Free camping near Tahoe Vista, CA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Tahoe Vista, CA there are 73 camps: 33 free, 38 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Watson Lake Campground, 4.5 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Alpine Meadows (Martis Creek), 6.2 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: CA and NV.
Who manages them: 72 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Lake Campground | 4.5 | Unpriced | Watson Lake (water) | 2.7 mi to Cedar Flat | — |
| Alpine Meadows (Martis Creek) | 6.2 | Free | Martis Creek Lake (water) | 3.3 mi to Truckee | — |
| Silver Creek Cg | 7.9 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Goose Meadow Campground | 8.2 | Fee | Deep Creek (stream) | 4.3 mi to Olympic Valley | — |
| Granite Flat | 8.7 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Truckee | — |
| William Kent Campground | 9.2 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Mt. Rose Campground | 9.7 | Fee | — | 4.1 mi to Incline | — |
| Mount Rose Campground | 10.0 | Unpriced | Tamarack Lake (water) | 4.0 mi to Franktown | — |
| Annie Mcloud | 10 | Free | Prosser Creek (river) | 2.9 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Boca | 10 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Floriston | — |
| Prosser Ranch | 10 | Fee | — | 2.7 mi to Truckee | — |
| Prosser Family Campground | 11 | Fee | Alder Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Kaspian Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 2.4 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| 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 | — |
| Boca Rest | 12 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Floriston | — |
| Alder Creek | 12 | Free | Alder Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Boca Springs | 13 | Fee | Little Truckee River (river) | 3.6 mi to Russell Valley | — |
| Boyington Mill | 13 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Floriston | — |
| Head Waters Middle Fork | 13 | Free | Middle Fork American River (stream) | 3.7 mi to Olympic Valley | — |
| Little Needle Lake | 14 | Free | Little Needle Lake (water) | 3.9 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Picayune | 15 | Free | Little Needle Lake (water) | 4.7 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Meeks Bay Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Barker | 15 | Free | Middle Fork (stream) | 4.1 mi to Homewood | — |
| Logger | 15 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Verdi | — |
| Little American Valley | 15 | Free | Middle Fork American River (stream) | 4.5 mi to The Cedars | — |
| Mildred Lakes | 16 | Free | Dolly Creek (stream) | 5.6 mi to Alpine Meadows | — |
| Emigrant Campground | 16 | Fee | Little Truckee River (river) | 2.6 mi to Russell Valley | — |
| Summit Lake | 16 | Free | Summit Lake (water) | 2.5 mi to Norden | — |
| Bear Lake | 16 | Free | — | 4.7 mi to Tahoma | — |
| Sagehen Creek | 17 | Free | Sagehen Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Hobart Mills | — |
| Talbot | 17 | Free | Middle Fork American River (river) | 4.6 mi to The Cedars | — |
| Castle Peak | 18 | Free | Upper Castle Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Soda Springs | — |
| Hoke / Verdi | 18 | Free | Merril Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Verdi-Sierra Pines | — |
| Lower Little Truckee | 19 | Fee | — | 9.4 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Nevada Beach Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 0.8 mi to Stateline | — |
| Upper Little Truckee | 20 | Fee | — | 8.9 mi to Sierraville | — |
| Upper Hell Hole Cg | 20 | Free | Lagoon Lake (water) | 7.8 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Ahart | 20 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Kingvale | — |
| Gates | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Coyote | 20 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Hunter Camp 2 Campground | 20 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Verdi-Sierra Pines | — |
| Pleasant Cg | 20 | Free | Mud Lakes (water) | 8.7 mi to Homewood | — |
| Cascade Lake / Long Lake | 21 | Free | — | 1.4 mi to Kingvale | — |
| Lewis | 21 | Fee | French Meadows Reservoir (water) | 8.0 mi to Goggins | — |
| Bayview Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to South Lake Tahoe | — |
| White Rock | 21 | Free | White Rock Creek (stream) | 6.7 mi to Soda Springs | — |
| French Meadows | 21 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Sunnyside-Tahoe | — |
| Wentworth Springs Cg | 22 | Free | Gerle Creek (stream) | 7.9 mi to Gilberts | — |
| Hunter Camp 4 | 22 | Free | — | 3.7 mi to Verdi-Sierra Pines | — |
The other 23 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Tahoe Vista, CA.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Tahoe Vista, 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.