I spent a year camping around all of the Rocky mountains, through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado,…read moreNew Mexico, Arizona and California. Hand's down the two top campgrounds for me were Zion National Park and Inn Town Campground in Nevada City. Go Figure. The people who created Inn Town Campground are clearly outdoor adventurists who understand how camping can help us reconnect with nature. The grounds are spacious, immaculate, their staff is grounded and kind, and the facilities are immaculate. I wanted to move in. I felt like I was in the wild but fully pampered like I was at a retreat. The bathrooms are immaculate. The outdoor showers are phenomenal -- beats Zion hand's down. Yes, they have a cancellation policy J H, try to cancel at Zion lol. You won't get your money back. This place is a gem ... treat it as such.

This place rocks. We have joined friends the last three years and this place is perfect for friends…read moreto gather. We have a wide range of kids age and there is a bit of everything to keep the kids entertained. Movie night at night, snacks to purchase, small swimming pool and space to bike around. There are so many lakes and river access points near by. The community kitchen is clean and equipped. Already looking forward to next year. The rooms are comfortable and the fan is a must.

- $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! :)

Great place to camp Safe happy environment…read more Only thing that sucks is they charge for the showers!!! It should be free when you already paying $50 a day to camp

Has been my favorite camping place and gone every year. Love the view of the water and the…read moreatmosphere of campground.

The campground looks like it is permanently closed. They put huge boulders in the campground…read moreentrance area. The day use parking lot is open. The river is very pretty here, and clean, and there's a big gravel bar. We did not have to pay to park. We went gold panning and found zero gold flakes or nuggets. It was a weekday and there were only 4 cars in the parking lot.

Beautiful and I had a great time. We had 17 people a group and it was the best Camp Grounds we've…read moreever been to.

Hands down the best camping experience of our lives. immaculate tents, linens, etc. very…read moretastefully crafted and arranged. Drift Outdoors is an absolute must for any camping trip in the sierras! Lauren and Jordan and responses to requests and are a pleasure to work with

From the owner: Drift Outdoors is a mobile glamping company. We offer unique glamping experiences throughout…read moreNorthern California. The concept is simple. You choose the location, and Drift Outdoors sets up a uniquely styled tent on your glamp site before your arrival. Drift Outdoors will help make your next outdoor adventure unforgettable; whether it be fly fishing, mountain biking, a romantic get-away, or sharing a bonfire with friends. We are redefining the camping experience by offering spacious tents, comfortable memory foam mattresses with crisp white linens & down pillows, and state of the art cooking equipment. When it's time to go home, just gather your personal belongings and we will be there to break down the camp for you! When you book with Drift Outdoors you combine luxury with the beauty of nature. Take us on your next outdoor adventure!

Some places never leave you. For me, that's the South Yuba River Trail and what I've always…read moreaffectionately called the Old Bridge. I remember coming here as a kid with my dad. Crossing that old bridge felt like the scariest thing in the world. My dad would make us walk on the inside, away from the edge, while my imagination convinced me one wrong step meant certain doom. Funny how a place that once terrified me would become one of my favorite places on Earth. Over the years, I've returned time and time again. I've swum here with friends, spent long summer afternoons jumping off the rocks into those deep emerald pools, and just recently brought my son here so he could experience the same magic. Seeing it through his eyes reminded me why I fell in love with this place in the first place. On a warm summer day, this canyon is nothing short of a postcard. Crystal-clear water winds between massive granite boulders. The iconic canyon walls rise on both sides, and the sunshine pours in, lighting the river until it almost glows. Families spread out on the rocks, friends laugh from every swimming hole, and adventurous souls leap from cliffs into the refreshing water below. I've been to plenty of rivers, but few compare to this one. The deep swimming holes, the towering stone cliffs, the endless places to explore, and the unmistakable beauty of the canyon make it feel like one of California's true treasures. Some places are simply beautiful. Others become part of your story. The South Yuba River is both. It's a place that has followed me from childhood into adulthood, and now into fatherhood. Every visit reminds me that while life changes, some places never lose their magic.

We have been coming her for over 20 years, the water is always beautiful and we have meet some…read morereally great people here. We usually visit 2-3 times a year for 3-4 day weekends. We'll usually get down to purdon crossing around 11am and spend the entire afternoon enjoying the sun, shade where we can find it or make it and swimming. We have meet some really great single guys and couples there to share our picnic with, so if you ever see us on the river don't be shy and say Hi.

Great place to play and float around in the water in the summer. The water is mostly calm and…read moreclear, aside from the occasionally swept up sand and mossy bits floating around. Theres a lot of families and kids here. The water is very shallow and plenty of rocks blocking/diverting each ends of the river so people won't get swept away or down the river. It's helpful to have water shoes on while in the river, the rocks can be very slippery due to the moss on them. There is a good amount of areas to set up tents on the sand, and even some shaded areas under trees. The sand is super dusty though, so anytime people walked by, the dust would get everywhere. The parking lot was already full when we arrived at 9am on a Sunday so we had to park on the side of the road. It wasn't too far of a walk to the river from the road, but was a struggle with all the stuff we had to carry down, especially without a wagon. The parking lot and restroom here is just a short walk to the river. The women's restroom has two stalls, sink, mirror, soap, and paper towels. There are picnic tables around, but no glass, bbq, or alcohol is allowed.

South Yuba River State Park is a fantastic spot for outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels,…read moreoffering a great mix of accessible and challenging trails. The crystal-clear water makes for stunning views and relaxing stops along the riverbanks. Getting to see the historic Bridgeport Covered Bridge up close adds a wonderful layer of local history to the visit. It is an absolute must-visit for a scenic day trip. Parking is $5.00 for the day.

The water is so clear. Beautiful. Gorgeous blue water…read more. Truly amazing place A definitely must visit..

Every summer we look forward to coming here! We've been coming here for over twenty years now and…read moreit's been getting more and more populated. It used to be more secluded but it's nice to see to that more people are finding this spot as it is a,"Gem!" There are so many places here to hike and swim along the Yuba and you kind of work your way and find what works best with what you want out of it. The water is pristine...better than any swimming pool or ocean, IMO. You can open your eyes under water and it's never irritated. We usually bring our goggles but it's not necessary. There's endless places to sunbathe, without feeling invaded. Dogs are allowed on leashes but on this visit we did experience a dog taking a poo in the water, which kind of turned us off. Luckily, the owner noticed and he was able to take care of it, minutes later. The Yuba River is beautiful, you can't ask for better swimming conditions, there are a number of spots available if you travel up or down stream. The water is always emerald green and so clear when you dive under. If you're adventurous, there are some great spots to sunbathe nude... if you desire!

Friends of ours are members of this private club. I had the pleasure of being able to come down…read morewith their family. They have everything you need here, it feels safe and community areas are clean. They have a pool, hot tub, volleyball court, kids club and adult clubs. Everyone was friendly and nice and I enjoyed my time here. I'm looking forward to coming back in the Fall.

Always a great time when my family and I vacation at harmony ridge. It's so peaceful, clean & quiet…read morethere. My daughter accidentally locked us out of our cabin and the guy at the front desk was super nice about it & gave me a spare key to get back in. Plus since we are members, they gave us a pass to Scott's Flat!

Im giving this 3 stars because it truly was beautiful here. We were very lucky and came in April…read morewhen like nobody was here. The campsites have NO PRIVACY whatsoever. If you are ok with that, then this would be fine for you. The bathroom was nice, but noticed the 2 days we were there it wasn't cleaned, and garbages outside of bathrooms weren't dumped. Also, bring MOSQUITO spray!! Omgoodness, I knew because it was by water there would be some, but they were so bad, we had to go Inside our trailer before dark. No marshmallow roasting, or campfire at night. staff was nice, however they were doing construction the whole time we were there. They came to apologize and stated they were done if we wanted to stay another night. However, that was a lie. We were woke up the next morning again to loud machinery and lots of workers So it was less noisy at home in the city. All in all, the surroundings are beautiful, lake is amazing, but, we won't be back. Too many mosquitos, not private enough, and super noisy for not having anyone there but us and 2 other campers, that were far away from us.

Let me start off by saying, this review doesn't reflect the campground itself. It reflects staff, a…read morestaff member in particular. This campground allows day passes to use their beach front to access the water, we did that back in July. We only saw the part of the campground that led us to the water, it looked really pretty. We enjoyed the water area. My partner and I decided we should come back sometime to camp, so we decided we would in September. I called a handful of times to ask various questions and get information, I spoke to a lady named Ky and two gentlemen named Todd and Robert (I believe). Todd and Robert were absolutely fantastic. They had amazing customer service, were friendly, just overall went above and beyond during my interactions with them. Ky on the other hand... she was rude, disrespectful, no customer service skills and subtly talked down on her colleagues. I was planning for a group of 7 to go camping, so there were a lot of heads to manage and plan for. I asked for some recommendations for campsites and she had given me 2 (one was for $400 for the weekend and one was in the meadow area for cheaper), but she explained the meadow area after I asked her many times and I just didn't think the site she recommended was going to work so I nicely asked for another recommendation and she told me she wasn't going to give me another one "if I was just gonna keep not liking them". I kept explaining to her I couldn't hear her, because she had me on speaker and she was further away from the phone... I asked her to repeat a few things and then asked if she wouldn't mind putting me to her ear because I genuinely couldn't hear her and she told me no that she will be keeping me on speaker because if she puts me to her ear she can only type with one hand and that's "unefficient". As a customer I would rather take a few extra minutes being "unefficient" because you need to type with one and and being able to ACTUALLY hear as appose to having to keep asking her to repeat herself or asking what. There was some miscommunication on which sites will be closed during their "off season" or non busy season (which is when I was planning to book) and another staff recommended a site that was unfortunately actually going to be closed so I asked about it and she told me she knows the most there, she's the one with all the information so the other person was wrong. Again, I have nothing bad to say regarding the campground itself. There was more, but for the sake of the long review, I will end it here. But if you are reading this, Orchard Springs, please be sure to properly train employees on customer service...this will ensure you have more customers. Again, Todd and Robert were fantastic!