Best Tent Camping near Nevada City, CA

Recent Tent Reviews near Nevada City, California

766 Reviews of 85 Nevada City Campgrounds

• D

  Donnalyn C.

  Guide

  

  May. 13, 2021

  Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

  Hook up Campsite vs Tent Campsite

  There are two sites at Beal’s Point, the hook up campsite and the tent campsite. We went to the tent campsite and was surprised how many RVs were parked in the tent campsite. We didn’t mind until they used their generators. I wasn’t sure if the camp host saw/heard them but it was on for quite a while and was loud. The campsite we had was beautiful but bug infested and had lots of crawlies. If you are looking for a short walk from the parking to the tent site, call them first. I looked at the photo online for a back in type site. I was expecting that I could just back in and the tent site would be less than 10 steps away. The tent site was quite a walk from the parking lot, can’t even see it from the car. We had to carry heavy stuff back and forth. There’s a nice trail where you can hike or bike. The lake is almost dry, so it wasn’t as beautiful and fun as it used to be. The campsite is very noisy because it’s so close to the main road. We could hear cars, motorcycles, sirens all night long. Shower was out of service at the time we were there. Glad we were only there for 1 night.

• 

  Anna W.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 21, 2021

  Scotts Flat Lake

  Foothills fun

  Scott’s Flat is just five miles outside of Nevada City. It is run by the Nevada Irrigation District. One of the many man made lakes in the region. There are bath houses, tent sites and no hookup RV sites. It is clean but can become loud with rowdy camping neighbors. A beautiful lake to boat, fish and swim.

• 

  Kate A.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 20, 2021

  Thousand Trails Ponderosa

  Great location, but plan ahead

  This is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.

  One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!

  Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.

  Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.

  Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.

• J

  Jim B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2023

  Nevada County Fairgrounds

  No tent camping here

  Says right on the web home page, no tent camping ( no car camping either).

• M

  Michael

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2021

  American River Resort

  Family of 4 roof top tent camping

  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. A little pricey for a tent site - 45.00 and 5.00 for the dog but it’s California.

• 

  Les S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 24, 2019

  Live Oak Riverfront Park

  Beautiful river side park

  I tent camped and loved it. Very quiet and beautiful scenery. A water faucet and picnic table at every campsite .

• K

  K. O.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Ruck-A-Chucky Campground — Auburn State Recreation Area

  Very Peaceful

  Went here a few years ago. Perfect for tent camping. Right along the river. Very quiet and gorgeous. Good spot for families.

• A

  Allison M.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 5, 2020

  Ruck-A-Chucky Campground — Auburn State Recreation Area

  The Dyrt has this one wrong

  Mostly used by the river rafters and rafting companies that use this stop on the river for their shuttles.  Many sites are in direct sun.  All 5 sites are tent camping only.

• j

  julie B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2018

  East Meadow Campground

  A hidden gem

  This is a small hidden little gem of a campground. 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.

• 

  Travis S.

  Scout

  

  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!

• R

  Ross H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 14, 2023

  Plumas-Eureka State Park Campground

  Great motorcycle campspot

  Campground was full but very quiet. Stayed at a great site for tent camping with my motorcycle. Bathrooms were clean, weather good, and bugs weren’t too bad. Also a trailhead for hiking to a few secluded lakes. And the best..no cell phone coverage!!

• S

  Shane M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 11, 2019

  Lodgepole Campground

  Good times

  Great place to stay. 1 hours drive from Reno. Lake with in 5 minutes of the campground. Spots for RVs, travel trailers and/or just tent camping. Restrooms spread around the area with access to fresh water. Good size creek flowing through the campground from the lake above.

• H

  Hani S.

  Traveler

  

  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!

• A

  April N.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2020

  American River Resort

  Gorgeous setting, but...

  This review is for tent camping, not RVs.

  1. 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. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and most of the sites were full so the effect was like looking up into a packed stadium from the bottom row of bleacher seats. That first night was like a giant tailgate frat party. Multiple groups were blasting music & even though that’s against the rules nobody seemed to make them stop. Thank goodness we were able to move a few sites away, and then everybody cleared out the next day. The best site is #31. If you’re going on a weekend or any time during the summer, don’t make any reservation at all if you can’t get #31. I’m not putting that in my google review btw, that’s only for folks on Dyrt.

  2. The facilities have a lot of maintenance issues that just aren’t being taken care of. For example: there are two bathroom buildings, an old one built out of rail cars (?) near the river and a newer-construction one uphill by the RV sites. Both bathrooms have multiple sinks and toilets that are out of order. In the downhill ladies room there was a toilet that ran water constantly and another that wouldn’t flush at all. I actually took that 2nd one apart and fixed it myself. That same ladies’ room had a sink removed completely from the wall leaving hanging pipes sticking out, a 2nd sink that wouldn’t turn on, a 3rd sink with wobbly handles, and a 4th sink that was fully functional. Next to that restroom on one side was what was supposed to be a shower facility but it was completely out of order and locked. On the other side of the restroom there was what was supposed to be a dishwashing station but it was disconnected with pipes dangling and dirt & leaves filling the sink. Why install nice things and then let them fall apart? I don’t understand.

  3. They do seem to keep the toilets stocked with soap and TP and paper towels, and there are lots of garbage cans that do get emptied when needed. However, sometimes campers are naughty and leave behind trash outside the bins. This ranges from micro-trash (bottle caps, wrapper ends) to big pieces (foil pans, beer bottles). We stayed there for 2 days after the giant party moved on, but we never saw camp staff coming around to deal with the loose litter. We were pulling wads of fishing line out of the rocks and throwing away other people’s bottles. Blech.

  4. There is an on-site rafting company. We took a full-day rafting trip that launched right from the campground & we had a great time.

  5. There is a little general store that sells ice, firewood, souvenirs, Tshirts, etc.

  6. It is a gated facility so hopefully secure?

• 

  Jessica B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 4, 2018

  Ice House Campground

  Beautiful Lake

  Tent camped in spot 72. No shade what so ever, and it was a hot day! However loved the spacing of the campsites. Neighbors were close, though not so close to be crowded. Spot was very close to the restroom, advantage and disadvantage when a strong ordor would breeze on through. Short walk to the lake which was beautiful, spent the day floating and drinking. Have visited before, and will visit again!

• H

  Haper B.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 4, 2023

  Everstoke - Camping & Glamping MTB park... by a brewery in the amazing Lost Sierra!

  Camping

  I went to Everstoke a week ago. Based on my camping experience here, I would suggest to those who intend to come here to experience some camping styles. Traditional campers can choose from spacious tent sites where they can pitch their own tent, 2 player games and enjoy a rustic camping experience. For those looking for a touch of luxury, there are luxury accommodations, offering comfortable and stylish tents equipped with amenities like cozy beds, private bathrooms and even fire pits.

• 

  Shawn A.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 8, 2021

  Inntown Campground

  Lots of rules...

  I get the impression this is a family park. There are cabins & tent sites and a handful of RV spots. Good for a shower & dump. The list of park rule are too long to list. Nice bathrooms. Cell & WiFi are poor for AT&T users. I only stayed here because it was all that was open in the area in March and I needed a shower!

• C

  Carina B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2020

  Collins Lake Recreation Area

  Great camping near lake with safe swim area

  We have been to this camping spot a few times. It is big with a nice store. Music on the weekends on the deck. Some sites on waterside are nice. Nice beach. Can get crowded but we liked it. No issues. RV or Tent sites. Roads are steep in spots but no problems getting into site. You can boat and fish here but we didn't do either. Might be nice in the winter when nobody is around?

• 

  Whiffaroni M.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 22, 2021

  Coloma Resort

  Love this place

  This place was amazing. It was our first trip in our new RV and it couldn’t of been more beautiful. There were super cute cabins available as well as tent sites. We came in the beginning of March and it was fairly empty so that made it really nice as well. River was stunning and it was neat to walk across the bridge and check out the old historic mining town. We are going back in august and can’t wait. Looking forward to rafting in the river !

• 

  Teresa J.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2018

  Donner Memorial State Park Campground

  Beauty and quiet just minutes from the hustle and bustle

  This campground offered everything I needed and nothing I did not. My tent site was perfect. The lake was absolutely stunning. I rented a kayak and took a lovely paddle enjoying the serenity and beauty of the High Sierras. Around my campfire, I could here birds singing and wind blowing through the trees. The funny thing is that just down the road is the thriving tourism of Truckee, CA. When I wanted to be social, I went there and had an amazing time too.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Orchard Springs Campground

  Eerily quiet in the off-season

  This review is based on an off-season visit. During the summer months, this campground would likely have a much different vibe. In fact, our family camped at Rollins Lake 20+ years ago and had a great time (although it was at a different RL campground). This is one of two Rollins Lake campgrounds open in the off-season; it is open for camping, boating, swimming, and picnicking year-round. Although we saw several boat trailers in the day-use area, there was only one occupied campsite on a Tuesday in late October. The camp store was closed for the season. 

  There is a mix of FHU, electric, and tent sites. The sites have gravel camper pads, and many were not clearly defined and, in fact, seemed to be laid out in a hodgepodge fashion, making it difficult to see where the sites were separated. If the campground was full, there would be little to no privacy/separation between sites. 

  I thought the fees were a bit high for this campground - $51 for a tent site, $56 for electric, and $65 for FHU. The website does not provide much information on camping, so I called. It took more than a month for my call to be returned. We felt a little like Goldilocks but after eating our lunch, we decided to head further down the road in search of a more affordable campground.

• 

  Jeanna J.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2021

  Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

  Excellent No-Frills Experience

  This was my first solo camping experience.  I stayed overnight with the intention of simply testing out my gear.  The reservoir is currently nearly dry, so the "beach" is just a field.  Luckily, I was only there for the site and the hiking.  The Camp Hosts were lovely and accommodating; they came around a couple times, once to say hello (and ensure my car belonged to the correct site) and once to bring firewood.  The tent site was level and raked.  It was exactly what I was looking for.

• 

  Rosina A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2019

  Coloma Resort

  Nice place next to river

  This place is north east of Sacramento. Coloma resort is what some friends call "Glamping", but it's so much more than that. You can tent camp (it's covered sites for camping too), rent a cabin or RV camp. Great sites along the river too. One negative, is you have to book way ahead of time, but it's well worth it. You can pan for gold, relax, or bike, hike along the river, and kids can play along several playgrounds for kids of different ages. A large grass area great for games, and if you are up for it, rafting, kayaking and fishing in the cold American river. You can also learn some history about the discovery of gold and check out Sutter Mill!

• D

  David B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 16, 2021

  Alpine Meadow Campground

  Super detailed and clean

  We camped in site #20 and did not need to level the trailer! There are logs lining the roads and the campsites. There are stones circling small plants. There are bear boxes at each campsite and also bear poles for hanging food. There are fire rings and also bbqs at each campsite. The whole area was tidy! The bathrooms were very clean. It was quiet - only a few other campers. I believe there are 24 sites, including the tent sites. I would imagine this campground fills up pretty fast in the summer. It was May when we camped here and lightly snowing. There is an airport nearby and heard one small jet engine aircraft take off in the morning.

• 

  Karen T.

  Traveler

  

  May. 24, 2021

  Coloma Resort

  Beautiful spot!

  I was worried about our pop up camper not being able to fit in the “tent only sites”, but it ended up being perfect.

  The sun shade provided in the tent sites came in handy when we had a short moment of rain. It was also much appreciated during the sunny weather.

  Beautiful view of the river but it was certainly crowded. Group sites we were near played loud music. Quiet hours weren’t enforced as people played music or loudly chatted until 1am the first night we were there. However, there’s after hours staff you can contact if you have any concerns.

  For the amount of people in the area, there isn’t many bathroom stalls. Yet, we somehow never ran into any long lines.

  There’s a lot of people, kids, bikes, and dogs. It’s highly stimulating environment but everyone was very friendly.

  Definitely recommend visiting if you are able to make a reservation!

• 

  Heather W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Ice House Campground

  Meh

  A very popular place for those who love to spend their time on the water. I was not impressed with the campsites. They were small and barely able to handle a single large tent let alone two tents. Sites were close with no landscaping on forest grounds to give privacy.

  If you are seeking a quiet place this isn't it.

• 

  Kelly S.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 26, 2017

  Plumas-Eureka State Park Campground

  A Gem

  My all Time favorite spot maybe because I grew up in the area and there are lots of wonderful hikes lakes and waterfalls. This park is nice well taken care of lots of redwood trees. A creek runs through it. You can access some hikes to lakes right from the park. Seen a few tarantulas. A mtn lion lives near by saw him once at dusk while walking my dog along the trail toward the mine he was drinking water and we surprised him. He surprised us too! Rare to see them. Bears are in the area but never have I seen one in 25 years but there are bear boxes and bear proof trash cans so don't leave your ice chests out! Roomy site. Pay close attention when making a reservation some sites can only accommodate 1 tent. Sites are a bit pricey $$$ but there are showers and flush toilets and it's a fairly quiet place.