Cottonwood Creek
Cottonwood Creek is a national forest campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 39.54944, -120.31639
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Biking, Camping, Hiking, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 530-994-3401
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Cottonwood Creek
Overview Cottonwood Creek Campground is located on Highway 89, four miles south of Sierraville. Its location makes it a great base camp for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, hiking and biking. This facility is operated and maintained by Lake Tahoe Hospitality LLC for the Tahoe National Forest. Recreation Cottonwood Creek Botanical Trail and Overlook Trail are both short, foot trails that begin in the campground. The surrounding area offers additional trails and fishing opportunities. Facilities The campground offers several single-family campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. Natural Features The campground sits along Cottonwood Creek, in a stand of Jeffrey pine, and red and white fir trees. The forest provides shade and privacy between sites, but noise from the highway can be heard within the campground. Nearby Attractions Lake Tahoe is located about 40 minutes from the campground. Scenic Tahoe offers excellent boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking and scenic driving opportunities. Sardine Lakes, within the beautiful Lakes Basin, is a 35-minute drive northwest of the campground, via the Golden Chain/Highway 49. Stampede Reservoir is a 45-minute drive southeast. Contact Info This location has limited staffing. Please call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Logger · 12 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- Reno KOA Journey · 19 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 417 designated routes (422 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Creek Campground | Private campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Cottonwood | National forest campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Cold Creek | National forest campground | 0.4 mi | — | — |
| Cold Creek campground | Private campground | 0.4 mi | — | — |
| Cold Creek | National forest campground | 0.5 mi | — | No hookups |
| Nichols Creek | National forest camping area | 3.8 mi | — | — |
Open Cottonwood Creek in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.