Auburn Sra Campground

Open — Three campgrounds operate with different schedules. Mineral Bar: 15 sites open with reservations required May 15-September 15; first-come, first-served May 1-14 and September 16-October 14; reduced to 6 sites first-come, first-served October 15-April 30. Ruck-A-Chucky: 5 sites first-come, first-served April 15-October 14, closed October 15-April 14. Lake Clementine boat-in: 15 sites with reservations May 15-September 15; 4 sites first-come, first-served May 1-14 and September 16-30; closed October 1-April 30. Park open sunrise to sunset daily. Camping limited to 14 consecutive days with 30-day annual total.

About

Auburn State Recreation Area is a 42,000-acre recreational paradise located in the heart of California's Gold Country, featuring 50 miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American River. The area offers three distinct primitive campgrounds for visitors seeking a rugged outdoor experience. Mineral Bar Campground provides 15 sites along the North Fork American River, accessible via a narrow paved road off Iowa Hill Road. Ruck-A-Chucky Campground offers 5 sites on the Middle Fork, reached by a 2.5-mile gravel road requiring high clearance vehicles. Lake Clementine features 15 boat-in only campsites accessible from the small reservoir on the North Fork. All campgrounds are primitive, offering picnic tables, fire rings, and pit toilets, but no drinking water or hookups. The area attracts over 900,000 visitors annually who come for world-class whitewater rafting (Class II-V rapids), extensive trail systems for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and recreational gold panning. The rugged canyon landscape features diverse ecosystems from riparian corridors with cottonwoods and willows to chaparral-covered canyon walls and pine forests. Wildlife includes black-tailed deer, black bears, mountain lions, bald eagles, and rattlesnakes. Summer temperatures range from the 80s to mid-90s, while winters are wet with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the 30s-40s.

Directions

The park stretches 20 miles along two forks of the American River south of Interstate 80 from Auburn to Colfax. Main access from Auburn via Highway 49 or Foresthill Road. Mineral Bar: From I-80 at Colfax, exit Canyon Way north, turn right on Iowa Hill Road, 3 miles to campground. Ruck-A-Chucky: From I-80 exit Foresthill Road toward Foresthill, turn right on Drivers Flat Road, 2.5 miles on gravel/dirt road (high clearance recommended). Lake Clementine: From I-80 exit Foresthill Road, go 3.5 miles, turn left on Lake Clementine Road, 2 miles to boat ramp (boat access only to campsites).

Nearby Campgrounds