USDA Forest Service · California

Cold Creek

USDA Forest Service · California, United States

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Sites
13
Hookups
10 no hookups
Season
May 22 to October 11
Max RV length
25 ft
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
5,702 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
COLD CREEK CAMPGROUND (NFSR 0089-057) · asphalt · high degree of user comfort
Lake
Tahoe National Forest
Nearest town
SIERRAVILLE
Address
SIERRAVILLE RANGER DISTRICT, SIERRAVILLE, CA, 96162
Phone
(530) 994-3401
Activities
Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Swimming

4 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.

About

Overview

Cold Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, 4.5 miles south of Sierraville, California. The facility location makes Cold Creek a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This is a small campground recommended for tent camping and small campers. Large RVs will not be able to make the turnaround exit at this facility. There are a couple of hike-in sites within this campground that share a small parking area toward the back of this facility. This facility is operated and maintained by Lake Tahoe Hospitality LLC for the Tahoe National Forest.

Recreation

Cold Creek offers rainbow trout fishing and swimming. Cottonwood Creek Botanical Trail and Overlook Trail both begin at nearby Cottonwood Creek Campground.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets are provided.

Natural Features

The campground lies in a meadow between Cold Creek and Highway 89. Jeffrey pine and white fir trees cover half the campground, while the other half is situated closer to the creek among cottonwoods, willow and aspen trees.

Contact Info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (530) 606-3978 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

Lake Tahoe is conveniently close, only 35 minutes away. Tahoe offers excellent boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking and scenic driving opportunities.

Sardine Lakes, and the beautiful Lakes Basin is a 35-minute drive northwest via the Golden Chain/Highway 49. Stampede Reservoir is a 45-minute drive southeast.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January41°26°7°56°11 of 11
February41°26°10°56°11 of 11
March43°28°10°70°11 of 11
April49°30°11°63°11 of 11
May63°40°26°75°3 of 11
June74°48°34°92°0 of 11
July86°57°46°95°0 of 11
August84°59°50°95°0 of 11
September75°52°42°86°0 of 11
October66°41°30°79°3 of 10
November51°34°14°70°8 of 10
December42°27°12°60°10 of 10

Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.

Nearby campgrounds

All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-07-21. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.