Free camping near Lake of the Pines, CA
Yes. 14 of the 22 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Lake of the Pines, CA are listed as free; 7 charge a fee and 1 has no price on record. The closest free one is Watson Lake Campground, 15 miles northeast, on U.S. Forest Service land.
All 22 camps near Lake of the Pines, CA
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Lake Campground | 15 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 2.9 mi to Iowa Hill | — |
| Giant Gap Ridge | 16 | Free | Sugar Pine Reservoir (water) | 3.5 mi to Monte Vista | — |
| Giant Gap | 16 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Alta | — |
| Finning Mill | 16 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Forbes | 16 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Alta | — |
| Shirttail Creek | 16 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Alta | — |
| Brimstone Ohv Campground | 17 | Free | Pagge Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Hughes Mill | — |
| Dru Barner Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Dark Canyon (stream) | 0.8 mi to Balderson Station | — |
| Giant Gap Road | 18 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Big Reservoir | 18 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Casa Loma | 18 | Free | Canyon Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Elliot Ranch | 19 | Free | North Shirttail Canyon (stream) | 3.5 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| Mitchell Mine | 20 | Free | — | 9.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Little Oak Flat | 21 | Free | Middle Fork American River (river) | 3.4 mi to Michigan Bluff | — |
| South Yuba Recreation Area | 21 | Fee | Kenebec Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Blue Tent | — |
| Humbug Ridge | 22 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Casa Loma | — |
| White Cloud | 23 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Washington | — |
| Burlington | 23 | Free | North Fork Deer Creek (stream) | 0.5 mi to Junction House | — |
| Peavine Road | 24 | Free | Middle Fork American River (river) | 3.5 mi to Greekstore | — |
| Last Chance | 24 | Free | North Fork of Middle Fork American River (river) | 4.3 mi to Greekstore | — |
| Skillman | 24 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Washington | — |
| Inter Bay | 25 | Free | Middle Fork American River (river) | 3.6 mi to Zuver | — |
Who manages the camps near Lake of the Pines, CA
Who manages them: 21 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
- Tahoe National Forest — 19 camps: 13 free, 6 fee
- Eldorado National Forest — 1 camp: 1 unpriced
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit — 1 camp: 1 free
- Mother Lode Field Office — 1 camp: 1 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 22 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Lake of the Pines, 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 Lake of the Pines, 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.