North Fork Campground in the gorgeous Tahoe National Forest off Interstate 80 at Emigrant Gap is a beautiful wilderness retreat.

From the mighty North Fork of the American River as a creek trickling to the beauty of the nearby waterfall, this campground allows you to drift away to past times and forget the hustle and bustling of modern life and technology.

I first visited the North Fork Campground twenty years ago when I was a Boy Scout, with my dad and scout leader bringing me to the hidden oasis along with fellow Boy Scouts. Ever since I visited, I’ve wanted to go back, and since I’ve been married, I’ve had a long-time dream of making a trip with my husband.

Recently we finally made the drive up the hill and spent a night at campsite #2.

Arriving at the North Fork Campground

It was an easy hour and a half drive from Sacramento to the campsite.

We drove eastbound on Interstate 80, took exit 158A, and then took a right on Texas Hill Road towards Emigrant Gap. It’s then a simple (although rough), winding 6.5-mile journey along Texas Hill Road until you find the campground on your right, just after crossing the bridge that carries you over the North Fork of the American River.

Since we have a small dog, we chose campsite #2, the first campsite on your right when you first enter the campground. Campsite #2 is spacious and furthest from the other sites if you’re concerned about your dog possibly barking at campers or other dogs. Although you’re removed from other sites at campsite #2, there isn’t much flat space available for tents.

The North Fork Campground is dog friendly, making it a great spot to visit for lovers of canines.

After arriving and checking out the general area, we quickly put up a tarp above our picnic table first, as it was raining on and off throughout the day, and we needed a place to start organizing the camp. The next thing we did was put a tarp over the firepit to help it begin drying off before making a fire later in the evening.

We brewed some coffee, ate to our heart’s content, went on walks through the forest, and enjoyed plenty of time by the campfire.

Facility Amenities and Things to Do

Some of the sites available are tent-only, with Texas Hill Road slightly potholed and challenging for larger trailers and 5th wheels to travel on. 

There is limited space for trailers at this campground and maybe not the best road to travel on for RVers.

All campsites have a campfire ring, picnic tables, and a food storage locker to keep bears from obtaining your food and other goods. The campground is located in remote bear country, so it’s essential to put all things that give off a smell in the bear box, including toothpaste, deodorant, essential oils, chapstick, gum, drinks, and even clothes you’ve cooked in.

Although we didn’t swim and I didn’t bring my fishing equipment, you can fish for trout in the North Fork of the long-running American River and swim in the nearby swimming hole.

The campground has two vault toilets, and as its crowning jewel, free-flowing spring water constantly runs from a little spigot at the back of the camp near the end loop of campsites. We filled up our blue, five-gallon water bin to the brim and brought that beautiful water to the next campground we visited—Alpine Meadow Campground in Truckee. Also known as the Martis Creek Lake Campground.

There is no dump station for RVers at the campground.

Also, you won’t have service at the campground, so prepare for that.

Getting to the Waterfall at the North Fork Campground

At the back of the campground, where the singular loop of campsites is located there’s access to a path that takes you to a beautiful little waterfall.

You’ll find the path between campsites 8, 9, and 10, and it is only about a ten-minute hike to reach the waterfall. Although I don’t have an exact distance, it seemed to be about a half mile to the waterfall.

Anyone older or young may have difficulty with the steepness of reaching the lower swimming hole, and there are occasional downed trees that fall across the path.

More Information About the North Fork Campground in Emigrant Gap, CA

As an additional note, the North Fork Campground is located in the Tahoe National Forest and is not the Forks Campground in the Sierra National Forest. Make sure you aren’t heading to the wrong campground after making your reservation!

Apart from campsite #2, we loved campsite #13 down at the end loop of sites, as it was very wooded and seemed private. It wasn’t located along the stream, however.

There are 17 campsites to choose from in the campground, with sites #1 and #17 available as first-come, first-served, and the rest available for a reservation using the Recreation.gov website.

The cost of campsites is $24 per night.

No showers are available, but despite this, the North Fork Campground remains one of my very favorite spots in the world to relax and disappear into the Tahoe National Forest.

After we packed up, we were onward to the Alpine Meadow Campground in Truckee for another night of camping in the Lake Tahoe area.