North Fork Campground
North Fork Campground is a national forest campground in California.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 41.97906, -123.96071
- Activities
- Camping, Hiking, Recreational Vehicles
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
About North Fork Campground
North Fork Campground is a quiet, semi-shaded, remote campground bordered by the North Fork of the Smith River. This is a perfect place to “get away from it all” and to stay before rafting the Wild North Fork. The campground is also popular with four-wheel-drive groups who enjoy driving the jeep trails and back roads of the area. The landscape surrounding the campground is dramatically steep and rocky. The vegetation is sparse due to the serpentine soil which stunts plant growth. The Biscuit Fire swept through the area in 2002, burning much of the vegetation in the surrounding area. Spring and early summer bring beautiful wildflowers to the area including the fragrant western azalea and beautiful blue brodiaeas. The campground is within the North Fork Smith River botanical area, which harbors many rare plants adapted to the serpentine soil. Access to the North Fork of the Smith River is ¼ mile west of the campground at the North Fork river access (also known as Brown's Flat and Major Moore's). There are some nice pools but the water is very chilly and the shoreline is very cobbled except for a small patch of sand at the upstream end. It is a good place to sit on a rock and soak your feet on a hot day. Click on the "Photos and Multimedia" link on the right sidebar to view a photo of the North Fork river access.
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 84 designated routes (156 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Fork | National forest campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Winchuck | National forest campground | 7.9 mi | — | — |
| Ludlum Campground | National forest campground | 8.5 mi | — | — |
| Grassy Flat Campground | National forest campground | 9.2 mi | — | No hookups |
| Grassy Flat Campground | Private campground | 9.3 mi | — | — |
| Grassy Flat | National forest campground | 9.3 mi | — | — |
Open North Fork Campground in DryRig
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Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.