USDA Forest Service · California

Diablo

USDA Forest Service · California, United States

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Sites
19
Hookups
19 no hookups
Season
June 1 to October 15
Max RV length
60 ft
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Pets
Yes
Elevation
5,919 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
DIABLO CG RD (NFSR 0621-005) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
Lake
Tahoe National Forest
Nearest town
Nevada City
Address
YUBA RIVER RANGER DISTRICT, Nevada City, CA, 95959
Phone
(530)478-6253
Activities
Biking, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing

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

About

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.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January40°26°3°54°11 of 11
February41°25°6°56°11 of 11
March42°26°9°69°11 of 11
April47°28°10°62°11 of 11
May61°38°23°74°5 of 11
June73°46°31°89°1 of 11
July83°55°43°94°0 of 11
August82°55°47°93°0 of 11
September74°48°38°84°0 of 11
October65°38°23°77°5 of 10
November49°31°7°67°9 of 10
December40°25°10°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 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.