Malakoff Diggins Shp Chute Hill Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. Opens May 25, 2025 through September 30, 2025. Sites available by reservation through ReserveCalifornia from Memorial Day through Labor Day, then first-come, first-served from Labor Day through September 30.

About

Chute Hill Campground at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park sits within a forested 3,000-acre park that preserves California's largest hydraulic gold mine. The campground features 30 back-in campsites arranged in two loops along a narrow road, providing shaded camping under pines, cedars, and oak trees. Each site includes a fire ring and picnic table. The park's centerpiece is the massive hydraulic mining pit where powerful water jets carved away entire mountains during the Gold Rush era. The resulting cliffs expose 50-million-year-old sediment layers visible from the Diggins Loop trail. The historic town of North Bloomfield, preserved within the park, offers a glimpse into 1800s mining life with a visitor center featuring exhibits on hydraulic mining and pioneer history. With over 20 miles of trails accessible directly from the campground, visitors can explore everything from easy half-mile walks to challenging three-mile routes with significant elevation changes. Popular trails include the Diggins Loop around the mining pit and the shaded Humbug Creek trail. The park's remote Sierra Nevada foothill location, 26 miles from Nevada City via winding mountain roads, provides a peaceful escape with excellent opportunities for hiking, fishing, and swimming.

Directions

From Nevada City, travel 11 miles north on Highway 49 toward Downieville. Turn right on Tyler Foote Road and follow the main paved road as it changes names to Cruzon Grade Road, then Back Bone Road. Turn right on Derbec Road at the park sign, then right again on North Bloomfield Road. The park is 26 miles from Nevada City, approximately 50 minutes drive time on winding mountain roads.

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