If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that has been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites so using existing ones will minimize your impact in the forest. We want you to learn some of the many reasons to enjoy the quiet and solitude of dispersed camping, it’s up to you to LEAVE NO TRACE.
- Pets
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Equestrian
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
10. Hope Valley Dispersed
1 Review•1 Photo•11 SavesEcho Lake, California- Pets
- Fires
- ADA Access
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
Recent Dispersed Reviews near Grizzly Flats, California
57 Reviews of 21 Grizzly Flats Campgrounds
Tim R.
Guide
Packsaddle Pass - El Dorado National Forest Dispersed
Standard Dispersed Camping
Standard dispersed camping on national forest land. Paved main road with dirt roads and areas for camping branching off. Plenty of room. Some areas have beautiful views of strawberry valley!
Ciara W.Guide
Echo Summit Dispersed
Not dispersed camping
This spot is national forest, and overnight camping is not allowed. We had a knock from someone with the forest service the next morning who was very kind and let us know that overnight is not allowed.
Look up lakes and forest in this area on google — not many places allow dispersed camping
Serena W.
Traveler
USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Dispersed camping
Plenty of dispersed camping spots. My flat spot that I found not too far from a Creek and I even had 2 bars on my cell phone and watch the movie.
- AAnthony F.
Scout
Hope Valley Dispersed
Hope Valley dispersed
Free camping
- KKen J.Traveler
Dispersed USFS
Beautiful Free Camping
Several areas along Blue Lakes Rd offer dispersed camping. We had a wildflower-filled meadow to ourselves in early August with plenty of near-by trails for dirt bikes, Jeeping, horses, mountain biking or hiking.
- MMattTraveler
Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
There’s nothing here
It’s just the boat launch. Perhaps u can get away with hanging out, not sure. The access to the dispersed camping, in the hill overlooking the water, is gated and locked.
There seem to be plenty of spots to use enroute to the water, just not at the location.
Alex P.
Ranger
Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
Dispersed and pleasant
Dispersed camping not far from Lake Tahoe. Easy to drive into just be careful of potholes and large puddles from rain, even in summer. No amenities, but it’s a very beautiful area. There are herds of cows that will make their way through the area, please be respectful of them! Scott’s lake is just up through this area if you have 4x4 capability.
- Susan L.Scout
Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
What a beautiful place for our 40 ft 5th wheel
We are new to dispersed camping and have a 40 ft 5th wheel as well as a GMC Denali 350 dually. We need a large space to fit into. We arrived on a Monday at noon and found that the large area about 1/4 mile in was not at all crowded. We had our choice of several places to set up. It is very quiet here, not hearing any road noise. A forest ranger told us there were more spaces up near the lake, but we didn’t venture up there.
Laura M.
Legend
Lake Valley Rd Pullout
Everything covered in snow right now
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!
- AAlexTraveler
USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Endless Possibilities
The coordinates listed on the app are simply for the entrance to the dispersed camping. There are infinite amounts of primitive roads to drive down and find camp. I stayed at N38.768811• W 120.238630° — on top of a peak that offered 360° views with sunrise and sunset right from my tent. At this specific sight, there are no overhead trees. Despite being primitive, the roads are well kept, even if you have a small SUV. It could get slightly tricky with a car. I stayed here for 7 days (10/31-11/6) and only saw one other person on the primivite roads. The above coordinates are about a 6 mile drive in from US50. You will see a campground on your right about 5 miles down when driving in, about a mile further down the road you will come up on the dirt road leading you up the mountain.
A couple of notes:
- You are required to have a permit for any day/overnight use in Eldorado, including this area. They can be easily acquired at recreation.gov
- Cell phone reception is very spotty, in and out of a couple of bars throughout the drive in. — AT&T coverage. At the above coordinates, there were 2 bars of low grade coverage allowing basic texts to send. Not enough service for web browsing or sending photos via text.
- This area has been widely burnt by fires last year. There are still large areas unburnt. You will find yourself going in and out of them while driving.
- KEEP IT CLEAN — this area is immaculate and besides dug out fire pits, human trace is non-existent. Leave it cleaner than you found it, pick up your trash (and other’s if you see any), respect the area and it will respect you.
- NO CAMP SERVICES — There is no trash service or even dumpsters at the signed entrance; pack it in pack it out. There are no restrooms in the area either.
- CCheyanne G.Scout
Bear Valley Dispersed Camping
Pin is incorrect
So disappointing this app has failed us like 5 times now on camping spots. Not the right location.
Jr A.TravelerScotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
Easy access and lots of spots
You follow a dirt road and have camping spots along the road. When I was here it was jammed packed RV, vans and tents all set up along the road. To me it was good for a an overnight stay. No At&t service what so ever. Little highway noise.
- Serena W.Traveler
Bear Valley Dispersed Camping
Camp in Bear Valley Park
This is a nice little private camp spot for the most part, There's a campground with its own fence around it for private camping With signs posted very near it, "no camping here" in the other spots without the signs good to go.
- Raymond B.Traveler
USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Overnight stay
We recently spent a night at this campsite and found it to be perfect for a quick overnight getaway. The area is spacious and conveniently located not too far off the main road, making it easy to access without feeling too isolated.
There are plenty of sites to choose from, catering to different preferences. However, we recommend taking some time to survey the land before setting up camp, as some spots are slightly sloped.
A huge plus is the gas station just about 5 minutes down the road. It’s well-stocked with all the convenient store items you might have forgotten at home, making it easy to grab any last-minute necessities.
Overall, it was a delightful stay. Just remember, always practice Leave No Trace principles—pack out what you pack in!
Azizah T.Ranger
Loch Leven Lakes
Quiet dispersed camping
We backpacked up to the high loch levens lake where we found many available campsites. But also a lot of the nice view spots were occupied since we didn’t start our hike up early, we started at 5:30pm. The middle lake is very large and had many beautiful spots to camp. But we headed to the upper lake since a lot of day hikers go to the middle lake and don’t always pack out what they pack in. All the sites are very dispersed and you have so much privacy. We saw some people even camping on the boulders! It was very serene and quiet with very respectful campers. The trail up is a bit confusing if you don’t pay absolute attention to where you are going. You can find some orange markings or stacked rocks that help you stay on the path. Reaching our destination was amazing. We swam in the lake and napped in our hammocks. I will say that there was a lot of mosquitos. Even with bug spray I left with 7 bites. But, it’s the outdoors what do you expect? Overall very beautiful area to camp!
- Tisha S.Traveler
Iron MT. Dispersed
This place is really cool and easy to find! Great views!
This place is really cool and easy to find! Great views
Weather isn’t to hot and very secluded.
- NNick F.Scout
Forest Route 4N39 Dispersed
Not bad if you're looking for something quick.
This road follows power lines pretty much for the entire length of the road. It would be a really nice area to disperse if they weren't there as the area is beautiful. That said, you don't need 4x4 but you definitely will need a vehicle with some decent clearance. There are some weirdly purposefully placed speed bumps? on the west end of the road approaching 4N01 and Spring Gap Rd that will let you know if you have enough clearance pretty quickly. Overall not a super terrible road to disperse off of. There are a lot more and a lot better spots nearby and it's not too far from Beardsley Lake which can get pretty busy.
- BBlair K.Traveler
Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
It was okay
Pretty easy to get to and lots of spaces for dispersed sites. There was trash EVERYWHERE. Broken glass, toilet trash, bottles and cans, we were really disappointed. We found a spot pretty hidden which was rad but someone was shooting litteraly all night long which was frustrating. We probably won’t come back.
Orion B.TravelerUSFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Beautiful free camping is a real thing!
My 9 yr old son wanted to try camping in or near the snow, and the weather was favorable on this December weekend (high 56, low 39). We are pretty new to camping and not hardcore, but this was very easy and comfortable. We camped right at the entrance because nobody was there and there was plenty of flat area. Easily accessible on paved roads. Spotted a rock climber on the nearby rock face when we arrived, who later came by to pick up his car he had parked there.
Caldor Fire damage was evident everywhere, but this made it easy for my son to chop down a small dead tree that we used for firewood. It was breezy, which made it chillier than the temps indicated, but we were fine and very toasty once in our tent cots.
We found a few beer bottles around (which we took home to recycle), and small amounts of building waste such as concrete. But overall the setting was peaceful and beautiful. Amazing to have a resource like this that's free. We brought a privacy shelter and portable camp toilet, and our own water. Those are really the only things you need that would normally be provided by a paid campsite.
Damien M.Traveler
Top of Arnold - FR 5N56 Dispersed
Fun Spot
Super fun spot went in September. Dirt road to get to spot is pretty rough but my Taurus wagon did just fine. There are a few people on dirt bikes ripping around trails so not fully secluded but still a good spot.
- AAustin M.Traveler
Scotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
Sweet Spot
Easy to see right off the road with plenty of campsites down either side of a nice dirt road. Rocky and steep road access to Scott’s lake, but easy camping on the edge of the valley.
A S.ScoutUnion Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
It's a paid site now.
Can't even park and enjoy the view without getting harassed by the overweight goon they call a "camp host". $10 day fee? Naw. Been coming here for years FOR FREE. Not paying now.
Shane C.TravelerScotts Lake Rd Dispersed Camping
Dispersed camping with campground layout/feel
Camped here for a night in early October. Easy access and reasonably good road quality make it very RV friendly - I would say that it was at least 75% RVs/Trailers. Beautiful views of the valley and hills to the east. Most sites are obvious, with a driveway and stone fire ring. We like a more "dispersed" feel, but felt comfortable.
There are no services - bring all the water you will need and practice "leave no trace." This goes for your waste (human and animal) as well. I wish I could say that we didn't see any dog waste or "TP Flowers" but we did. Not a significant amount, but any is too much.
The place was pretty much full, but still good vibes and quiet neighbors. Very close to Hwy. 88, so road noise and campers coming in looking for a spot after dark. Gets quiet later in the evening.
Overall, a nice spot.
- OOnyx E.Guide
Mormon Emigrant Trail Dispersed Pull Off
Large dirt pull off
Large pull off area I found and stayed at for 4 days with amazing views of the sunset and sunrise! I was there on weekdays so was pretty much alone the whole time but even if the main spot is occupied there’s a couple of dirt roads that lead to more areas to camp. A couple of level spots and lots of room to hike around. Completely free and peaceful but 0 amenities so come prepared. Currently there is an abandoned red semi truck cab so it’s easy to find not sure if that will ever be moved in the future though!
- BBlair K.Traveler
USFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Great spot
Not sure if my wife and I found the right spot or went far enough, but we found a great spot about 4 miles before silver fork camp ground. Nice and flat, right next to the stream, already had some stones for a fire ring. Easy road to get out there.
Callie C.GuideUSFS Silver Fork Dispersed
Location possibly pinned incorrectly
Showed up to pinned spot around 3pm and saw zero people. It was basically just a road to what I think was a state park? There were multiple spots off to the side where ppl had previously parked/camped w/ fire pits. But I did not feel comfortable pulling off…No service, it was rainy, and not sure how my vehicle would hold up. If planning to visit I would look to see if you need forest permit.
Nick M.TravelerUnion Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping
Great dispersed camping with lake view
Pulled off Union valley road and set up camp with our Rooftop tent. Little cold up here in November but made for some great pre-snowfall camping!
Guide to Grizzly Flats
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Grizzly Flats, California, where nature enthusiasts can enjoy serene landscapes and a sense of adventure. This area offers a variety of spots for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Scenic Views for Dispersed Campers
- The USFS Silver Fork Dispersed area provides ample space and stunning views, making it a perfect choice for a quick getaway.
- Campers can find beautiful flat spots near streams, as noted by visitors who enjoyed the peaceful surroundings while camping at Iron MT. Dispersed.
- For breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, the Packsaddle Pass - El Dorado National Forest Dispersed offers expansive views that are sure to impress.
Activities While Free Camping Near Grizzly Flats
- Hiking enthusiasts will appreciate the access to trails from the Union Valley Reservoir Dispersed Camping area, where you can explore the natural beauty of the region.
- Fishing opportunities abound at various nearby lakes, with campers at Bear Valley Dispersed Camping enjoying the tranquility of the water.
- For those seeking adventure, the Mormon Emigrant Trail Dispersed Pull Off provides access to off-road trails and scenic drives.
Essential Tips for Dispersed Camping
- Always practice Leave No Trace principles, especially in pristine areas like Echo Summit Dispersed, where maintaining cleanliness is crucial.
- Be prepared for limited amenities; the Carson Pass Dispersed Site requires campers to bring their own water and supplies.
- Check for any necessary permits before heading out, as some areas may have specific regulations, such as those found at Luther Pass Dispersed Camping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Grizzly Flats, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Grizzly Flats, CA is USFS Silver Fork Dispersed with a 4.2-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Grizzly Flats, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 dispersed camping locations near Grizzly Flats, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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