View from Sierra Buttes
Diablo
Packer Lake near Diablo Campground
Restroom
Sierra Buttes Lookout, hike near Diablo Campground

Featured amenities

Restrooms Restrooms

Available sites

17 total sites

About Diablo

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.

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Restrooms Restrooms
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Restrooms
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Campfire Ring
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

17 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 003, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 004, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 005, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 006, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 007, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 008, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 009, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 010A, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 010B, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 011, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 012, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 013, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 014, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 015, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 016, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 017, Loop: AREA DIABLO RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 018, Loop: AREA DIABLO Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire

Reviews (81)

What Guests Are Saying

Diablo campground is praised for its quiet atmosphere, well-spaced campsites, and beautiful surroundings, making it a favorite for many campers. The facilities, including clean bathrooms and well-kept grounds, enhance the experience, with some sites offering lovely creek access. However, challenges include rocky access roads for low-clearance vehicles and occasional noise from neighboring campers, which could be improved with better supervision and enforcement of campground rules.

Review Summary

4.1
81 reviews
5
49.4%
40
4
27.2%
22
3
9.9%
8
2
8.6%
7
1
4.9%
4

Cody M

Verified

July 7, 2024 • Stayed at: 003, Loop: AREA DIABLO

5

Great

Colleen S

Verified

September 7, 2023 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: AREA DIABLO

5

Campsite #5 desperately needs a new picnic table. The current picnic table at this site has no legs and needs to be replaced. It is the same table for over 7 years. The daily campsite fee has increased but NOTHING has been done to improve site #5 other than a campfire ring and bear box in 7 years. Other sites have new tables, so please at least put legs on the existing table if it cannot be replaced. Also, please consider putting fly strips in both bathrooms.

Colleen S

Verified

September 7, 2023 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: AREA DIABLO

5

Campsite #5 desperately needs a new picnic table. The current picnic table at this site has no legs and needs to be replaced. It is the same table for over 7 years. The daily campsite fee has increased but NOTHING has been done to improve site #5 other than a campfire ring and bear box in 7 years. Other sites have new tables, so please at least put legs on the existing table if it cannot be replaced. Also, please consider putting fly strips in both bathrooms.

Travis B

Verified

September 5, 2023 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: AREA DIABLO

5

Great campground. Nice that creek is running through it. Unfortunately no water, so remember to bring your own.

Also, leave your speakers at home. Nobody wants to hear your garbage music at 1am.

Travis B

Verified

September 5, 2023 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: AREA DIABLO

5

Great campground. Nice that creek is running through it. Unfortunately no water, so remember to bring your own.

Also, leave your speakers at home. Nobody wants to hear your garbage music at 1am.

Rommel F

Verified

August 28, 2022 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: AREA DIABLO

2

Reserved campsite before driving 5 hours for a first come first serve. Once we arrived at our campsite we were greeted by people who “claimed” the site that morning. They says the site didn’t have any reservation sign on it… Having traveled many BLM and national parks. This happens to have the dirtiest bathroom of any campground. Yes, I know, you don’t go camping for the bathroom experience… overall not a great experience with the campground and facilities. Area 10/10

Rommel F

Verified

August 28, 2022 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: AREA DIABLO

2

Reserved campsite before driving 5 hours for a first come first serve. Once we arrived at our campsite we were greeted by people who “claimed” the site that morning. They says the site didn’t have any reservation sign on it… Having traveled many BLM and national parks. This happens to have the dirtiest bathroom of any campground. Yes, I know, you don’t go camping for the bathroom experience… overall not a great experience with the campground and facilities. Area 10/10

Dani Y

Verified

August 24, 2022 • Stayed at: 010B, Loop: AREA DIABLO

4

The campsite was great! Beautiful and so much to do! It is a crowded campground, so not much privacy and we felt like we were right next to everyone. We also made the mistake of booking a site that was A/B, which would have been fine if w were part of a group. But the lines were blurred between the 2 campsites; our picnic table was on what seemed like their side, and a few of them pitched tents on what seemed like our side. But this was such a minor part of our experience. All in all a great area that we plan to return to, just not the exact same site.

Dani Y

Verified

August 24, 2022 • Stayed at: 010B, Loop: AREA DIABLO

4

The campsite was great! Beautiful and so much to do! It is a crowded campground, so not much privacy and we felt like we were right next to everyone. We also made the mistake of booking a site that was A/B, which would have been fine if w were part of a group. But the lines were blurred between the 2 campsites; our picnic table was on what seemed like their side, and a few of them pitched tents on what seemed like our side. But this was such a minor part of our experience. All in all a great area that we plan to return to, just not the exact same site.

Lisa B

Verified

August 15, 2022 • Stayed at: 006, Loop: AREA DIABLO

4

We managed to snag a great spot for FFS, and then a reservation for the remaining days. The campsite was lovely, great weather, plenty to do in the area. The only downside was the bathrooms - while they were clean the flies were out of control (you literally had to lift the lid and wait a minute or two for them to settle down before it was usable).

Location & Directions for Diablo

Yuba River Ranger District, Nevada City, CA 95959 United States

Elevation: 1,795 ft

Getting There

<p>From Sierraville, travel south on Highway 49 for 18 mi. Turn right at Bassett and continue just over a mile to the Sardine Lake turnoff. Turn right at Packer Lake/Forest Road 93 and continue to the campground.</p>

<p>From Downieville, travel n...

Nearest town

Nevada City, CA - 62 mi

About over 1 hr (92 min) to downtown

Highway access

The campground is accessible via Highway 49, which is approximately 18 miles from both Sierraville and Downieville.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 20, 2026

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Explore Nevada City, CA

Population: 3,172

Nearby larger city

Reno, NV

Approx. 45 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 2,513 ft

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