Sardine
- May 22
- season
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Is Sardine open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Tahoe National Forest.
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
- At 5,738 ft
- Yuba River Ranger DistrictTahoe National Forest
Sardine Campground is a Forest Service campground in the Yuba River Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest, about 1.5 miles north of Bassetts on the Gold Lake highway and 0.5 miles southwest on Sardine Lake Road. It sits in a lodgepole pine forest, with Sardine Lake close by for fishing and swimming. The campground has 29 campsites, 15 of which can accommodate trailers. Vault toilets and piped water are the on-site amenities. Fees are charged for recreation here. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Bowman Dam weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows near 54°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-40s. Sand Pond Interpretive is a hike just 0.2 miles away, and Salmon Creek campground is 0.4 miles off. Sardine Lake Overlook is about a mile away, and the Free For All Valley climbing area is roughly 2 miles out.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Sardine
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
46° / 29°
Feb
47° / 28°
Mar
49° / 30°
Apr
55° / 33°
May
64° / 40°
Jun
73° / 47°
Jul
82° / 54°
Aug
81° / 54°
Sep
77° / 51°
Oct
66° / 42°
Nov
54° / 34°
Dec
45° / 29°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bowman Dam, CA, 11.6 mi away at 5,385 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more campsites worth the drive
Photo: Ken Lund — CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Sardine Lake Campground
Next door
Sardine Lake Campground is a campground in California at about 5,731 feet. It is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
BED
Lakes Basin
~7 min drive
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Berger
~3 min drive
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Salmon Creek
Next door
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Diablo
~2 min drive
Creek-side campground in Sierra Buttes area with mountain access and lake proximity.
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Berger Creek Cg
~3 min drive
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Packsaddle
~3 min drive
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Deer Lake
~3 min drive
Deer Lake is a campground in California with 30 sites.
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Tamarack Lakes
~4 min drive
Tamarack Lakes is a campground in California with 20 sites.
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Pierce Meadow
~4 min drive
Pierce Meadow is a campground in California with 30 sites.
Also worth it near here
Sardine
Book on Recreation.gov