Nevada City, Calif. September 23, 2020 – The Tahoe National Forest is reopening additional campgrounds for the upcoming weekend after two weeks of unprecedented, emergency closures due to California wildfires and wildfire risk.
While popular activities such as hunting, hiking, boating, and other types of general recreation are now allowed, 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.
In addition, an Emergency Fire Restriction Order has been extended through October 1,2020. This Fire Restriction strictly prohibits the following activities across all National Forests in California:
No Smoking
No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire.
- This includes all gas stoves of any kind.
- Generators are allowed for use on paved, gravel or dirt National Forest System roads and trails, staging areas, and within campgrounds.
Open Campgrounds
The following campgrounds are open. Campgrounds opening 9/25 are noted.
Highway 89, South
| Silver | Granite Flat |
Foresthill Divide Road
| Giant Gap | Shirttail |
​Gold Lake Road
| Packsaddle | Salmon Creek | Sardine |
Marysville Road
| Dark Day | Schoolhouse |
Mosquito Ridge Road
- French Meadows (Water systems limited, campers are asked to conserve water)(Reopens 9/25)
Interstate 80
| Indian Springs | North Fork (Reopens 9/25) |
Highway 49
| Fiddle Creek | Indian Valley | Wild plum | Union Flat |
| Rocky Rest | Cal Ida | Carlton 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 Creek | East Meadow (operated by NID) | Prosser Family (Water systems under repair, campers must pack in water) | Upper Little Truckee |
| Cottonwood | Lower Little Truckee | Pass Creek (operated by NID) | Pass Creek Overflow |