Camp Observer1 of 7 photos
Packsaddle
Notice
A bear or multiple bears have been spotted in the area. Please be aware at all times, and visit our agency website for bear safety tips and more information.
Jul 6, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026
Overview
Packsaddle Campground is located in the Packer Lake area near the Sierra Buttes, north of the Yuba River. Visitors enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, canoeing and gold panning. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.Recreation
A large network of trails is available in the area, including Deer Lake Trail. This 2.9-mile trail is open to hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. The Pacific Crest Trail can easily be accessed nearby. Many lakes in the area offer fishing. Canoeing and paddeling is available on nearby Packer Lake.Facilities
The campground offers single-family campsites and two equestrian sites for campers with horses. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. The equestrian sites share a corral and have ample space for stock trailers. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.Natural Features
The campground is split into two loops. The first is more open but is shaded by towering Jeffrey pine and fir trees. The second is located on a forested hillside above the first loop. Some sites have views of the open, wildflower-dotted meadow, while others overlook a ravine and mountain peaks beyond it.Nearby Attractions
Lakes Basin offers many opportunities for boating, fishing and hiking. Boating, fishing and swimming are available at nearby Packer Lake less than a mile to the west and Sardine Lakes, about three miles south of the campground. Sardine Lakes Resort offers boat rentals. Anglers will find rainbow and brook trout in many of the lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the basin. A more developed boat ramp is located at Gold Lake and accomodates launching of larger boats. Over 30 miles of maintained trails for hiking, mountain biking, and motorcycle singletrack branch out across the area and the Pacific Crest Trail can be accessed at a few spots in the Lakes Basin area. The historic towns of Sierra City and Downieville offer historic and cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, churches, and vistor information.Contact Info
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (530) 265-4531.Charges & Cancellations
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.
Camp site features
Across 16 camp sites:
- Picnic table: all 16 sites
- Pets allowed: all 16 sites
- Longest rig: 100 ft
- Largest party: 6 people
Directions
From Sierra City, travel north (east) on Highway 49 for 5 miles. Turn left at
Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to Packer
Lake Road and turn left. Go less than a mile and turn right on Packer Lake
Road. Continue for about 2.5 miles and turn left into the campground.
From Sierraville, travel south (west) on Highway 49 for about 17 miles. Turn
left at Bassett Station on Gold Lake Highway and continue just over a mile to
Packer Lake Road and turn left. Go less than a mile and turn right on Packer
Lake Road. Continue for about 2.5 miles and turn left into the campground.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (48)
5 stars
13
4 stars
15
3 stars
12
2 stars
4
1 stars
4
Ebbo S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:006
Reviewed 7 days ago
Almost everything was great there. I would’ve given it 5 stars, but the toilet paper in the outhouses was hit and miss
kimberly h
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:002
Reviewed 10 months ago
We booked online in advance and upon arrival the bear box was broken and unusable. The website had stated the site would also accommodate 2 cars / 2 tents and this was not true. There was room for only 1 car , and most of the site was on a slant and not ideal for a tent. The site should be blocked off online if the bear box is broken.
John S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:010
Reviewed a year ago
Downieville trails. What else is there to say? Best single track moto and bike riding around.
John P
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:003
Reviewed 2 years ago
Uneven campsites. No cell service. Bears everywhere. Too close with PCT so there's lot of wandering hikers through the campground for water access!
Restrooms: Smelly hole in the ground out house
Tracy G
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:009
Reviewed 2 years ago
The campground has beautiful surroundings: Packer Lake, the Sierra Buttes. The campground itself is fine, nothing too special. Our site (#9) was not at all level and we were jacking up our trailer until the wheels on one side were barely touching. Yikes. Sure would've been nice to have paved, level sites. Issues with yellow jackets but another campsite put up a trap and that seemed to help. Sites are spacious and ours had plenty of shade.
Cathey B
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:012
Reviewed 2 years ago
Great small camp site, close to all the roads and trails!
Ebbo S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:005
Reviewed 2 years ago
We just love Packsaddle! This is our fourth consecutive year going there. No complaints other than the outhouse is much smellier than other vault type outhouses. Having said that I’ll be all over next summer’s reservations!
Lea A
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:012
Reviewed 2 years ago
The campsite next to us had 4 cars, a camping trailer, a generator and about ten people staying there. There were clearly more cars and people than the campsite was intended to hold. Meanwhile, my group of five made the effort to reserve two campsites to spread out impact out more. It's unfortunate when people overwhelm a campsite and are inconsiderate of others.
Barbara G
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:011
Reviewed 3 years ago
Space 11 is not very level and we had trouble there. Otherwise, Packsaddle is quiet and peaceful.
Peter S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:007
Reviewed 3 years ago
The picnic tables are in complete disrepair. Its time to update the tables and get them back in shape. The picnic table at our site (site 7) had pieces falling off and was basically not usable. All the screws holding it together were rusted away and the table had both seats and top boards falling off.
Otherwise, I love this campsite. Hope they can get the tables fixed in the near future.
David R
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:013
Reviewed 3 years ago
Pack Saddle is a nice campground. Site 13 is not a great site for tent campers. It's on a hill and there's basically no flat ground. Sites 10, 11, 12 were booked online but empty for the three days we were there which was disappointing. We still had a wonderful time exploring the area.
Richard D
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:007
Reviewed 3 years ago
My reserved site did not have a reserved placard and so was occupied by some one else. There was no trash bin. Some campers had left their garbage bagged out for the bears. There was no toilet paper. It is a beautiful spot.
Kalypso R
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:004
Reviewed 3 years ago
Stayed in site 15 for the horse corrals, which are listed as belonging to 15 & 16 but in reality are only in 15's site. Would love to see more horse corrals added to site 15 too! The corrals were in a bit of disrepair due to the bad winter we had, but they were still usable. I would also love it if the campsite had a dumpster, as people just piled their trash around the recycling bins. Otherwise we had a great time horse camping and will be back.
John M
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:012
Reviewed 4 years ago
Clean bathroom and very few campers. Right near Pacific Crest Trail so we did meet PCT hikers. Great place to do day hikes on the PCT as you are so close. Old fashioned water pump ,but worked well. Some sites were on a slight hill grade. Nice and quiet campground at night. Ranger came around once a day. No camp host. No cell phone service. Close to Packer Lake, Salmon Lake and Saddle Lake. Beautiful lakes to kayak and fish. Some have resort cabins to stay in.
Patrice D
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:007
Reviewed 4 years ago
dumpsters were empty, pit toilets had flies and were smelly (but they are pit toilets after all ) , site #7 was clean and level
Kerrie S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:013
Reviewed 4 years ago
We stayed here for one night on our way to Lake Tahoe. Pretty forested area; we had a nice campsite (#13) on a slope with a bit of a walk up to the picnic table and then a fairly flat tent site even higher. Water was available at a hand pump in the central part of the campground, as were vault toilets. Good location for an early start on the hike to the Sierra Buttes lookout.
Chris C
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:007
Reviewed 4 years ago
this campground is a great location geographically for many lakes, trails, & the saddle. It's on the PCT so many thru hikers pass by in part to pump water at the fantastic artisan spring here.
Emily F
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:016
Reviewed 4 years ago
Campground was overall quiet, even on a busy holiday weekend. Our site, #16 was a real disappointment however. Online it does not show that this site is actually just a widening of the road surface. The picnic table is was back in the trees and you can't pull a trailer or RV anywhere near it. This should be a tent site only. In addition the ONLY water source in the entire campground is behind site 16, so because you must camp in the road, there is a steady stream of people walking through your space all day and sometimes all night. In addition, we brought horses and it said online that site 15 and 16 shared the 4 corrals. This is not really accurate. Site 15 is about 20 feet from the horse corrals, the corrals are actually BEHIND site 15 so if you stay in site 16, you have to walk through site 15 to take care of your horses. This is not an equestrian only campground, so literally anyone could camp 20 feet from your horses if they reserve site 15 (think family with small children, aggressive dogs etc. etc.). They should either make 15 and 16 equestrian ONLY or else move the corrals to a central location, or better yet, get rid of site 16 because it's pretty horrible anyway.
David R
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:002
Reviewed 4 years ago
Packsaddle is a great location. we were in site 2. Bathroom is very new pit style with 2 stalls. well equipped and managed. main issue is water access - only water is from a hand-pumped well source mostly intended for the horses. and the dust level. all the roads are gravel. sites are well spaced so you do not feel crowded. the sites in the back loop are larger. would recommend those for anyone looking to use Packsaddle. walking distance to Packer Lake and the back-side access to the Buttes. it is a 5 minute drive in and out to Gold Lake Highway if your visit is mostly to enjoy the Lakes Basin hikes.
natasha m
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:010
Reviewed 4 years ago
My family and I drove 2 1/2 hours to this campground and when we arrived someone else was set up in our reserved and paid for site. It was posted this spot was reserved so we were confused why someone else’s tent was there. We didn’t want to drive home, the ranger station was very far, and there is no camp host to help. So we decided to wait in hopes they would return and hopefully be understanding people. We waited over 2 hours in our car for them to return and when they did thankfully they were civil and packed up their items. We did find out they were site hopping from fellow campers. This was the first time we had been here and our first time with no host, the scenery was beautiful but I am cautious to return.
Allison B
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:010
Reviewed 4 years ago
The campsite I reserved and paid for was not marked and was already occupied when I arrived.
Mary J
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:006
Reviewed 5 years ago
First time at Packsaddle Campsite for a weekend hunting trip in mid October. Shared the site (and forest) with lots of mountain bikers. Enjoyed our campsite (#06). Secluded with several flat areas for our four one-man tents. Only complication was I reserved the campsite online several weeks earlier and couldn't recall if I paid using the credit card - printout didn't indicate and payment. Paid the daily cash fee while there, then later at home found out I paid online as well. Turned out to be an expensive stay at Packsaddle. Had a great time regardless!
Katy T
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:010
Reviewed 5 years ago
The campsites are very small and not level and some are very close to the neighbor. Easy access to lake and trails.
Bryan H
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:002
Reviewed 5 years ago
Overall a very nice camp. Bathrooms were well maintained with TP for the entire week I was there. They remained clean and did not smell any worse than you average pit toilet. Mosquitos at camp were very mild and while we did have some hungry meat bees around meal time they were manageable. I've had much worse. Camp has a large parking area for nearby hikes. Creates a lot of open space near camps 1-4. Camps 1-4 appeared to have the most flat space for tents and were well shaded but other spots looked shaded too. Some of the camps in the other loop seem to have limited flat tent pads but did have some interesting layouts. There was a large group up in that loop that was apparently up until 2am few nights but could not be heard from our spots. Nearby Packer Lake has some plant growth in it that makes it not the best swimming lake. But.. you can drive to all nearby lakes pretty quickly from this location. It was nice and quite at night and pleasant in the mornings. Stayed in tent until 8:30 comfortably. I'd go back for sure.
Patrice D
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:013
Reviewed 5 years ago
Overall we really enjoyed our stay at Packsaddle; and we will go back.
Originally booked site 13; it was pretty bad, very uneven, no shade, have to walk uphill to the decrepit picnic table that was being held up on one leg by a burned out log.
Fortunately we were able to relocate to another site, which was perfectly adequate.
Great hikes with beautiful sites along the PCT and lovely nearby lakes.
No site host. Typical vault bathrooms.
Rangers come through daily to switch out reservation tags.
Refreshing , cold potable water at hand pump
Lewis C
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:006
Reviewed 5 years ago
My wife and I have been camping in this area for 30 years, primarily at Salmon Creek Campground. This trip (6 nights) was our first time at Packsaddle.
Overall we were pleased with the campground. Fewer sites made it feel more remote with less traffic nearby on the road to the Buttes parking lot. The campsites are quite rocky and not really comfortably level for tents or rv, but that is a minor drawback. I would consider using Packsaddle again because of the quietness of the site compared to the busy-ness of Salmon Creek due to the nuisance and speedy traffic of people constantly driving through at unreasonable speeds and the noise of Gold Lake Highway.
jeff s
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:004
Reviewed 5 years ago
High marks for the overall campground. Low marks for the restroom maintenence and camper oversight. Restroom out of toilet paper for 3 of our 5 days. Everyone typically brings but why not maintain? Large dogs from 2 campsites running loose 2 days of our stay. Had to clean up dog poop from our site when we returned from hiking.
Rian S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:006
Reviewed 5 years ago
Beautiful pristine Sierra forests surround this campsite. It's a wonder to behold. The foot trails are are full of stunning surprises. We can't wait to get back.
Hilda R
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:011
Reviewed 6 years ago
We were in campsite 1, First Come First served because we wanted to stay three days and could only reserve one day on the other site. It was a big site and nice even though it was next to the road, however you need to clean up the site. There was tons of down trees and dead wood which meant there was tons of yellow jackets! We couldn't eat at all, we literally would walk around when eating in the morning so the yellow jackets wouldn't get to us. At night we had to wait until it was completely dark to eat. So please pick up all the dead wood and trees lying around, it attracts the yellow jackets. Thank you.
Jane S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:011
Reviewed 6 years ago
This was my 4th annual trip to Packsaddle. Be prepared to see a lot more people this year...
Patrick B
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:004
Reviewed 6 years ago
Big size sites, most well shaded. Nice having the horses there. However, NO host on site. That meant no firewood or regularly cleaned toilets. Indeed, one was so bad smelling it was locked, and then re-opened the day after we arrived. There are only two vaults for the entire campground. One day there was no toilet paper in one of them. The PCT runs along the rear of the campground, so you'll see a number of them during summer. Packer Lake is just a few stones throw up the road.
Christie D
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:016
Reviewed 6 years ago
It would have been helpful for the website to describe the unique nature of Site 16 - as it is basically located in the circle parking lot - not your typical campsite at all.
Kamala M
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:015
Reviewed 6 years ago
Packsaddle is a dream! Right on the PCT so start hiking! Love the water well. Lovely warm mornings and delightful breezes always. Very spacious camp sites. Easy stroll to Packer Lake for great fishing. Quick drive to the Sierra Buttes Lookout trailhead. Lots of flies due to the horse corral sadly (wish they were better about cleaning the manure!) and the pit toilets are hit or miss..
Chris C
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:006
Reviewed 6 years ago
we've been coming here 18 yrs & really like # 6. were a little startled this year to note fire pit was re positioned as was the table. However, after repositioning the table to be level, we found we like the layout even better. It was very convenient to note the water pump was working & the water better than ever after the repair. we've noticed distinct climate changes at this elevation over the years-less birds in the early am's & considerable temp changes....most nights & early am's are much warmer than in the past. this campground is ideal geography for several lakes, the Saddle, & Sand Pond that kids love. tip: do outings @ sun up for best experiences....locales change dramatically w/people, parking, & ambiance both weekdays & especially weekends.
Nathan T
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:008
Reviewed 6 years ago
Nine years in a row I have camped there and still my favorite. Salmon lake, Packer Lake, upper lower Sardine to fish swim and boat. Bassett station breakfast and lunch is awesome place to.stay
Jane S
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:010
Reviewed 7 years ago
Wonderful location! Easy access to all kinds of outdoor fun!
lee h
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:012
Reviewed 7 years ago
Nice spot. tons of stuff to do near by. Facilities are minimal
Tammy B
Loop:Packsaddle
Site:012
Reviewed 7 years ago
Beautiful, quiet campsite, with easy access to the Pacific Crest Trail. Some campsites are more privately situated than others, so that makes a difference.
Popularity
Busy · 70%
Busiest in July, when about 70% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
Location
Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone: (530)478-6253
