Highway 20 Campgrounds
From Nevada City Highway 20 leads 27 miles east until it connects with Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap. Along Highway 20 are two campgrounds, White Cloud and Skillman Horse Camp. The Pioneer Trail parallels Highway 20, making a great place for equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers. In the winter cross country skiers use the trail. The new Inn Town Campground on the outskirts of Nevada City is attracting a lot of favorable reviews.
Near Highway 20 are Scotts Flat Reservoir, Lake Spaulding, and all the lakes and trails accessed from Bowman Lake Road. Since several of the campgrounds are at lower elevations, they can provide spring camping when higher campgrounds are still bound by snow.
Shop Amazon: Camping Essentials
Inn Town Campground
Located off the Gold Flat Road exit on Highway 20/49 in Nevada City, Inn Town Campground opened in 2016.
Address: 9 Kidder Ct., Nevada City, CA Inn Town Campground
Campground Amenities
- Tent camping, RV sites with hook-ups, and Glamping sites (furnished platform tents)
- Camp store, kitchen, laundry, TV, reading nooks, swimming pool, and BBQ
- Situated in a beautiful pine forest
- Close to Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Chinese miner's cemetery, and historic Nevada City
- Great cycling, hiking on local trails, boating at nearby Scotts Flat Lake.
Reservations: Inn town Campground Reservations
Fees: Tent site $40-$50, RV with hook-ups $50-$68, Glamping $85-$180
White Cloud Campground
Located in a wooded area at 4,200 feet, off Highway 20, eleven miles east of Nevada City. The campground is usually open from late-May to the end of September.
Campground Amenities
- 46 campsites (41 sites for tents or RVs and 5 tent-only campsites)
- Vault toilets, piped water, dump station
- Picnic tables, grills, fire rings
- Pioneer Trail nearby for hiking, equestrian, and mountain biking
- Burlington Motorcycle Trail System nearby
Reservations: (877) 444-6777 or Recreation.gov - White Cloud Campground
Fees: $24 per site, $5 for extra vehicle
Skillman Horse Campground
Located at 4,600 feet, 15 miles east of Nevada City off Highway 20. The campground is designated for campers with horses. Each site can accommodate up to 6 people, 4 horses, and 2 vehicles. A group area is made up from 5 smaller sites and can accommodate up to 36 people, 24 horses, and 12 vehicles. Large trucks and trailers will require the space of multiple vehicles. The campground is usually open from the end of May through the end of September.
Campground Amenities
- 12 campsites, vault toilets, piped water
- Picnic tables, fire rings, grills
- Corrals: Site 4 has 2 corrals, sites 7,9,13, and 15 each have one corral
- Hitching posts and horse troughs
- Pioneer Trail nearby for hiking, equestrian, and mountain biking
Reservations: (877) 444-6777 or Recreation.gov - Skillman Horse Campground
Fees: $18 for single unit, $36 for double site
Scotts Flat Lake Campgrounds
Scotts Flat Lake Campgrounds are privately owned and open to the public. The campgrounds are
along the north shore of the lake and are open year-round. To reach the campgrounds, drive east from Nevada City 5 miles on Highway 20 and turn south onto
on Scotts Flat Road.
Scotts Flat Lake
Campground Amenities
- 171 RV, trailer and tent sites, 4 group campsites for up to 20, 30, 40, and 100
- No RV hook-ups
- Hot showers (fee), flush toilets, playground, swimming beach
- Store, marina, boat rentals, dump stations
- Boating, water skiing, fishing
Reservations: (530) 265-5302 ($10 reservation fee)
Rates: $39 - $51 per night
Lake Spaulding Campground
Located at Lake Spaulding, ½ mile off Highway 20 on Lake Spaulding Road. It is at an elevation of 5000 feet and is usually open from mid-May to late September. The campground is operated by PG&E.
Campground Amenities
- 25 campsites (12 for tents or RVs, 13 are walk-in tent sites
- Picnic tables, fire rings, grills, vault toilets, piped water
- Boat launch ramp, fishing, swimming, waterskiing
Reservations: PG&E Lake Spaulding Campground Reservations
Fees: $30 per night