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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. California
  3. Sardine Lake

Camping at Sardine Lake near Nevada City

Public campground · Nevada City · 26 campsites

A forested campground near trout fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Sardine Lake Campground sits in the North Yuba River area at the base of the Sierra Buttes, stretching along a wet meadow framed by a stand of lodgepole pine that provides partial shade and easy access to high mountain lakes and rugged peaks. Operated and maintained by Tahoe National Forest, the site contains 26 total campsites; all 26 are configured to accommodate both RVs and tents, with most sites intended for single-family use and one double site for larger groups.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 105 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 5 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 48 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • No hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Vault toilets
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 26 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
016
standard nonelectric
––$24
008
standard nonelectric
––$24
017
standard nonelectric
––$24
007
standard nonelectric
––$24
006
standard nonelectric
––$24
027
standard nonelectric
––$24
023
standard nonelectric
––$24
003
standard nonelectric
––$24
014
standard nonelectric
––$24
021
standard nonelectric
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Host
  • Interpretive Trails
  • Paved Roads
  • Pets Allowed
  • Self Pay Station
  • Shade
  • Trash Collection
  • Vault Toilets
  • Water
Check-in
2:00 PM
Checkout
12:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 26 no-hookup individual sites.

Location

YUBA RIVER RANGER STATION
Open in Google Maps ↗

Sardine Lake: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Sardine Lake?
Longest RV site listed: 48 ft (26 of 26 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Sardine Lake have RV hookups?
26 no-hookup individual sites (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Sardine Lake?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Sardine Lake?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 48 ft (26 of 26 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 26 no-hookup individual sites
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 0 pull-through, 27 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 1 paved, 26 gravel site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 0 (42 reports), AT&T 0 (35 reports)
Shade
Listing 27 of 27 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $24/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing YUBA RIVER RANGER STATION (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite · Water
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (105 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.

“The location is beautiful, but the road leading to the site is very narrow. They should also take care of the landscaping maintenance. ”

Susana H 4 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Amazing views and well kept site, great launch spot for so many adventures ”

Dahlia N 5 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

No sites offered for these dates

Salmon Creek

0.4 mi from Sardine Lake (straight-line) 4.0 · 81 Recreation.gov reviews
Tent sites · RV sites
Recreation.gov isn't offering sites Nov 13–15
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
No sites offered for these dates

Diablo

1.4 mi from Sardine Lake (straight-line) 4.0 · 35 Recreation.gov reviews
Tent sites · RV sites
Recreation.gov isn't offering sites Nov 13–15
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
No sites offered for these dates

Berger

1.6 mi from Sardine Lake (straight-line) 4.0 · 23 Recreation.gov reviews
Tent sites · RV sites
Recreation.gov isn't offering sites Nov 13–15
Rates & availability from Recreation.gov · you book on their site
View Campsites
Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

All glamping →
  • Wisdom eco-preserve22.1 mi · Nevada City

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Sierra City
  • RV rentals near Sierra City
  • Glamping & cabins near Sierra City
  • RV rentals in California
  • Glamping in California

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
–
$24
004
standard nonelectric
––$24
001
standard nonelectric
––$24
025
standard nonelectric
––$24
010
standard nonelectric
––$24
005
standard nonelectric
––$24
026
standard nonelectric
––$24
009
standard nonelectric
––$24
013
standard nonelectric
––$24
012
standard nonelectric
––$24
024
standard nonelectric
––$24
022
standard nonelectric
––$24
002
standard nonelectric
––$24
019
standard nonelectric
––$24
018
standard nonelectric
––$24
011
standard nonelectric
––$24
020
standard nonelectric
––$48

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
    • fish for trout (per the campground listing)
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–4 hr · from $100/person
    • Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–3 hr · from $116/person
  3. Day 3 · One more stop, then head home

    • Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 26 sites take tents. See open sites ↑

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 48 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

Go Yonder! 2022 Thor Magnitude GA31
Go Yonder! 2022 Thor Magnitude GA31

Class C motorhome · 31 ft · sleeps 10 · 65 mi from campground

$250/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
2021 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DBH
2021 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DBH

Travel trailer · 31 ft · sleeps 6 · 77 mi from campground

$130/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
BunkHouse "The Daffy Mansion"
BunkHouse "The Daffy Mansion"

Travel trailer · 36 ft · sleeps 7 · 104 mi from campground

$155/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Sardine Lake

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise
Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Scenic Cruise

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–3 hr · from $116/person

Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours
Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail Self-Guided E-Bike Tour — 2–4 Hours

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr–4 hr · from $100/person

Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Ultimate Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $14/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Scenic Snowshoe Adventure in South Lake Tahoe, CA
Scenic Snowshoe Adventure in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr · from $110/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season Jun 7–Oct 15: RV & Tent $24–$48 per night

stays up to 14 nights (Recreation.gov rules).

Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Sardine Lake

For July weekends, book about 181 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 140 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May145 days ahead174 days ahead89 days ahead141 days ahead
June134 days ahead172 days ahead110 days ahead165 days ahead
July140 days ahead181 days ahead114 days ahead180 days ahead
August152 days ahead181 days ahead82 days ahead179 days ahead
September115 days ahead174 days ahead52 days ahead149 days ahead
October37 days ahead112 days ahead18 days ahead60 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (9,257 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Compare site types

26 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 8. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites (tent or RV)

Tent, van or small RV, no power

26 sites · $24, $48/night

Loops: AREA SARDINE LAKE (26)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Clear Kayak Tour of Sand Harbor's Crystal Clear Waters
Clear Kayak Tour of Sand Harbor's Crystal Clear Waters

Lake Tahoe area · 2.5 hr · from $150/person

Lake Tahoe Evening Dinner Cruise
Lake Tahoe Evening Dinner Cruise

Lake Tahoe area · 3 hr–4 hr · from $170/person

Private Yacht-Class Boat Tour on Lake Tahoe
Private Yacht-Class Boat Tour on Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 2 hr · from $642/person

Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay Helicopter Tour of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 10 min–12 min · from $139/person

Yosemite Grand Adventure - day tour from S. Lake Tahoe
Yosemite Grand Adventure - day tour from S. Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe area · 14 hr · from $270/person