Can you reserve a site at Salmon Creek?

Yes, Salmon Creek is reservable through Recreation.gov.

How many campsites does Salmon Creek have?

32 sites in total, of which 29 can be booked.

What is the maximum RV length at Salmon Creek?

45 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.

Are pets allowed at Salmon Creek?

Yes, pets are allowed at Salmon Creek.

Are campfires allowed at Salmon Creek?

Campfires are allowed at Salmon Creek. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Salmon Creek, California — 29 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

Salmon Creek Campground is located in the North Yuba River area. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

Recreation

A large network of trails is available in the area, including Tamarack Lake and Deer Lake Trails and the Pacific Crest Trail. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes, which is a short drive from the campground. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals.

Facilities

The campground offers 31 single-family sites, including some tent-only sites. Each site has a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Natural Features

The campground stretches along the banks of Salmon Creek. A forest of cottonwood, lodgepole pine and cedar offers shade. The surrounding area contains an abundance of beautiful high mountain lakes, rugged peaks, and scenic views.

Contact Info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531.

Nearby Attractions

Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Sardine Lakes, about a mile to the west. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals, lodging, and a restaurant. 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.

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.

The facts

Season: May 21 – October 29 — USDA Forest Service, Aug 24, 2026
29 bookable sites
32 sites in total, including non-bookable
Vehicles up to 45 ft
Up to 6 people per site
Loops: AREA SALMON CREEK

Site types

24 Standard Nonelectric
5 Tent Only Nonelectric
3 Management

Amenities

Campfires allowed
Fire pits
Picnic tables
Shade
Pets allowed

Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups, grills.

Book on Recreation.gov

32 campsites at Salmon Creek

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Grade	Access	Max rig	People
001	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	28 ft	6	🐾
002	AREA SALMON CREEK	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	23 ft	6	🐾
003	AREA SALMON CREEK	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	23 ft	6	🐾
004	AREA SALMON CREEK	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	18 ft	6	🐾
005	AREA SALMON CREEK	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	23 ft	6	🐾
006	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	33 ft	6	🐾
007	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	23 ft	6	🐾
008	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	23 ft	6	🐾
009	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	18 ft	6	🐾
010	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	28 ft	6	🐾
011	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	33 ft	6	🐾
012	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	33 ft	6	🐾
013	AREA SALMON CREEK	Management	Back In	Gravel	—	—	36 ft	6	🐾
014	AREA SALMON CREEK	Management	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	36 ft	6	🐾
015	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	33 ft	6	🐾
016	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	28 ft	6	🐾
017	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	28 ft	6	🐾
018	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	28 ft	6	🐾
019	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Hike In	28 ft	6	🐾
020	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Hike In	28 ft	6	🐾
021	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Hike In	20 ft	6	🐾
022	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	34 ft	6	🐾
023	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	32 ft	6	🐾
024	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	35 ft	6	🐾
025	AREA SALMON CREEK	Management	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	25 ft	6	🐾
026	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	30 ft	6	🐾
027	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	45 ft	6	🐾
028	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	27 ft	6	🐾
029	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	—	Drive In	20 ft	6	🐾
030	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	30 ft	6	🐾
031	AREA SALMON CREEK	Standard Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	34 ft	6	🐾
033	AREA SALMON CREEK	Tent Only Nonelectric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Drive In	18 ft	6	🐾

Getting there

From Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for 18 miles to Bassetts. Turn right and continue two miles to the campground, which is on the left side of the highway.

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, campground is on the left just past Packer Lake Road.

39.62346, -120.61244 · 39°37'24.5"N 120°36'44.8"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 82°F in Jul, down to 45°F in Dec.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	46	47	49	55	64	73	82	81	77	66	54	45
Low °F	29	28	30	33	40	47	54	54	51	42	34	29
Precip in	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 11.9 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Common questions about Salmon Creek

Can you reserve a site at Salmon Creek?: Yes, Salmon Creek is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does Salmon Creek have?: 32 sites in total, of which 29 can be booked.
What is the maximum RV length at Salmon Creek?: 45 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
Are pets allowed at Salmon Creek?: Yes, pets are allowed at Salmon Creek.
Are campfires allowed at Salmon Creek?: Campfires are allowed at Salmon Creek. Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Also listed by

Salmon Creek also appears in other federal recreation data. Facts below are matched by name and location, not confirmed by Salmon Creek's operator.

USDA Forest Service — data as of Aug 24, 2026

$24 per site $5 for extra vehicle

Restrictions:

Camping outside designated campground is prohibited in this area

USDA Forest Service's own page

Camping near Salmon Creek

Sardine Lake 0.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
Diablo 1.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Berger 1.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
Packsaddle 2 mi · Campground · we watch it
Sierra 3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Chapman 3.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
Lakes Basin 3.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Sierra Valley Shooting Range 3 mi · Facility
Sierra Valley Road Cycling 3 mi · Facility
Snag Lake Campground 3.3 mi · Campground
Haven Lake Campground 3.5 mi · Campground
Goose Lake Campground 3.8 mi · Campground

Contact

Phone (530)478-6253
Book Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-03-11.

Salmon Creek