Free camping near Carnelian Bay, CA
Yes. 36 of the 79 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Carnelian Bay, CA are listed as free; 40 charge a fee and 3 have no price on record. The closest free one is Alpine Meadows (Martis Creek), 6.4 miles north, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Watson Lake Campground, 3.3 miles west, with no price on record.
Dave has slept at one of these camps. The circle crosses a state line: CA and NV.
The 50 nearest camps to Carnelian Bay, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Lake Campground | 3.3 | Unpriced | Watson Lake (water) | 2.7 mi to Cedar Flat | — |
| Alpine Meadows (Martis Creek) | 6.4 | Free | Martis Creek Lake (water) | 3.3 mi to Truckee | — |
| Silver Creek Cg | 6.7 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Goose Meadow Campground | 7.3 | Fee | Deep Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Olympic Valley | — |
| William Kent Campground | 7.9 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Granite Flat | 8.2 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Truckee | — |
| Kaspian Campground | 9.4 | Fee | — | 2.4 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Annie Mcloud | 11 | Free | Prosser Creek (river) | 2.9 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Prosser Ranch | 11 | Fee | — | 2.7 mi to Truckee | — |
| Prosser Family Campground | 11 | Fee | Alder Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Boca | 11 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Floriston | — |
| Mt. Rose Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 4.1 mi to Incline | — |
| Mount Rose Campground | 11 | Unpriced | Tamarack Lake (water) | 4.0 mi to Franktown | — |
| Lakeside Campground | 11 | Fee | Alder Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Nevada CountyDave slept here | 12 | Free | Little Truckee River (river) | 2.5 mi to Russell Valley | — |
| Alder Creek | 12 | Free | Alder Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Head Waters Middle Fork | 12 | Free | Middle Fork American River (stream) | 3.7 mi to Olympic Valley | — |
| Little Needle Lake | 12 | Free | Little Needle Lake (water) | 3.9 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Boca Rest | 13 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Floriston | — |
| Boca Springs | 13 | Fee | Little Truckee River (river) | 3.6 mi to Russell Valley | — |
| Picayune | 13 | Free | Little Needle Lake (water) | 4.7 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Barker | 14 | Free | Middle Fork (stream) | 4.1 mi to Homewood | — |
| Meeks Bay Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Boyington Mill | 14 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Floriston | — |
| Little American Valley | 14 | Free | Middle Fork American River (stream) | 4.5 mi to The Cedars | — |
| Mildred Lakes | 14 | Free | Dolly Creek (stream) | 5.6 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Bear Lake | 15 | Free | — | 4.7 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Summit Lake | 15 | Free | Summit Lake (water) | 2.5 mi to Norden | — |
| Logger | 16 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Verdi | — |
| Talbot | 16 | Free | Middle Fork American River (river) | 4.6 mi to The Cedars | — |
| Emigrant Campground | 16 | Fee | Little Truckee River (river) | 2.6 mi to Russell Valley | — |
| Sagehen Creek | 17 | Free | Sagehen Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Castle Peak | 17 | Free | Upper Castle Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Soda Springs | — |
| Upper Hell Hole Cg | 18 | Free | Lagoon Lake (water) | 7.8 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Ahart | 19 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Kingvale | — |
| Hoke / Verdi | 19 | Free | Merril Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Verdi-Sierra Pines | — |
| Gates | 19 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Nevada Beach Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Stateline | — |
| Coyote | 19 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Pleasant Cg | 19 | Free | Mud Lakes (water) | 8.7 mi to Homewood | — |
| Lower Little Truckee | 19 | Fee | — | 9.4 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Lewis | 19 | Fee | French Meadows Reservoir (water) | 8.0 mi to Goggins | — |
| Cascade Lake / Long Lake | 20 | Free | — | 1.4 mi to Kingvale | — |
| Upper Little Truckee | 20 | Fee | — | 8.9 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Bayview Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| French Meadows | 20 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Wentworth Springs Cg | 20 | Free | Gerle Creek (stream) | 7.9 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Red Fir Group | 21 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Tadpole / Sun Flower Hill Area | 21 | Free | Duncan Creek (stream) | 7.9 mi to The Cedars | — |
| Northshore Cg | 21 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Tahoma | — |
The other 29 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Carnelian Bay, CA.
Who manages the camps near Carnelian Bay, CA
Who manages them: 78 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
- Tahoe National Forest — 52 camps: 27 free, 24 fee, 1 unpriced
- Eldorado National Forest — 13 camps: 5 free, 8 fee
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit — 8 camps: 1 free, 6 fee, 1 unpriced
- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest — 6 camps: 3 free, 2 fee, 1 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 79 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Carnelian Bay, CA
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Carnelian Bay, 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.