Nevada City, Calif. September 30, 2020 – The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region has revised fire restrictions in California starting October 1 through October 8, 2020.

This revised Fire Restriction prohibits the following activities across all National Forests in California:

No Smoking

No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire.

  • The use of a portable lantern or stove using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel within a Developed Recreation Site (such as an official campground) is allowed.
  • Generators are allowed for use on paved, gravel or dirt National Forest System roads and trails, staging areas, and within campgrounds.

While popular activities such as hunting, hiking, boating, and other types of general recreation are now allowed across the Tahoe National Forest after an unprecedented Forest Closure in early September, several prohibitions are still in place through October 18, 2020. These prohibitions include:

No camping outside of developed campgrounds. A list of open, developed campgrounds is provided below. There are two exceptions to this prohibition-

  • Dispersed camping within the Granite Chief Wilderness is allowed. Dispersed camping within 500 feet of the Pacific Crest Trail is allowed.

No target shooting. Discharging a firearm, except while engaged in a lawful hunt pursuant to state, and federal law and regulations, is prohibited.

To read the Regional, Emergency Fire Restriction Order: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd815382.pdf

To read the Tahoe National Forest  Emergency Camping and Shooting Prohibition: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd808972.pdf

Open Campgrounds

The following campgrounds are open; reservations are strongly encouraged.

Highway 89, South

SilverGranite FlatGoose

Foresthill Divide Road

Giant GapShirttail

Gold Lake Road

PacksaddleSalmon CreekSardine

Marysville Road

Dark DaySchoolhouse

Mosquito Ridge Road

  • French Meadows (Water systems limited, campers are asked to conserve water)(Reopens 9/25)

Interstate 80

Indian SpringsNorth Fork (Reopens 9/25)

Highway 49

Fiddle CreekIndian ValleyWild plumUnion Flat
Rocky RestCal IdaCarlton Flat 

Highway 20

White Cloud (some sites closed due to hazard trees)Skillman

Bowman Lake Road

Carr-Feeley (PG&E managed site, first-come first-serve only)Lindsey (PG&E managed site, first-come first-serve only)

Highway 89, North 

Cold CreekEast Meadow (operated by NID)Prosser Family (Water systems under repair, campers must pack in water)Upper Little Truckee  
CottonwoodLower Little TruckeePass Creek (operated by NID)Pass Creek Overflow
Lakeside