Free camping near Calpine, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Calpine, CA there are 103 camps: 50 free, 40 fee, 13 unpriced. The closest is Beartrap, 3.9 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Beartrap, 3.9 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 102 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beartrap | 3.9 | Free | Lunch Creek (stream) | 4.0 mi to Calpine | — |
| Yuba Pass Campground | 4.3 | Unpriced | North Yuba River (river) | 3.5 mi to Sattley | — |
| Lunch Creek | 4.7 | Free | Lunch Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Sattley | — |
| Chapman | 5.1 | Free | Chapman Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Chapman Creek Campground | 6.0 | Unpriced | Chapman Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Deadman Lake | 6.7 | Free | Deadman Lake (water) | 1.9 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Sierra | 6.7 | Fee | — | 5.4 mi to Sierra | — |
| Nichols Creek | 7.5 | Free | Bonta Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Church Meadow | 9.2 | Free | — | 4.8 mi to Whitehawk | — |
| Pierce Meadow | 9.5 | Free | William Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Salmon Creek | 9.6 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Sierra | — |
| Sardine | 10.0 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Sierra | — |
| Snag Lake | 10.0 | Free | Church Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Cottonwood | 10 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Haven Lake Campground | 10 | Free | Haven Lake (water) | 4.5 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Goose Lake Campground | 11 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Graeagle | — |
| Cold Creek | 11 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Diablo | 11 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Sierra | — |
| Salmon Lakes | 11 | Free | Lower Salmon Lake (water) | 3.9 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Wild Plum | 11 | Fee | — | 1.4 mi to Sierra | — |
| Crocker Family Cg. | 11 | Free | Frazier Creek (stream) | 5.2 mi to Clio | — |
| Cottonwood Springs Family Cg. | 11 | Fee | — | 4.9 mi to Graeagle | — |
| Berger Creek | 11 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Sierra | — |
| Lake of the Woods Campground | 11 | Unpriced | Lake of the Woods (water) | 6.1 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Packsaddle | 12 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Sierra | — |
| Gold Lake 4X4 Campground | 12 | Free | Little Gold Lake (water) | 5.3 mi to Bassetts | — |
| Aspen Group Campground | 12 | Unpriced | Pass Creek (stream) | 6.6 mi to Sierra City | — |
| Pass Creek Campground | 12 | Unpriced | Pass Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Sierra City | — |
| Gold Lake 4x4 Campground | 12 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Lakes Basin Family Cg. | 12 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Graeagle | — |
| Lakes Basin Group Cg. | 12 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Graeagle | — |
| Tamarack Lakes | 12 | Free | Tamarack Lakes (water) | 3.0 mi to Loganville | — |
| Milton Reservoir | 12 | Free | Milton Reservoir (water) | 4.4 mi to Sierra City | — |
| East Meadow Campground | 12 | Unpriced | Pass Creek (stream) | 7.1 mi to Sierra City | — |
| Packer Saddle | 12 | Free | Packer Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Loganville | — |
| Jackson Point Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Pass Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Sierra City | — |
| Little Lasier Meadow Horse Camp | 13 | Fee | Pass Creek (stream) | 7.2 mi to Baltimore Town | — |
| Bear Valley Ohv | 13 | Free | Bear Valley Creek (stream) | 7.3 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Butcher Ranch | 13 | Free | Butcher Ranch Creek (stream) | 3.8 mi to Loganville | — |
| Silver Tip Group Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Woodcamp Creek (stream) | 6.9 mi to Baltimore Town | — |
| Loganville | 14 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Sierra | — |
| Woodcamp Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Woodcamp Creek (stream) | 6.7 mi to Baltimore Town | — |
| Fir Top Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Woodcamp Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Baltimore Town | — |
| Findley Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Woodcamp Creek (stream) | 6.8 mi to Baltimore Town | — |
| Gold Valley | 14 | Free | Pauley Creek (stream) | 6.3 mi to Johnsville | — |
| Spencer Lakes | 15 | Free | Spencer Creek (stream) | 4.6 mi to Johnsville | — |
| Grizzly Family Cg. | 16 | Fee | Big Grizzly Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Lake Davis | — |
| Upper Little Truckee | 16 | Fee | — | 8.9 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Grasshopper Flat Family Cg. | 16 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Lake Davis | — |
| Smithneck | 16 | Free | Smithneck Creek (stream) | 8.1 mi to Loyalton | — |
The other 53 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Calpine, CA.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Calpine, CA, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.