USDA Forest Service · California
Big Bend Group (Yuba River)
USDA Forest Service · California, United States
- Sites
- 2
- Hookups
- 2 with water, 2 no hookups
- Season
- June 15 to October 15
- Max RV length
- 25 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 5,787 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · T-Mobile good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- BIG BEND CG (NFSR 9140-002) · bituminous surface treatment · high degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Tahoe National Forest
- Nearest town
- Nevada City
- Address
- YUBA RIVER RANGER STATION, Nevada City, CA, 95959
- Phone
- 530-478-6253
- Activities
- Biking, Birding, Camping, Climbing, Day Use Area, Fishing, Gold Panning, Hiking, Historic & Cultural Site, Information Site, Mountain Biking, Off Highway Vehicle Trails
2 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Big Bend Group Campground is located 19 miles west of Truckee, California in the Tahoe National Forest at an elevation of 5,700 feet. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing and hiking opportunities, as well as its historic significance along the California Emigrant Trail. This campground is operated and maintained by Forest Service staff.
Recreation
The South Yuba River offers swimming and rainbow trout fishing. The historic California Emigrant Trail and Loch Leven Trail are located nearby. The surrounding area offers many additional hiking, biking and off-road vehicle trails.
Facilities
The campground offers two accessible group sites, Lincoln and Victory, which can accommodate up to 25 people and five vehicles each. Picnic tables, grills and large campfire rings are provided, as well as vault toilets and drinking water.
Natural Features
The campground lies along the gentle South Yuba River; just behind and across the river from the Big Bend Fire Station. Stands of pine and fir covers the area, offering pleasant shade at the group sites.
Contact Info
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531.
Nearby Attractions
Donner Lake is located 15 miles east via historic Route 40/Lincoln Highway, the nation's first transcontinental highway. Many points of interest lie along Route 40, including China Wall, Rainbow Bridge, Sugar Bowl, Lake Van Norden and Ice Lakes.
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
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 28° | 10° | 58° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 28° | 12° | 58° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 44° | 28° | 13° | 74° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 49° | 31° | 11° | 64° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 64° | 40° | 26° | 77° | 3 of 11 |
| June | 75° | 49° | 33° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 84° | 55° | 46° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 83° | 57° | 50° | 96° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 75° | 51° | 42° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 42° | 26° | 80° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 52° | 36° | 13° | 71° | 6 of 10 |
| December | 42° | 30° | 15° | 63° | 9 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
- Hampshire Rocks · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 33 sites
- Indian Springs · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 36 sites
- Sterling Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Grouse Ridge Campground · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi
- Meadow Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
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.