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Diablo

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

AgencyFSU.S. Forest Service
AreaTahoe National Forest
LocationNevada City · California · Tahoe National Forest · 39.63306, -120.63778 · Map
Sites19 public sites counted from the federal listing — 12 standard nonelectric; 7 tent only 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 19 sites
Water hookups at 0 of 19 sites
Sewer hookups at 0 of 19 sites
Full hookups (all three at one site) at 0 of 19 sites
Counted site by site from affirmative reports in the federal record. A site with no report is not counted either way.
Max RV lengthLongest reported site fits 60 ft
Sites that fit at least — 25 ft: 12 sites · 30 ft: 11 sites · 35 ft: 10 sites · 40 ft: 7 sites
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 19 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 Diablo Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, in northern California. It is north of the Yuba River and next to Packer Creek. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing and canoeing. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation A large network of trails is available in this area including the Pacific Crest Trail which can easily be accessed from the trailhead adjacent to the nearby Packsaddle Campround. Hikers can reach a variety of alpine lakes, which offer plentiful fishing. Canoeing  opportunities are available at Packer Lake. Facilities The campground offers single-family, tent campsites on two loops. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets are provided. Natural Features The campground lies near the banks of Packer Creek.  Stands of lodgepole pine provides partial shade at many sites. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531. Nearby Attractions The Lakes Basin area offers boating, fishing, hiking and more than 30 miles of maintained trails, that are also open to biking and horseback riding. The lakes provide visitors with ample opportunities to enjoy boating, canoeing and fishing. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the scenic bodies of water in the area. A boat ramp is located at Gold Lake. 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 Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for 18 miles. Turn right at Bassett and continue just over a mile to the Sardine Lake turnoff. Turn right at Packer Lake/Forest Road 93 and continue to the campground.

From Downieville, travel north on Highway 49 for about 18 miles. Turn left at Bassett and continue just over a mile to the Sardine Lake turnoff. Turn right at Packer Lake/Forest Road 93 and continue to the campground.

Nearest federal campgrounds

FSU.S. Forest ServiceBerger
1 mi straight-line · Camptonville California
FSU.S. Forest ServicePacksaddle
1 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceSardine Lake
1 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceSalmon Creek
2 mi straight-line · Nevada City California
FSU.S. Forest ServiceLakes Basin
3 mi straight-line · BLAIRSDEN California

Trip Card — Diablo

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 RVUp to 60 ft
Months openNot in federal data
Sites19 sites

Book: recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234537 · 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.