Free camping near Grass Valley, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Grass Valley, CA there are 57 camps: 34 free, 22 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is South Yuba Recreation Area, 9.3 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Watson Lake Campground, 14 miles out.
Who manages them: 56 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Yuba Recreation Area | 9.3 | Fee | Kenebec Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Blue Tent | — |
| White Cloud | 13 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Washington | — |
| Hornswoggle | 14 | Fee | — | 3.1 mi to North San Juan | — |
| Watson Lake Campground | 14 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 2.9 mi to Iowa Hill | — |
| Schoolhouse | 14 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to North San Juan | — |
| Casa Loma | 14 | Free | Canyon Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Burlington | 15 | Free | North Fork Deer Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Junction House | — |
| Giant Gap Ridge | 15 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 3.5 mi to Monte Vista | — |
| Dark Day | 15 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Kanaka Creek | 15 | Free | Kanaka Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Cruzonville | — |
| Garden Point | 15 | Free | Schoolhouse Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Greenville | — |
| Giant Gap | 15 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Alta | — |
| Garden Point Boating | 15 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Shirttail Creek | 15 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Alta | — |
| Skillman | 15 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Washington | — |
| Catfish Cove | 16 | Free | Willow Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Celestial Valley | — |
| Forbes | 16 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Alta | — |
| Giant Gap Road | 16 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Willow Creek | 16 | Free | Willow Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Finning Mill | 16 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Bullards Lakeshore | 17 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Big Reservoir | 17 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Frenchy Point | 17 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Clipper Mills | — |
| Brimstone Ohv Campground | 17 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Frenchy Point | 17 | Free | North Yuba River (river) | 2.0 mi to Greenville | — |
| Elliot Ranch | 17 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Madrone Cove | 18 | Free | Empire Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Greenville | — |
| Bridger Creek | 18 | Free | Jaybird Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Weeds Point | — |
| Madrone Cove | 18 | Fee | — | 4.4 mi to Clipper Mills | — |
| Gaston | 19 | Free | South Fork Poorman Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Maybert | — |
| Trapper Camp | 20 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Goodyears Bar | — |
| Humbug Ridge | 20 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Fulda Creek | 20 | Free | Sailor Ravine (stream) | 1.3 mi to Nyack | — |
| Oak Valley | 20 | Free | North Yuba River (river) | 1.4 mi to Oak Valley | — |
| Shenanigan Flat | 20 | Free | — | 4.4 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Doolittle Trail | 21 | Free | Fall Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Maybert | — |
| Indian Valley | 21 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Rocky Rest | 21 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Goodyears Bar | — |
| Mitchell Mine | 21 | Free | — | 9.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Carlton | 21 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Fiddle Creek | 21 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Cal Ida | 21 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Camptonville | — |
| Fall Creek | 21 | Free | Clear Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Maybert | — |
| North Fork | 21 | Fee | — | 8.4 mi to Alta | — |
| Onion Valley | 21 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Alta | — |
| Tunnel Mills | 22 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Alta | — |
| Brandy City | 22 | Free | Cherokee Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Cal-Ida | — |
| Clyde Mountain | 22 | Free | — | 6.8 mi to Washington | — |
| Mumford Bar To Beacroft | 23 | Free | North Fork American River (river) | 6.4 mi to Blue Canyon | — |
| Cherokee Creek | 23 | Free | Cherokee Creek (stream) | 2.4 mi to Cal-Ida | — |
The other 7 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Grass Valley, CA.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Grass Valley, 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.