Looking for the best dispersed camping near Sierraville? Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
There is no "campground here" Please be aware most of the Dog / Sardine Valley is private property and a working ranch. The places near the valley floor with picnic tables - those are sheep camps. The places with firepits, also sheep camps. Please respect private property and make sure you are camping in the BLM / USDA lands that rim the valley. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Dog Valley provides excellent viewing of both wildflowers and flowering shrubs. Forest, meadows, and streams make up Dog Valley’s landscape, creating a cool and refreshing retreat for this popular recreation area. Dog Valley is also home to two rare plant species, Dog Valley ivesia and Webber’s ivesia. Dog Valley ivesia can only be found in Dog Valley. Other attractions include wildlife viewing and the Crystal Peak Mine, a popular spot for crystal-hounds. Dog Valley offers a variety of opportunities to view wildflowers in the Jeffery pine forests and meadows. As you enter Dog Valley from Verdi, you will see the recovery from the 1994 Crystal Fire with displays of mahala mat, silvery lupine, and chokecherry. Explore the openings in the forest with extensive displays of mule’s ear, balsamroot, buckwheats, paintbrushes, yampah, bitterbrush, bare-stem desert parsley, and manzanita. Walking around, it is easy to enjoy the smaller, less visible flowers, including collomia, prairie star flower, and blue-eyed Mary. Wetter areas have displays of shooting stars, delphinium, and Rydberg’s penstemon. Best Viewing Times: The best time to visit is June and July. Safety First: Creeks and streams can cross the road. Be careful when crossing water and watch for washed-out portions of the road. The road can be very muddy. California OHV registration is required for all vehicles. Campfire permits are also required in California and can be obtained from the Carson District Office or the campground host.
The Loch Leven begins at Placer County Road Pla-9140-2 and ends at High Loch Leven Lake. At the south end of lower Loch Leven, a trail junction continues left to middle and high Lochs, or right to Salmon Lake. Fishing is generally good, and camping is dispersed throughout the basin. Campfire permits are required for campfires, backpacking stoves, BBQs, and lanterns.
Most of Tahoe National Forest is open to camping free of charge which is referred to as “dispersed” camping. Dispersed camping is prohibited in certain areas, generally within a ¼ mile of major highway corridors, in the Lakes Basin Area (Sierra Buttes), near Prosser, Boca, Stampede, French Meadows, and Sugar Pine reservoirs, and other locations. Please see the full list of areas where dispersed camping is not allowed below.
Maps and staff are available at most Tahoe 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:
Water Quality: Be prepared to bring your own drinking water or have a water filter. Lake, stream or spring water may be contaminated. Human Waste:Proper disposal of human waste is crucial. Human waste can spread disease, lead to contaminated water supplies, contaminate soils, attract wildlife, and spoil a dispersed camping area for future users. 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 dispersed 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 Maximum stay limit for camping is 14 days per District. Please remove all your equipment and garbage when you leave. The beauty of the natural vegetation around your campsite is probably why you chose it. Keep it healthy and growing by not cutting anything down, not putting nails into trees, and treading carefully along meadows, streamsides, and other sensitive areas. Keep your vehicle at least twelve feet from designated roads and trails to prevent resource damage and to adhere to Travel Management Regulations.
When you pick your spot, make sure that it is at least 200 feet away (about seventy paces) from streams and lakes, to help protect streamside vegetation, and prevent water degradation and sedimentation. Dispersed campsites must be outside the boundary markings of developed campgrounds and dispersed camping closure areas.
There are many fine camping spots you can reach on Tahoe National Forest motorized routes and trails, but some routes may be rough, steep, or narrow and not suited for low-clearance or for large recreation vehicles.
Ranger
It's sad where we have this public land to camp on and people just dump tons and tons of trash and abandoned cars and demolished cars on the property would not recommend going. There's some more BLM land about 15 to 20 minutes north on Red Rock road.
Traveler
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.
Legend
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!
TravelerDog Valley is a special place where we come to boondock. It’s quite and has a great creek. People come out here to camp, ride atvs, side by sides, dirt bikes, or off road. People target practice a lot and the ranger is very nice.
Scout
Great camping spot and quiet.
Ranger
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!
TravelerPretty 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.
Traveler
Rudimentary campsites, no fire rings or tables at any of the campsites. The cement pullouts are still there. I’ve been up in that area a lot in the past three years and the gate that is at the opening is open sometimes and closed and locked at other times. Not really sure what’s going on with the site. On a brighter note the snowflowers were going off earlier this season!
ScoutCan'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.
Guide
I live nearby, so my family and I went for the day. We left just before sunset. It's gorgeous here. The dirt road is pretty good and not difficult for my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. There were about 3 other groups. We were there on a Thursday. We walked around the whole area where the rocks were. The campsite overlooks a valley where there is an airport. We saw a couple of paragliders. On the way in from Reno, it's very easy to find. I would love to stay here in my travel trailer. There were some huge rigs out there. All of those people had dune buggies, but nobody was driving around on the rocks when we were there. There are no amenities at all. There is just a big clearing for campers. We took our dog. She had fun.
Traveler
If you are looking to be near the water and no service, this is perfect. The rough road in I believe must keep some folks out but the lake is amazing.
GuideThis place was a slice of heaven, but only accessible by way of 4 x 4 with decent clearance. The trail will take you off road for quite some time , but it's well with the adventure. Traction boards and a winch could help you through unexpected obstacles and are recommended to have on hand, but you most likely won't need them. No running water, but there are restroom buildings, fire rings and bear boxes to use. Mosquitoes are abundant here. Don't forget your repellent. The lake is gorgeous, a great fishery, and there are plenty of inspirational views and solitude to be had.
GuideDog Valley is my favorite quick escape from town. There are so many places to explore that it doesn't get old.
Scoutdidn't want to leave! road narrow and rocky but I have seen worse
ScoutReally great spots for quick close camp trip.
ScoutNot really sure if we camped in the right spot. It isn’t great, but it got the job done to just crash for a night. Felt like we were in a construction zone
GuideThe last five miles to get to this campground was narrow and rocky. Once we got to the campground, I realized narrow and rocky are okay. We were there last weekend in June and there was still snow on the ground. Woot! It was awesome. Quite a few sites there with fire rings, beat up, bear boxes that didn't open and picnic benches that were in bad shape. They had two pot toilets. This was a very busy campground. Lots of traffic on and out, I'm sure to beat the heat. It was 25 degrees cooler up there than in Sacramento. We loved this campground. I can't wait to go back.
ScoutWe went mid week in August and it wasn’t too crowded. The views were beautiful and the water was perfect. The road was much more technical than a standard forrest service road, but doable in most stock crossover vehicles or better. We had a borrowed AWD Transit van and did it with some patience and strategic line choice.
TravelerWe took Salmon lake trailhead which is shorter trail.
ScoutGot stuck for over a day trying to get to the site. Tow truck also got stuck. Would not recommend coming until spring.
ScoutFeels weird driving in, but there are some pull offs that have good views of the valley. Very open. Lots of trash and casings, but was quiet and felt safe. Good place to pull over if you are in the Reno area and just need to sleep.
GuideI live 10 minutes away, so I checked it out. It's sketchy driving in with a lot of trailers and cars along the road closer to the main road. There may or may nor have been people in them. We didn't see people walking around except one guy who was walking his dog on the dirt road and another guy nearby with a table next to his car. Maybe he was flying a drone. The dirt road was very rutted in a few areas. No big deal, but I was in my Jeep Trailhawk 4x4. I didn't have my trailer with me. The view of the city is great, but that's it. The area to pull off is not that big, so I think it would be crowded with more than 2 other trailers. It wasn't windy at all when we were there, but I'm sure it could be because it can be very windy in this area. I wouldn't stay here unless I absolutely had to for the night. I did hear gunshots in the distance. We only stayed a few minutes to take a few pictures. No amenities like fire rings or tables.
ScoutTrash everywhere, homeless camps, didn’t feel safe but I only drove a half mile in and turned around.
Scout
Site looks beautiful but road turns from pavement to 4x4. Pulled over right after the pavement ended. Lots of mosquitos
GuideIt rained when we got here… which over night at some point turned into the first snow!!!
How insanely beautiful!
Highly recommend this spot
Traveler
Tucked off, dirt road with enough seclusion and privacy to feel comfortable at night. Be forewarned that the road is super rough and you will definitely need a car with more clearance to get up it. There is a little pull out before you get to where the directions take you that is perfectly cool to camp. I wouldn’t go all the way up that little stretch of road past the water tanks unless you have a 4x4. The pullout also has a portajohn and sink if needed.
One thing to note! There are many joggers and bikers that go up this road pretty much as soon as the sun goes over the hill (about 6 in July) so just be aware of that when camping here. I wasn’t bothered by anyone and I had about 4 people pass by my car this morning.
TravelerDid the trick for a night. There was one man with two rv’s there during our visit that gave us pretty bad vibes. Couldn’t go much further up the hill in our 2-wheel drive vehicle. All in all, it’s a gravel lot and road, good views, cool spot.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Sierraville, California, where nature's tranquility awaits. With a variety of locations to explore, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to unwind and connect with the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Sierraville, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Sierraville, CA is Big Dog Valley with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
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