The Chute Hill Campground in Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is great. There are well kept amenities (clean, flushing toilets and sinks š) and the campsites are fairly spread out which is great for the current need for social distancing. Just as with most sites in the area, it is in bear country. After our first night, we heard a bear try to get into the bear box at 6am. The Diggins is very close by and super interesting. The park rangers are passionate and well educated about the history of the area, and are excited to recommend trails for hiking. Within driving + hike distance is a trail down the mountain to the Yuba river. The river is clean, clear, and deep enough to jump into. We even snacked on some wild blackberries growing right by the river!
Iām new to camping, so take my review with a grain of saltā¦
We stayed at the Sandy Flats Campground on the Utica Reservoir. The campsite is pretty small, and doesnāt have a host or stationed park ranger. Rather, it basically works on the honor system and you are expected to pay.
Even the farthest spot is just a minute walk to the water. But there are only a handful of spots, so make sure you get here as early as you can to secure a spot. Because thereās no host or ranger, there are also no reservations. Itās all first come first serve! I arrived on a Thursday to find 2 open spots. By Friday afternoon, there was a constant stream of cars looking for spots, only to have to check somewhere else.
If you do manage to get a spot, itās quite nice. Not very secluded or private if thatās what your looking for, but still enough breathing room at each spot to give you a sense of personal space.
The Sandy Flats campground does have a single vault toilet, but itās pretty gross. The lock is broken, so someone tied a string to the door inside that you have to hold onto while doing your business. Especially right now during the pandemic, it was weird to hold onto this string that everyoneās been touching. The good news is that there are two vault toilets a short walk away at the next campsite that are somewhat nicer (in that they have working locks).
This camp spot is definitely for people who want to get out on the water. The reservoir is beautiful with tons of little islands and peninsulas to explore. Tons of people kayaking and canoeing. You can also swim in the reservoir, although I personally found the muddy ground of the reservoir pretty yucky. If youāre looking for a place with tons of trail heads, you should probably skip this campsite. Besides one trail at the adjacent Union Reservoir, there are really no trailheads around here, unless you just like exploring the wilderness. But if you love being on the water, this is a great spot!