OutReserve

Rocky Rest

North Fork Yuba River at RR
North Fork Yuba River
campsite
North Yuba River at Rocky Rest
North Yuba River

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly
Pet Friendly
River Access
River Access

About Rocky Rest

Rocky Rest Campground is located off of Highway 49, in the North Yuba River area near Downieville. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, white water boating, and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.

Number of accommodations: 9

Campground Amenities

  • Pet Friendly
    Pet Friendly
  • River Access
    River Access

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 open - Apr 15 to Oct 15

Sites & Availability

9 Sites Available

Site
Price
001, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
002, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
003, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
004, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
005, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
006, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$24.00
/ per night
🚐 007, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
No Hookups
$24.00
/ per night
🚐 008, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
No Hookups
$24.00
/ per night
🚐 010, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST
No Hookups
$24.00
/ per night

Reviews (30)

What Guests Are Saying

Rocky Rest Campground offers stunning views, especially from site 7, and features clean facilities and great access to a beautiful river for swimming and hiking. The small size of the campground contributes to a peaceful atmosphere, though it is near a busy road which can lead to noise during the day. While mosquitos can be a problem, with proper preparation, visitors can enjoy a rewarding outdoor experience, especially at night when the sky is spectacular.

Review Summary

3.9
30 reviews
5
40.0%
12
4
23.3%
7
3
30.0%
9
2
0.0%
0
1
6.7%
2

Darla L

Verified

October 3, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

5

We had site 7 and it has the best view in the whole campground! Despite there not being an on site camp host, the bathroom was spotless and had no odor whatsoever. Great trail and beach area. We never left the campground.

tanuja p

Verified

September 29, 2025 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

5

Simply the BEST in EVERY WAY!

Melissa V

Verified

August 21, 2025 Stayed at: 002, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

5

It’s such a great spot, very nice right on the water, toilets are pretty clean and garbage taken out regularly.

craig m

Verified

June 24, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

5

Nice small campground with great access to a nice beach and swimming hole. Not too many sites so it was quiet.
Our second time there this spring. Very Interesting mine tailings in the campground and across the river. Well worth
exploring to get a taste of gold fever that was a big part of that area and the extraordinary efforts people went to in order to strike it rich. Beautiful and easy hike with good trail along the river just across the bridge.

Amber M

Verified

June 9, 2025 Stayed at: 007, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

3

Site 7 is probably the best site overall. Great view of the water. Only one toilet for the campground and it is a walk from most of the sites. Nice water access and close to trails. Beware there’s lots of snakes around this place.

Brittney C

Verified

May 15, 2025 Stayed at: 010, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

3

We recently stayed at Rocky Rest Campground and had a mixed experience. There are definitely some great things about this spot—it’s a short walk to the river, which is beautiful and perfect for swimming or relaxing. The campground is small, which we liked, and it was easy to find our site without any hassle. It’s also a good location for hiking and mountain biking in the area.

However, there were a couple of major downsides. The campground is literally right off the road, and during the day the traffic can be pretty loud, which took away from the peaceful outdoor vibe. But the biggest issue by far was the mosquitos—they were relentless. Even after soaking ourselves in bug spray, we were constantly getting bitten. It was so bad that we ended up leaving a night early.

I’d only recommend Rocky Rest if you’re extremely prepared to battle mosquitos—bring strong bug spray, citronella candles, incense, and anything else you can think of. If you’re well-equipped, it’s a nice base for enjoying the nearby river and trails, but otherwise, it can be a tough stay.

Jerardo L

Verified

August 18, 2024 Stayed at: 001, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

4

Night sky is awesome here. Campgrounds are okay and river gets busy. The night sky was a big plus however.

Robert L

Verified

August 31, 2023 Stayed at: 010, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

3

There is only one porta potty in the Sites 5-10 loop. It is rated for use by 10 people during a 40 hour work week. This is potentially being used by up to 36 people 24/7. It is insufficient. Within 2 days of it being cleaned out, it is full, stinky and unusable. I have made this same complaint for several years. Either you need to build a new pit toilet (I don't know why you removed and filled in the old one) or provide at least two more porta potties.

Susan S

Verified

August 30, 2023 Stayed at: 008, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

3

There is only one porta potty in the Sites 5-10 loop. It is rated for use by 10 people during a 40 hour work week. This is potentially being used by up to 36 people 24/7. It is insufficient. Within 2 days of it being cleaned out, it is full, stinky and unusable. I have made this same complaint for several years. Either you need to build a new pit toilet (I don't know why you removed and filled in the old one) or provide at least two more porta potties.

Ahsan A

Verified

July 30, 2023 Stayed at: 004, Loop: AREA ROCKY REST

5

Beautiful campsite right by the water. A bit noisy due to all the people going past to access the water.

Location Rocky Rest

Address:
Yuba River Ranger Station
Nevada City, CA, 95959
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 39.5135 / -120.978

Elevation: 712 feet

Policies & Rules

Category About
General

In accordance with standard industry practices, we will be assessing a $5 additional vehicle fee on the 'second vehicle' in each single family campsite, and on the 'third and fourth vehicle' in any double family campsite, provided these vehicles are not joined to the first vehicle by a hitch and towed onto the site. In the case of motorcycles, the first two are considered to be one vehicle and the third and fourth are also considered to be one vehicle. No additional vehicle fees are collected for bicycles.

General

Bears frequent the area; all food must be kept in approved containers

General

Utility hookups and showers are not available

General

Click here for more information on the Tahoe National Forest

General

Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. For current fire conditions or weather closures contact the Yuba River Ranger District (530) 288-3231(voice), (530) 288-3656 (TDD).

General

Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov.

General

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.

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