Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Norden? Find the best information on tent camping near Norden, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Donner Memorial State Park offers the summer vacationer opportunities for Donner Lake camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, water-skiing, and hiking. In winter, visitors can cross-country ski and snowshoe on trails and enjoy the season's beauty. Visitors are welcome year-round at the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center and at the Pioneer Monument, built to commemorate those who emigrated to California from the east in the mid-1800's. The Visitor Center features compelling new exhibits that tell the stories of the Emigrant Experience, the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe, Chinese construction of the railroad, and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass.
$35 / night
Bowman Lake Campground is a very remote campground with limited services. There are 7 campsites with tables, fire rings and bear proof food lockers. There is no trash service. Bowman Lake is a large lake surrounded by rocky cliffs and scattered pines that are great for fishing and swimming. A few islands are found within the lake. Car top boat launch only. The road to access the campground is very rough, rocky, and narrow. A high clearance vehicle is needed, and towing boats or trailers is very difficult and dangerous. There are several stretches of the road where it is impossible for two vehicles to pass around each other and so if traffic is coming from both directions, someone will need to back up. Despite the difficult access, Bowman Lake is a popular, heavily used area.
Lake of the Woods is a nice small lake. It can be quite popular especially on weekends. There are approximately 15 camping spots with fire pits and picnic tables situated along the shoreline. There is no piped water available. This lake generally opens later in the spring as it sits at a high elevation and takes longer for winter snows to melt to gain access. Camping is free and on a first come - first served basis. The lake has both public and private property. Fire restrictions may be different depending on where you locate your camp.
Grouse Ridge Campground is located at the top of Grouse Ridge, spectacular vistas of granitic boulders, many alpine lakes, scattered pines, and wildflowers in the summer. Often late opening due to snow banks on access road. Hiking and biking trails lead off of ridge to the Grouse Lakes Area located at the base of the ridge. There are 9 campsites with tables and fire rings. 5 campsites have space for small trailers.There is a vault toilet, but no trash service; pack it in pack it out!
NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS. Recreation Facilities Natural Features ADA Access: N
This is a PG&E; lake/campground on the Tahoe National Forest. Car-top launch for kayaks and boats. There is no boat ramp at the lake.
Canyon Creek Campground is located on Canyon Creek in a mixed conifer forest, near Faucherie Reservoir. It is a remote campground with 20 campsites, vault toilets, bear proof food lockers, paved parking, and no trash service (pack it in, pack it out.) The road to the campground is very rough, rocky, and narrow, requiring high clearance; towing/trailers not recommended.
Guide
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.
Scout
Clean and best play to stay with beach access, cabins, tents sites and rv sites. Tent site can fit 2 or more tents with fire pit and picnic table. Restroom with shower and warm water.
Scout
Says right on the web home page, no tent camping ( no car camping either).
Scout
They advertise as having sites for tent camping as well as dispersed camping. This is inaccurate and should be changed.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
Nice bear boxes and bathrooms. Tent sites were big
Scout
Went here a few years ago. Perfect for tent camping. Right along the river. Very quiet and gorgeous. Good spot for families.
Traveler
Absolutely delightful campground with flush toilets and potable water. Super close access to the water. Would be a perfect spot for tent camping if there weren’t so many trailers everywhere.
Guide
Only $35 dollars, which is the cheapest you'll find north of South Lake Tahoe. Perfect for tent camping. Not busy at all during the non reserve season. Would go again for sure.
ScoutMostly 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.
Scout
Great camp ground with spacious spaces. Accomadates large groups and tent camping. Friendly host and very clean. Stones throw from the boat ramp and Stampede Lake. Only down is the place is a little noisey.
Guide
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.
Traveler
Nice campsite. They are a little close to other campers but still nice. Lake was right down the hill. Bathrooms are close if you are tent camping. Very limited cell service. Camp host wad very nice and accessible. Would camp there again 😊
Traveler
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!!
Legend
Nice campground with numerous RV and tent sites. Bathroom with flush toilets and showers. Big trees provide ample shade. Quiet area close to the amenities of the Carson Valley.
Scout
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!
Traveler
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.
Traveler
At the top of the Sierras, El Dorado national forest, tucked in away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Stunning views, and blue skies, campground is well maintained and accessible. Rvs and tent camping. Shallow lake that warms up a little for kayaking and swimming. Great family lake.
Guide
much busier overall than the majority of the eastern sierras, still a nice get away. not too close to the lake but access is far from difficult. book ahead of time and request 9 for a tent site.
TravelerWe 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!
GuideThis review is for tent camping, not RVs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There is a little general store that sells ice, firewood, souvenirs, Tshirts, etc.
It is a gated facility so hopefully secure?
GuideHad a great time here - terrific proximity to lake & decent sized camping sites. Nearby Portola, & easy drive from the Reno area.
Lots of generators in use during the day (the only reason I can’t give it 5 stars, since we were tent camping) , but all seemed to abide by hours posted for operation.
Already have reservations for this summer!
Scout
Very nice campground with tent sites and walk-ins. Water, bathrooms, fire pits, picnic tables, and food lockers. Walk-ins have beautiful views of Mount Rose and downtown Reno. Hiking trails, mountain biking, snowboarding, etc. Nearby Relay Peak and Mt Rose summit are great hikes. First come first serve.
Guide
Booked a tent site. The campground was completely full. My fire ring was at the bumper of my vehicle, the picnic table was basically in someone else’s campsite, and I had to walk up a flight of stairs where the tent site was supposed to be. The site on one side of me looked down on top of me from 10 feet away, the RV site next to me was crammed on top of me as well. Their front porch was basically staring right at my site, like I would be there entertainment for the night.
I had planned to camp out of the back of my truck for a quick overnight stay. Lots of better options around.
It is nice that it is walking distance from Zephyr Cove. But Zephyr Cove was packed. Nevada beach was only a four minute drive away and much more spacious and relaxing.
$67, plus taxes and fees, for no services and being packed in like sardines, no thanks.
Scout
Great little spot for tent camping or vehicle camping. You'll be fine if you have a smaller RV or Camper trailer but would not recommend for large units. Camp host Scott was really cool and down to earth. The campsite is clean and well maintained. Pit toilets were the best I have ever seen/smelled. The site can be pretty windy so bring tent stakes and cordage to tie out your walls.
TravelerWe were trying to stay up on Luther pass but the snow and forest service has the road to camp closed still in early May. We found this place just driving down into town looking for a new camp. $65 to tent camp which seemed pricey but it was last minute so we took it. Very clean bathroom great staff dog friendly and large sites.
Guide
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.
Tent camping near Norden, California offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Norden, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Norden, CA is Donner Memorial State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 18 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 91 tent camping locations near Norden, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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