U.S. Forest Service · Tahoe National Forest · CA

Packsaddle

Packer LakePhoto · TNF
OpenSeason 06-13 – 10-15
ReservableAccess
18Sites
100 ftMax rig

The place

Packsaddle Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, north of the Yuba River. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation A large network of trails is available in the area, including Deer Lake Trail. This 2.9-mile trail is open to hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The Pacific Crest Trail can easily be accessed nearby. Many lakes in the area offer fishing. Keep reading

Canoeing and paddeling is available on nearby Packer Lake. Facilities The campground offers single-family campsites and two equestrian sites for campers with horses. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. The equestrian sites share a corral and have ample space for stock trailers. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Natural Features The campground is split into two loops. The first is more open but is shaded by towering Jeffrey pine and fir trees. The second is located on a forested hillside above the first loop. Some sites have views of the open, wildflower-dotted meadow, while others overlook a ravine and mountain peaks beyond it. Nearby Attractions Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Packer Lake less than a mile to the west and Sardine Lakes, about three miles south of the campground. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the basin. A more developed boat ramp is located at Gold Lake and accomodates launching of larger boats. Over 30 miles of maintained trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack branch out across the area and the Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed at a few spots in the Lakes Basin area. The historic towns of Sierra City and Downieville offer historic and cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, churches, and vistor information. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531. 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.

The sites · 18

LoopSiteTypeMax rigElectricADA
AREA PACKSADDLEFT1-15management15 ft
AREA PACKSADDLEFT1-15Nmanagement15 ft
PACKSADDLE001standard nonelectric27 ft
PACKSADDLE002standard nonelectric25 ft
PACKSADDLE003standard nonelectric23 ft
PACKSADDLE004standard nonelectric26 ft
PACKSADDLE005standard nonelectric35 ft
PACKSADDLE006standard nonelectric39 ft
PACKSADDLE007standard nonelectric48 ft
PACKSADDLE008standard nonelectric36 ft
PACKSADDLE009standard nonelectric30 ft
PACKSADDLE010standard nonelectric25 ft
PACKSADDLE011standard nonelectric30 ft
PACKSADDLE012standard nonelectric31 ft
PACKSADDLE013standard nonelectric51 ft
PACKSADDLE014standard nonelectric18 ft
PACKSADDLE015standard nonelectric45 ft
PACKSADDLE016standard nonelectric100 ft

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Book on recreation.gov

Your representative

This campground sits in CA-03. This member’s public-lands record →

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