Goose Lake campground is a small Forest Service campground located on the Gold Lake Highway just…read moresouth of the more well-known Gold Lake campground. It is often simply used as overflow for the latter. However, although much smaller than Gold Lake, it is no less beautiful, and the lack of motorized watercraft give it a quieter, more serene appearance. Not camping at the time, we were simply looking for a nice lake to have a picnic by that was accessible by car. In the Lakes Basin area, in spite of what everyone says, this is no mean feat. The forest service seems to assume that the great majority of users have four-wheel-drive vehicles anyway, so no sense wasting money fixing the multitude of hazardous potholes on seemingly every access road. At this campground, we took one look at the dirt campground road and its giant potholes, and aborted an attempt to drive in. Fortunately, off the highway just south of the entrance is a large dirt area to park, fairly devoid of holes, that had a walk-in path to the campground and the lake. Goose Lake is a short walk from that parking area, and if you don't mind sitting on a rock, there is an abundance of beautiful areas to have lunch by and enjoy the water. Even if you only have a short amount of time, Goose Lake is worth a visit. The campground is small, with only 13 spots, and was quite quiet during our midday visit. The big disadvantage to this campground: no water. You would probably need to make visits to nearby Gold Lake and refill water supplies. The vault toilet was clean and relatively odor free. The daily camping fee is only $10, and does not take reservations. To reach the campground, go south on Highway 89 from Graeagle for 2 miles, then proceed south for 12 miles on the Gold Lake Highway. Definitely a four star for day use, but potholes and the lack of water knocks it down a star for camping...

I've never been, but I just bought 1.3 acres... dead flat land, super cheap…read more Now I have more of an incentive to drive seven hours to go visit.

I had site #19 and came in on Memorial Day. It's a beautiful campground, but there was no host,…read moreand Sierra City was closed until Wednesday. Good thing I always bring my own firewood and water. I don't know why it's one of Recreation.gov's favorite sites because there are much better sites. There's no few of the creek/river (from a socal point of view it's a river), and there are sites that look right down on you. I had to leave after the first night as my ears couldn't take the sound of the rushing river. It took 2 days for the ringing to stop. I had no idea it would be so loud. It was deafening. Maybe a site not so close would have been better.

Great spot in the Sierras on the Yuba River's north fork. No water, but beautiful location and…read moreright on a large stream. The camp is 1/2 mile off 49, but in an area with all nearby 20 campgrounds all right on the highway. We had site 32, probably the best site. In the back on a corner of the stream. Large space, nice groomed surface, fire pits, benches and food lockers. Trees all around, and so with the stream we felt like we were in the middle of a forest. $35 a night. We got lucky but someone told us it usually is reserved months out on the weekend. They have 8 spots on first come first serve basis with a 14 day limited stay. Get there mid-week and usually you can get one. We were there for a show at the nearby Kentucky Mine. It was a perfect combo. We'll be back.

My boyfriend and I camped at Salmon Creek, and I was very pleased with the site. We stayed in early…read moreOctober, so there were very few other campers. It gets very chilly in the evening! Our site, number 33, was far away from other camp sites. We had a great stretch of woods to enjoy, although poor Salmon Creek was totally dry. All of the sites come with a fire pit, a second pit with a grill top, a picnic table, and a bear box. We could hear a little bit of car noise from Gold Lake Hwy, but not too much. The location is very close to the Sardine Lakes, Sand Pond, and the trailhead for the hike to the Sierra Buttes fire lookout tower. It was a lovely 1.5 hr drive from Reno: not too far, but far enough so that it felt like we were in a new and different environment! I booked the campsite on recreation.gov for $33. In the morning the campsite manager stopped by to have me sign in. Check out is 2 pm. I highly recommend this site.

We stayed at Salmon Creek Campground in late August 2020. There were fires all over that had…read morefinally been contained enough for us to feel comfortable going. We live in Sacramento and had been dealing with all the ash and smoke for weeks. Coming up to the campground was so nice, as the air was clear and mostly crisp. It was a much needed break. We stayed at campsites #27 & #29. According to the reservation site (recreation.gov), both of these sites are on the creek side, rather than the highway side. But when we arrived, we found they were on the highway side (along with #26, so not all of them are listed improperly). It wasn't so bad, though, as the highway is a ways up above the site and it wasn't too busy. At night, I honestly didn't even notice the sound. #26 is really close to #27, but no one was there when we went, so it was fine. #29 is on the creek side and is actually downhill a bit. It's definitely the most secluded site on the entire campground. The restrooms are almost directly across from #26 and the door has slams literally every time someone uses it (unless they hold it to stop it from slamming, but why would anyone do that?), so it was a bit of a nuisance at night or in the early morning. The campground was clean overall. We saw the Forest Service truck come through a couple times each day just to check up on things. There was no camp host when we went. We had no issues with bears or anything rummaging through our site at night (though we did put everything in the bear box). There also wasn't much of an issue with noise, but that really just depends on how considerate the neighbors are that happen to be there when you are. And since there is no camp host on site, there would be nothing done about noise anyway. We hopped in our cars to drive just a few feet up the highway to access the Sand Pond & Lower Sardine Lake. They were nice, but the issue here is that while Salmon Creek Campground allows dogs, neither of these allow them. And since we didn't have anywhere we could keep our dogs, our visit to these spots was very brief. If you want to bring your dogs with you, you have to head up to Upper Sardine Lake. This is an OHV trail, so you need 4WD to drive up there. Your other option is hiking it, but it is a bit of a hike uphill...not a simple walk. With that said, my 7 year old made the hike both ways without issue, but it is rocky, so be careful. My hubby has a truck that could handle it, so we took that, but it was terrifying for me, as the width of the trail is only a few feet wider than the width of the truck and you're literally on the edge of this mountain cliff with no guard or anything. And if another vehicle comes, one of you have to back up till there's a wide enough space for passing. It was very nerve-wracking. So while we loved the campground, we have opted not to return mainly because we enjoy bringing our dogs with us camping & it just wasn't an ideal situation.

I love Gold lake. Snow camping here is epic if your rig and winch can get you through the icy snow…read moreto camp by the lake! The best part is no one will be here in the cold! Snow hiking is awesome but you can easily get lost! Have fun!

10/21/2023 It's been…read morea very long time since our last visit.. Still have the fishing bug... trying to take advantage of the time and weather... Windy as heck, but the scenery takes it all !!! Next trip, hoping to catch some nice ones!

Shooting, camping, swimming, a bit of 4 wheeling. Very natural, no bathrooms, fresh water to swim…read more You may even see some waterfalls if you get to that part of the area. I've camped here twice and been a few times as a day trip for swimming and off road fun. Such a pretty, peaceful area. Well unless you're shooting. lol

What a fabulous campground and natural swimming pools. Right off I-80, nestled off of I-80, at…read moreEagle Lakes exit. Part of the Yuba River, complete with a couple of waterfalls. And fairly warm water by late August is a huge swimming pool of fresh Sierra water. I was up there on a Thursday and to my surprise the other folks I saw where Forester Rangers take care of maintenance on the camp. I think there was only a dozen or so campsites. There were available to reserve by calling the Forest Service. I'd definitely recommend stopping by to check this beautiful place out, year around. I truly can't wait to see this pls e this winter

A nice evening with the stars. The customer service was easy and reliable. The driving directions…read moreare smooth.

I have stayed here twice now. Once in an RV with an older friend and once van/tent camping with my…read morekids. We had a wonderful experience both times. The grounds are very rustic and quaint. It's an amazing, natural and private environment. The short walk from the campground is beautiful well-kept and well-lit with small lights in the bushes next to the trail. The Hot Springs are clean, beautiful and relaxing. I love the location right on the river as we spent one afternoon soaking in the hot interspersed with cold dips in the river. The kids loved floating down the river through the small Rapids and getting out at the Hot Springs where they could warm up for a couple minutes before repeating the process! Be sure to make reservations ahead of time. The proprietor is very responsive via text.

Sierra Skies RV Park is truly a hidden gem. Located in the tiny town of Sierra City, it's a small…read morepark with friendly camp hosts and well-shaded spots. The bathroom and showers are really nice. A short downhill hike takes you to a beautiful swimming hole along the Yuba River. Two adorable tent spots overlook the river. In late June, the temps were warm but comfortable during the day, and cooler in the evening and morning. The spaces are pretty close together, which was perfectly fine with our courteous neighbors. Your driving and reversing skills need to be strong, there is not a lot of room for error with some of the tighter spaces. They have a nice area as the designated dog potty place, dogs are expected to stay on leash and behave appropriately. We didn't have any problems and there isn't a big list of overly strict rules, but we did feel that the camp hosts would be helpful and put a quick stop to any misbehavior in the park. Across the road from the park is the Sierra Country Store where you'll find basic grocery items and an amazing deli counter with sandwiches, burgers, and milkshakes. We heard great things about the nearby Red Moose Cafe from our hosts and several neighbors, but we didn't make it in this trip. We'll definitely stay again and look forward to exploring more!

My little family finally got to visit this weekend, and it was perfect!…read more This place is gorgeous and serene. The landscape is picturesque but specifically the RV park is well maintained, clean, and modern. We enjoyed our early Autumn vacation and my baby had so much fun exploring, she even found little tadpoles in a very shallow part of the pool I can't wait to return in Spring with the new budding greenery