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    Cal Ida Campground

    3.0 (7 reviews)

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    Recommended Reviews - Cal Ida Campground

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    5 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    great camping hiking location. enjoyed my stay there. the staff is polite. look forward to next visit

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    Dark Day Camp Ground

    Dark Day Camp Ground

    4.4(5 reviews)
    11.0 km

    Very warm water must visit good for pets boating fishing swimming camping hiking it's a very good…read morespot for everything.

    Worth the three hour drive for a day trip. I wasn't sure on what to expect specially since I've…read morenever had a reason to go to Yuba County BUT I'm so glad we found the New Bullards Bar Reservoir, which is where the Dark Day Camp Ground is located. Great for swimming, boating, and camping. If you are going for day use, get there early preferably before noon. Parking is limited. The area where we parked only had space for less than 20 cars and that's parking creatively to fit all 20. Bring a portable grill because there are plenty of picnic tables but limited number of grills and they are not always near the tables or clean. I hate sharing food with bugs so we placed our canopy with a mesh screen over one of the picnic tables where we had our food. The spot we were at had some, maybe around 5-10 that I could see, unwanted winged visitors but it was tolerable. The drive was not bad. There are areas where the road is winding but not too steep. Not a lot of oncoming traffic and there were also few cars heading the same direction as us. We went on a Saturday and once we passed Sacramento traffic to Yuba County was light. I would have given this place 5 stars if the grills were more accessible and the toilet area did not smell like a toilet area.

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    Dark Day Camp Ground
    Dark Day Camp Ground - View from our picnic table.

    View from our picnic table.

    Dark Day Camp Ground - Great spot for swimming and picnicking.

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    Great spot for swimming and picnicking.

    Ramshorn Campground - The dogs hanging out at our site.

    Ramshorn Campground

    4.7(3 reviews)
    15.7 km

    Great campground! There are two loops, the higher numbers being further away from the highway. The…read morescenery is beautiful and the view of the stars at night is breathtaking. The campground itself is kept very clean. There are no showers and the toilets are vault. The toilets are kept exceptionally clean but are still pretty fowl smelling upon entering (just a heads up). There are several swimming holes you can hike down to (directly across the highway from campground). The town of Downieville is also very close and has some fun places to visit. Best camping trip thus far, I will definitely return next summer for more fun!

    This great campground is about 6 miles west of the town of Downieville, tucked among the trees of…read morethe Tahoe National Forest. As the other reviewer notes, there are two loops. The lower loop is almost parallel to Hwy 49, but the upper loop is up a bit further back. Though traffic noises could be heard, they weren't too intrusive. I booked campsite #13, which was in the upper loop. Great site! We didn't have any neighbors immediately next to us, in any direction. Though the campground was almost completely full during my July visit, most people seemed to be out and about exploring the area during the day, and were quiet during the night. This is a tent-only campground, so it was nice not having to hear the hum of RVs all day. The grounds themselves were kept neat and tidy, the vault toilets were some of the cleanest I've seen, and there is potable water available. The campground is really close to some awesome swimming holes on the Yuba River. There is a trailhead directly across Hwy 49 that provides access. My group walked down to the river most days we were there. The traffic on Hwy 49 isn't very heavy so we felt really safe walking across and along the Hwy. The small town of Downieville is a definite must visit while you're in the area. We were camping specifically to attend the Downieville Mountain Brewfest (which was awesome!) but the town itself is charming and full of interesting historical places and things to see. All in all, the Ramshorn Campground provided a great base to explore Downieville, the Yuba River, and Tahoe National Forest. I'll definitely be back to explore more of the area and camp here again.

    Photos
    Ramshorn Campground - View of the river across from the campground.

    View of the river across from the campground.

    Ramshorn Campground - Swimming hole close by.

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    Swimming hole close by.

    River Rest Resort

    River Rest Resort

    3.9(55 reviews)
    24.7 km

    Love this little piece of paradise. This is one of the most beautiful untouched places In…read moreCalifornia. You won't regret your trip here. Family and pet friendly. Great bathrooms and showers.

    Driving a 36 ft motor home there was a challange, the spaces are tight with each other, your head…read morehas to really be on a swivel. At my site #39 i had to crib up the front end up quite a bit to get level. As im hooking up there was absolutly NO water pressure, neighbor said they were working on a busted line, it all came on a hour later, i use a surge protector on my rig which kept shutting off due to low voltage 94volts, i spoke with the office, they wrote a note, then it spiked over 136 volts i spoke with the office, they wrote a note, i removed my surge protector an connected directly to my dog bone, same thing 94 volts, i went to the office an purchased one of there dogbones for sale, same thing very low voltage. As im packing up to leave i take there dog bone back for refund an explaned why, the person behind the desk said "i wonder why they didnt call the electrican" So you know we went there to meet a large group, we dont have kids it was supposed to be a fun get away, i was to use my smoker to make a meal which i ended up using a seperate extension cord to another unit so i could use my smoker, This started on a thursday an we left sunday, plenty of time to get "there guy" but no one! There was no cost adjustment, just a "sorry"... Even the guy next to me said his electric fireplace kept turning off.The place appears nice other than that, guess my complaint revolves around for what was paid for the site $$$ they should be a little more attentive to issues when advised... several times.

    Photos
    River Rest Resort - My slipper says it all. This was the bears path to my cookies . Guess he already had dinner  Lock up your food when away

    My slipper says it all. This was the bears path to my cookies . Guess he already had dinner Lock up your food when away

    River Rest Resort
    River Rest Resort

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    Carlton Campground

    Carlton Campground

    3.6(11 reviews)
    0.3 km

    Revamping a family tradition from over two decades ago... We grew up camping here at Carlton and…read morelove it. The rangers stay on top of keeping the outhouse as clean as a woods outhouse can be... The grounds are immaculate and you're close to the Indian Valley Outpost if you run out of anything. I love that you're completely disconnected from electronics... it's HEALTHY people! The section of the Yuba in which Carlton is located is also swim friendly. We will be back every year we can.

    I love this campground…read more Definitely influenced by emotions and memories: this campground was where my husband and I took our first solo camping trip together. It's where his grandpa's memorial was held. And most recently, it's where I threw his surprise 30th birthday camping weekend. Moreover, his family has been camping in this exact same campground for generations. But: feelings aside, we keep coming back because it's a lovely spot. You get camp RIGHT next to the river. Site #4 has a direct path to a rocky beach, and a sweet bathing rock. However, the other end, sites #13 thru #17, are next to a little sandy beach that leads into a fairly large pool, so formed by a rock wall created and maintained by my husband's family for years and years. It's perfect for kids, and I've watched my nieces and nephews grow up here, as did my husband and his dad before him. Whew! This is certainly more flowery than my normal reviews. However, this campground holds a special place in my heart, and therefore gets a more serious Sara B. Notes: * There's no electricity, people. Don't expect to charge your iPhones. * No running water, either, save a spigot near the entrance. Hello, freezing cold river baths! * It's pretty near the road, but not dangerously near. Honestly, the road noise has never bothered me, and I only really notice when something big or fast goes by, or a motorcycle gang. * Also near a shooting range. Probably the most annoying thing for me, but it's never all the time. But damn are those shots loud. No matter, still love. * Brand new bear boxes for every campsite! * And finally, be prepared for outhouses. Go in the morning, when they are freshly cleaned and not smelly. Gets a little dicey at night. There is a little store almost right across the street called the Indian Valley Outpost. it's CLUTCH for things like ice, milk, etc. VERDICT: Love. GO!

    Photos
    Carlton Campground
    Carlton Campground - River view at sunset

    River view at sunset

    Carlton Campground

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    Lake Carr Campground - Lake Carr at Sunset... captured on the trail just beyond the last campsite at the very end. Ugh! Heaven!

    Lake Carr Campground

    5.0(2 reviews)
    28.8 km

    - $15 per site per night. $5 for additional vehicles. Cash or Check deposited in an enveloped and…read moredropped off in a bin at the entrance to the campground. - Sites include: Picnic table, Bear Box and Fire Ring. - Camp Fires: As of July 20, 2020. Fires are permitted only in the fire ring. Plenty of wood around to collect and burn. *** Camp Fires are not allowed if you are dispersed camping. *** - Bathrooms: 4 portable bathrooms next to spot 1 in the front and a vault bathroom with 2 stalls by spot 9 &10. When we arrived on Friday, they were cleaned and stocked with toilet paper. By Sunday, they were a stinky mess. The Carr lake campground was great. Spot vary in size. Some of the spots in the front had lake access. The spots in the back have a lake view. You can still access the lake from the spots in the back, but its a pretty steep decent. The spots in the middle do not have lake access but some are pretty private and have lots of shade. Spot 8 has the most privacy and a good amount of distance from the neighbors. Spot 8 is also by a creek. This drowned out the noise other campers made in the evening. Carr Lake was very pretty. However, the main event is Feely lake. Access to Feely lake is between Spot 8 and 9. It's a larger lake with stunning views. A lot of backpackers were heading to Island Lake which is about a mile from the Carr Lake Campground. Due to the Covid related closures around the state, more people than usual are heading to the outdoors. This meant that this usually secluded area was not packed with day hikers and backpackers. The parking lot was at capacity by mid day Friday and people had to park on the side of the road as far as a half a mile away. I recommend that you stake your claim as early as Thursday or very early Friday.

    Lake Carr Campground is a true gem for those adventurous enough to brave the road up there…read more Quick Campsite Stats: Number of Sites: 11 Cost: $15 per day, honor system by envelope (cash or check only) Amenities: - Pit Toilets, but generously stocked with toilet paper. - Metal fire rings with a grill - Picnic table at each site Does not include: - Water (unless you purify the lake water, plenty of that around) - Trash cans (you must pack in what you pack out) Pets Allowed? Yes! Elevation: 6,663 ft Reservations Required?: No. All first come, first served as far as I could tell. Owned and operated by PG&E Getting There (the hard part): It's a good 30-40 minute drive north of Hwy 20 up Bowman Lake Road (Forest Road 18) to where it splits off to Forest Road 17. From there you will see a giant log with "CARR" spray painted in white with an arrow to the right (pretty awesome, I know). Now you're in for three miles of rocky dirt road... and I mean rough. A road full of rocks ranging from the size of grapefruits to dodge balls... so take is slow and steady. I will warn all sedans or low-clearance vehicles to be extremely careful. I saw many cars bottoming out (a mini cooper and prius among them). Towards the top of the road, you'll need to navigate around some big boulder-like rocks embedded in the road. Here is where most low-clearance vehicles gave up, pulled to the side and decided to walk the rest of the way. I have a two-wheel drive Honda CRV. I decided to give it a whirl and made it up to the parking lot by some miracle. Entry to the Campground: Surprisingly the parking lot was already packed at 4:30pm on a Friday! Who are all these people brave enough to make it up that road? I was impressed. I wasn't quite sure what to expect campsite wise considering it was 4th of July weekend and I was hoping to snag one of the first come, first served sites. I wasn't too optimistic, but I threw on my backpack and decided to take a look around. You want to head to the top of the trail (i.e. the road barricade). There you will see a wood bulletin board of sorts with the campsite rules and a place to leave your nightly fee ($15). You put your cash/check in an envelope and tear off the receipt at the bottom. Put the envelope in the slot on the green post and take the receipt to your campsite of choice. Clip it under your campsite number and voila! Note: The PG&E people are checking to make sure you've done this word to wise, but I have no idea if and how they would "cite" you if you didn't pay. It's kind of the honor system. Surveying the Campsites Right after you walk past the bulletin board there are a number of campsites up off to the right. Some of them were already taken by the time I got there, so I walked on down the road, but I heard from some other seasoned campers that one of the first campsites was one of the best out of the eleven. I continued down the road and saw some absolutely stunning ones! I was thrilled to see a few were empty and available. On 4th of July weekend!! I couldn't believe my luck! After I checked out all the real estate I decided on my beauty, campsite number 8... I think? Can't remember exactly. Also recommended is the very last campsite past the bathrooms (farthest from the parking lot). Totally spectacular lake view. I was jealous. Most of the campsites do not have lake access. You're behind some seriously thick brush with no paths to the lake, but I believe the campsites at the very beginning and the very end do have lake access. Something to keep in mind. Not a deal breaker at all though considering Feeley Lake is just a hop skip and jump up the road and even MORE beautiful! :) The bathrooms are clean, although to get there you have to cross part of a river... a stream really, but might be hard to do in the middle of the night unless you have one of the campsites nearest to the bathrooms. Think hopping from stone to stone or just wading through up to your ankles. The campsites grew fairly crowded as the day went on but I observed there were still two or three out of the eleven campsites that were unoccupied throughout the weekend (I was there Fri-Sun). The crowd level was just enough to feel safe and not too much so that you felt it was cramping your solitude time. If you do end up campsite-less for some unfortunate reason, disperse camping is allowed and I saw a ton of people do it along the Round Lake Trail and Crooked Lakes Trail. This is something I will do next time for sure, as the scenery gets even more spectacular the father down the trail you go, espectially up towards Penner Lake. I will definitely be back here as it is one of my new favorite spots in the Tahoe National Forest. I hope this is helpful! :)

    Photos
    Lake Carr Campground - Feeley Lake right next to Carr... who needs lake access to Carr when you have this 100 yards away! Gorgeous!

    Feeley Lake right next to Carr... who needs lake access to Carr when you have this 100 yards away! Gorgeous!

    Lake Carr Campground
    Lake Carr Campground - Last campsite at the end of the road by the bathrooms. Sweet setup. They told me they were here at 11am Friday morning to grab this one.

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    Last campsite at the end of the road by the bathrooms. Sweet setup. They told me they were here at 11am Friday morning to grab this one.

    Cal Ida Campground - campgrounds - Updated June 2026

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