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.

Absolutely breathtakingly, beautiful day hike in Graeagle Lakes Basin Area that is not quite 2…read morehours from the Carson City area. Easy directions that has signs that will guide you right to the trailhead with as the other reviewers noted very limited parking but this hike is WELL worth it. With your choice of going to fish at Long Lake or hiking on several different hiking options from the Bear Lakes & Long Lake Loop Trail or take in a more moderate to difficult hike up to Mt. Elwell or Pacific Crest Trail you will not be disappointed by the beautiful nature views plus the four alpine lakes that on this trip in November we weren't brave enough to take a dip in but our Hobey doggy thoroughly enjoyed and we found to be of temperature similar to Lake Tahoe. Big Bear, Little Bear, Cub and Long Lake were exactly what we needed to put us back in touch with the serene vibes of the peacefulness of being outside with nature. Weather, views were stunningly gorgeous, we and our furry companions HIGHLY recommend getting out here to enjoy this easy to moderate hike/loop trail. Enjoy and #moveyourbody !!

I feel like nothing I write will adequately describe the beauty of this place, so I'll let the…read morepictures do the talking for that part. The trailhead is easy to find and off the main road. The road to get to the trailhead is doable in a small car, but take it slow as there are potholes and lots of blind corners. There's a well-maintained bathroom at the start of the trail and good signage. Parking is pretty good, there were plenty of spaces when I went but i could see it getting crowded during the summer months. The trail to long lake is relatively easy, but I wouldn't suggest it for someone with limited mobility. It's also a short hike with almost immediate payoff once you get to long lake, which is BEAUTIFUL. My dog and I elected to keep going past long lake toward the dam, and passed several small pretty lakes and streams on the way there. The trail was a little icy when I went in early December, but nothing too crazy.

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.

Lake Clementine is one of my favorite spot to go hiking, walking and even biking! Beautiful scenery…read moreand under the bridge view is a sight to see for sure!

Have now done this hike/loop a few times now and it's definitely worth the drive and parking…read morefiasco. The trail is about 4 miles long and takes just a couple hours to do at a slow/medium pace. The trail is pretty wide, there were people with their dogs, a few little kids, and lots of groups enjoying the beautiful day. The majority of the trail is shady and covered by beautiful trees, some spots are under the direct sun so bring a hat or sunnies. You'll see tons of butterflies, wild flowers, birds, and of course will see the spillway. Parking is $10 cash paid to the park. This most recent time that I came it was very difficult to find parking, so if you plan to come on a weekend plan ahead and come early. I would also recommend bringing bus spray and being cautious of the poison ivy along the sides of the trail. Overall it's a beautiful hike and I'd recommend it!

A diamond in the rough for Sierra lakes. If you want to get away from tons of people, you'll love…read morethis place. Purchase rental cabin from Bucks Marina or Bucks Lake Shore Lodge. Also, Lake Shore lodge has a full bar and restaurant with outstanding food and drinks. Get the tree smacker for the full effect....LOL Enjoy this lake, it's one of kind. I've been going there since 1967...It's the real deal for a mountain experience!!!!! Cools down at night, so you sleep great....Hank D. Sr.

wonderful place! wonderful staff and wonderful people! Bucks Lake is a must visit if you have not…read morebeen yet what a wonderful secret/ destination spot!

We wanted to go hiking and found the Joshua M. Hardt Memorial Trail, which circles around the…read morereservoir. The loop was a bit over 4 miles. I'm glad it was mostly shaded and flat. The water was nice and clear. There were several benches along the way. Best of all, it wasn't crowded at all when we went. Bring cash- $5.00 per vehicle.

Beautiful reservoir and meandering trails. This is a great place to visit. We visited the Manzanita…read moreDay Use Area and walked a short distance on the paved trails. We also stopped at the dam to soak in the view. My only regret is that we didn't have more time to spend there.

I witnessed the ladies of Salmon Lake Lodge save the life of a hypothermic kayaker this morning…read more Thank God for their efforts and courage to save this young man's life! You are heroes

First, it is referred to by most as "Salmon Lake". Technically it is at "Upper Salmon Lake" near…read moreSierra City, CA near Bassett's Station. I really enjoy Salmon Lake Lodge and here is my run down on everything: (See the pictures for detail) Basics: This place is remote! If you like being a hermit for a week this is the place. There is absolutely NO CELL RECEPTION!!! I am serious, you have to drive into Graeagle to get cell service. Many of the cafes in Graeagle have wifi. Also, you drive to the lake and then take a barge (floating dock with a motor for you city slickers) across the lake. The camp site and lodge are not reachable by vehicle! However for you die hard hikers you can reach the lodge using the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). It does get cold at night even in summer since you are at 6,500 ft elevation. You can also take a 30 minute hike from the parking lot around the lake to the lodge. However that trail is very narrow and pretty rocky. Again for the city clickers: None of the trails are paved! The Lake: Even in August the lake water is REALLY COLD! I wear a wet suit. My wife and in-laws (whom I think are crazy) swim without a wet suit. Basically, if you can handle the Northern California Ocean you may not need a wet suit. There is an island which is great to kayak to and jump off the rocks. There are quite a few rocks on the island and around the edge of the lake to jump off and it is so much fun! For the fisherman, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout, but there are some other fish in there as well. There are ducks, some eagles, some rocks for climbing, and a few coves to explore. Tent Cabins: Beds: Twin Bunk Bed and separate Full Sized Bed. Mattresses are pretty hard! Kitchen: Two electric burner cook top, Mini Refrigerator with Tiny Freezer section (like a college dorm, Table with two benches, Plastic tub for food storage, Trash bucket, Dish Tub, Broom, and dust pan. There is also a wood burning stove for heat and the site provides firewood. Outside each cabin is an outdoor table with two benches and a BBQ like you would find at a city park. Details: There are 10 tent cabins in 5 buildings labeled A-J. The I/J tent cabins are the furthest west and therefore the most quiet. The G cabin is the closest to the bathroom. Amenities: The Lodge provides row boats, kayaks, and a few canoes on first come first serve basis at NO CHARGE! This is a big reason I like Salmon Lake, it is a very small lake that you can kayak around and jump in the water as you wish. There is a bathroom/shower/dishwashing house for everyone in the tent cabins. The shower always has had hot water when I used it. The bathrooms are cleaned daily and have running water and lighting and are very nice. The dish washing station is outside and is a double sink for washing and rinsing. There is also a washing machine for clothing (great for you hikers). You hang dry your clothes (bring a clothes line or parachute cord). It is a great place for hiking. You can reach the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) easily and the Sierra Buttes. There are also shorter trails to Horse Lake, Deer Lake, and Lower Salmon Lake. Note: There is a waiting list to get in. It is fairly exclusive. Message me if you have questions I've been here a few times and my in-laws have been going here for generations.

The best spot to spend time in quiet and fish, they got picnic areas to be there with your family…read moreand spend some quality time.

This is a bequtiful little trout lake About an hour above…read moreloomis ca. Ive taken my kids here for many years and now take their kids. Grrat plave for a picnik. Some casu a l float or bank fidhing with no noise and few people on weekdays. Easy access but not much parking.

Make sure and go outside!…read more This particular park is just what you need to run and play outside. It's well kept and maintained. It's part of the larger system. We came across this park while we were on vacation. This was a great little place to pull off and see how much fun we can have together. Come out and enjoy the

Still as beautiful as ever. Nice, peaceful walk on a holiday morning. Lots of people walking their…read moredogs and biking. The surrounding homes are lovely. Went to the sculpture garden and watched people fishing in the river.

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.