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Carlton

FSU.S. Forest Service — Nevada City · California · Tahoe National Forest

AgencyFSU.S. Forest Service
AreaTahoe National Forest
LocationNevada City · California · Tahoe National Forest · 39.51917, -120.99972 · Map
Sites17 public sites counted from the federal listing — 17 standard nonelectric
Getting a siteReservable — the federal listing marks this campground as taking reservations. Some sites or seasons may still be first-come; the listing’s own words are below.
HookupsElectric at 0 of 17 sites
Water hookups at 0 of 17 sites
Sewer hookups at 0 of 17 sites
Full hookups (all three at one site) at 0 of 17 sites
Counted site by site from affirmative reports in the federal record. A site with no report is not counted either way.
Max RV lengthNot reported in the federal data
Months openNot in federal data — the federal listing does not publish a season for this campground. Check the official description below or Recreation.gov.
FeesNot reported — the federal listing carries no fee description for this campground.
Check-in / outIn 2:00 PM · Out 12:00 PM (most common in the listing)
PetsAllowed at 16 sites, as reported
AccessibilityN
Phone(530)478-6253

Check availability & book on Recreation.gov →

This site takes no reservations and shows no live availability. Source: Recreation.gov (RIDB export pulled November 5, 2026); this listing was last updated in the federal record on 2026-03-11.

From the official listing

Overview Carlton Campground is located along the North Yuba River, adjacent to Highway 49 and 13 miles from Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation The North Yuba River offers swimming, wading and rainbow trout fishing. Seasonal rafting and kayaking are popular water activities. A network of trails through the surrounding area providing opportunities for hiking, biking and OHV use.  The North Yuba River Trail can be accessed from the nearby Rocky Rest trailhead. Facilities The campground offers single-family campsites suited for both tent and trailer camping. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Natural Features The campground stretches along the North Yuba River, next to the highway.  Stands of cedar, ponderosa pine and oak trees cover the area providing shade from the afternoon sun.  Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-5431. Charges & Cancellations No Show Policy

A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). 

* No-show customers are only recorded at staffed facilities. At most remote facilities, all customers are noted as automatically checked-in on the date of arrival.

* It is recommended that staffed facilities hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date.

* It is recommended that staffed facilities hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date.

There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation if the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit some or all of the recreation fees. 

There is no change fee if the customer changes campsites that are the same price and on the same reservation dates in the same campground. If the campsite the customer is changing to has a price difference, the customer will be responsible for any additional fees or be provided with a refund, based on the price difference. 

Where recorded, no-show customers are assessed a $20.00 no-show fee and forfeit the first night's recreation fee for a campsite or forfeit the entire day-use recreation fee for a day-use facility. We recommend customers contact the facility if they are en route to their reservation but cannot make it by the check-in date. In these cases, no refund will be issued, but the facility can ensure that a "no-show" fee is not assessed.

Directions, from the listing

From Downieville, travel south on Highway 49 for just over 13 miles. The campground is on the left side of the highway.

From Nevada City, travel north on Highway 49 for just under 30 miles. The campground is on the right side of the highway.

Nearest federal campgrounds

FSU.S. Forest ServiceCal-Ida
0 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceFiddle Creek
0 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceIndian Valley
1 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceRocky Rest
1 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceRamshorn
5 mi straight-line · Nevada City California

Trip Card — Carlton

Nevada City · California · Tahoe National Forest

AgencyFS · U.S. Forest Service
LocationNevada City · California · Tahoe National Forest
FeesNot reported in the federal data
Getting a siteReservable
HookupsNone reported
Max RVNot reported
Months openNot in federal data
Sites17 sites

Book: recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234547 · Source: Recreation.gov, pulled November 5, 2026. Facility details come from federal recreation data and may be out of date — this site takes no reservations and shows no live availability; confirm details and book through Recreation.gov or the managing agency.