Campground

Sardine Lake

Tahoe National Forest · Nevada City · California — managed by USDA Forest Service

Sites open now — checked live on Recreation.gov
Sardine Lake campground
Photo: Recreation.gov · TNF

Weekend availability at Sardine Lake

Live from Recreation.gov · checked Sep 18, 3:55 PM PT

Sold out 1 of the next 4 weekends — exactly when cancellation alerts earn their keep.

  • Fri, Sep 18
    Sold out
  • Fri, Sep 25
    Limited
    1/24 sites
  • Fri, Oct 2
    Limited
    1/24 sites
  • Fri, Oct 9
    Limited
    4/24 sites

Friday + Saturday nights, sites bookable both nights. Counts come from a rotating sweep and can lag a cancellation by up to a day — alerts watch your exact dates within minutes.

How booked is Sardine Lake?

as of September 19

Sites are open right now — we found space out to Oct. That changes fast at a campground. We check Sardine Lake around the clock, so the moment your dates fill up and a cancellation reopens them, you'll be first to know. Weekdays still have room — for now.

Weekends (Saturday night)

Sep 26Open
Oct 3Open
Oct 10Open

Weekdays (Wednesday night)

Sep 23Open
Oct 7Open
Oct 14Open

Availability checked directly against the reservation system, out to 3 months ahead.

Campsites & amenities

Site-level details from Recreation.gov's official catalog.

Campsites
27
Max rig length
48 ft
Standard No Hookup

About this campground

Overview Sardine Lake Campground is located in the North Yuba River area, near the beautiful Sardine Lakes. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes and Sand Pond. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals, lodging, and a restaurant. A large network of trails is available in the area, including Deer Lake and Tamarack Lakes Trails and the Pacific Crest Trail. Facilities The campground offers several single-family campsites and one double site. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, campfire ring, and a food storage locker. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.Natural Features The campground stretches along a wet meadow at the base of the scenic Sierra Buttes. A forest of lodgepole pine offers partial shade. Beautiful high mountain lakes and rugged peaks can be found throughout the surrounding area. Nearby Attractions Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes, less than a mile to the west. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the basin. A more developed boat ramp is located at Gold Lake and accomodates launching of larger boats. Over 30 miles of maintained trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack branch out across the area and the Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed at a few spots in the Lakes Basin area. The historic towns of Sierra City and Downieville offer historic and cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, churches, and vistor information. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531.Charges & Cancellations No Show Policy A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival).  * No-show customers are only recorded at staffed facilities. At most remote facilities, all customers are noted as automatically checked-in on the date of arrival. * It is recommended that staffed facilities hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. * It is recommended that staffed facilities hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation if the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit some or all of the recreation fees.  There is no change fee if the customer changes campsites that are the same price and on the same reservation dates in the same campground. If the campsite the customer is changing to has a price difference, the customer will be responsible for any additional fees or be provided with a refund, based on the price difference.  Where recorded, no-show customers are assessed a $20.00 no-show fee and forfeit the first night's recreation fee for a campsite or forfeit the entire day-use recreation fee for a day-use facility. We recommend customers contact the facility if they are en route to their reservation but cannot make it by the check-in date. In these cases, no refund will be issued, but the facility can ensure that a "no-show" fee is not assessed.

Getting there

From Sierra City, travel north on Highway 49 for 5 miles. Turn left at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to Packer Lake Road and turn left. Continue for about 1 mile and turn left into the campground.  From Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for about 18 miles. Turn right at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to Packer Lake Road and turn left. Continue for about 1 mile and turn left into the campground.

Elevation
5,735 ft
Contact
(530)478-6253

Activities

  • HUNTING
  • HIKING
  • FISHING
  • CAMPING
  • BOATING
  • DAY USE AREA
  • HOTEL/LODGE/RESORT PRIVATELY OWNED
  • MOUNTAIN BIKING
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • SWIMMING
  • BACKPACKING
  • NON-MOTORIZED BOATING
  • SCENIC DRIVE
  • WATER ACTIVITIES

Nearby federal campgrounds

Never miss an opening at Sardine Lake

Popular California campgrounds book out months ahead — but cancellations happen every day. We watch Sardine Lake around the clock and alert you the moment a sold-out site reopens for your dates, so you don't have to keep refreshing Recreation.gov.

Not ready to subscribe? Get a free weekend heads-up.

We'll email you if Sardine Lake opens up for a weekend you pick. No account needed.

Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office or on Recreation.gov before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.