We love this state park for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and especially for the history! It is an old gold mining town, and home to America's first downhill ski races! We love the museum and the volunteers who work there. read more

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I don't want to be the one to spoil the secret, but I recently camped here, and it was incredible. I think this will probably be one of my favorite places to camp from now on. I stayed at Upper Jamison Creek, and loved it. I made reservations about a week ahead of time on Reservecalifornia.com My site was very spacious, private, and well shaded. There were lots of redwoods on my site, some purple irises, and even some snow plant. There are a few lovely short trails that run throughout the park, like the one mile hike from the campground to the Visitor Center, or an extra mile to Camp Lisa or the Jamison Mine Complex. From the historic mine complex, the PCT is just three miles away. Or, you can also drive to the trail head and park there. In the other direction, the Trail carries on to a series of alpine lakes and waterfalls. Like other reviewers have said, it was very cold at night. Even in June, I needed both sleeping bags. There are several other amazing hikes within driving distance. If you look carefully, there are some free campgrounds, too. The only time this state park charges fees is to camp at the nicer campgrounds. All parking is free. Showers are free. Plumas Eureka is more accessible than some state parks. They Reserve disabled sites for people with disabled passes, which is something to keep in mind if you have a pass and are looking for a site at the last minute. Lots of gorgeous lakes and opportunities for kayaking, too. Pretty much as good as it gets for a state campground. read more

We camped at Jamison Creek in June 2022 inside Plumas Eureka State Park at site 48. We are usually tent campers, but just bought a trailer and we would not have survived our first trip without the amazing camp host, Dan The Man. He helped us when our battery stopped working and gave us great tips for future trips and how to more safely tow the trailer. The campsite is lovely. A creek flows through a majority of the grounds. Bathrooms are nice and clean. Great amount of shade at most the campsites. And we saw so many animals; blue jays, woodpeckers, squirrels, and deer. There weren't many bugs. There were ants on the ground, but they didn't bother us when we were eating and didn't get into the trailer. There were mosquitoes but only for a couple hours in the mid afternoon to early evening. The campground entrance has ice, but be aware it is about 1.5 miles from the campsites. There is a dump station near the campsites. It is close to the small towns of Graeagle and Blairsden. If you want treat yourself to lunch or dinner I highly recommend making a reservation or you'll be waiting for about an hour to an hour and a half. We went to Gumba's Family Pizza and they had excellent food and dessert. We have two littles, so we didn't explore much so I am unaware of the outdoor activities as we mainly stayed at our site. But they do have a museum to explore and family activities on the weekend. Overall we really liked this campsite and will be visiting again to explore the area more. read more

I absolutely love camping at this location! The hosts were very nice and the facilities were very clean. I absolutely love that the showers are free! I would highly recommend this place to anyone wanting to find a new place to camp! I should also note that the dump for the trailer is also free at this spot. There is many things to do, but the museum was definitely the highlight. There are also many hiking trails for anyone who likes to hit the trails. read more

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Plumas-Eureka State Park is five miles west of Blairsden, CA via the Graeagle-Johnsville Road (County Road A-14). Hiking, camping, fishing and gold-mining history can be found here. We had camped here a number of years ago and had been impressed by the size and layout of the campsites at that time. This time when we returned it was only for day use, but we walked through the campground and were delighted to see it has been preserved as we remember it. A creek meanders through the campground, nice for occasional fishing or simply water play. Eureka Peak looms in the background, an impressive site. They have new showers with individual locking private stalls and, at this point, there is no charge for the showers or a time limit. Camping reservations are advised Memorial Day through Labor Day through ReserveCalifornia. After Labor Day the park "really clears out" and camping is on a first-come, first-served basis until the campground closes at the end of September. Reservations can be made six months in advance. A bonus of camping here is the nearby town of Graeagle, with the Graeagle store for supplies, plus restaurants and goodies like coffee and ice cream. On the hiking front, trails lead to several mountain lakes: Eureka Lake, Smith Lake, Grass Lake and Madora Lake. A few other distant lakes can also be accessed . The park store and museum is well stocked with regional nature guides and wildlife exhibits. The bathroom is sparkling new from an accessibility upgrade spring 2017. A picnic area and historic mining exhibits are across from the store. read more

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I love hiking in state parks and my experience at Plumas-Eureka this week was absolutely incredible. We went to the location that our google maps directed us to when we typed in "Plumas-Eureka State Park" and it took us to the parking lot of the visitor's center. Someone was there to help explain the trail maps and trail options to us. She encouraged us to drive all the way up to the lake and start our loop from there. We did the Eureka Peak Loop Trail. If you decide to drive up the road to the lake, be sure your car (and driver) are adequately prepared as it is a bumpy one-lane dirt road. Our Kia Soul rental car did fine, but it was definitely bumpy. Once we got to the lake there was plenty of parking as well as a restroom. The hike took us just under 2 hours with plenty of time for stopping to take pics and drink water. It is a fairly sunny trail, so bring your water and sunblock. As you can see from the pictures, the views are breathtaking. I'm so glad we took time for this trek, because it was wonderful. read more

Plumas-Eureka State Park - view from the parking area next to Eureka Lake - Parks Near Me - Blairsden, California

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If you're looking for information on camping within the State Park, check out my review for Upper Jamison Creek Campground: http://www.yelp.com/biz/upper-jamison-creek-campground-blairsden?hrid=ukOmPhlYIPne0vnyMnxEKw The State Park is centered around where gold was first discovered in Plumas County. There are tons of things to look at it, lots of informational signs, activities for both adults and kids, gold panning for $4/day, a museum, and of course, entrances to tons of hiking trails. Best of all, this is just over an hour from Reno - an easy drive up 395 to highway 70. read more

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What a gem of a little park this is! A little over an hour outside of Reno...I can't believe we'd never been here before! This state park is centered around the former Eureka gold mine, and the museum and surrounding buildings give you a good feel for what life was like during those times. The visitor's center and museum are absolutely charming and educational. Visiting the old blacksmith's shop was really amazing (you can buy things made there in the visitor's center), and we chatted with the smith for at least half an hour. I wish that tours of the Mohawk Stamp Mill were still given, but the state can't afford to bring it up to safety codes, so you have to admire it from the outside. (Be sure to ask to see the model in operation inside the museum.) You still get to see lots of cool mining equipment along a short interpretative trail that loops through all of the historic buildings. With all of this great history, nice trails, and one of the nicest campgrounds I've ever stayed at (reviewed separately), this park is WELL worth visiting! read more

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Gorgeous, gorgeous hiking with views of the creek and the occasional waterfall. We hiked here and in the nearby Plumas National Forest in the Lakes Basin Rec area. The waterfall is a must (Feather River Falls or is that Indian Falls? in the Lakes Basin area). Plumas-Eureka State Park also has an old gold mining camp at the beginning of the hike there, which was fascinating to look at. The visitor center was closed when we were there due to the economy, but don't let that stop you from enjoying the sense of history and gorgeous scenery! read more

One of the jewels in the California State Park system. The volunteers at this park were great - super nice and knowledgeable. The museum had some interesting taxidermy creatures, amazing maps of the mines and gift shop. The buildings were all in great condition. If the Assay Office is having a presentation = GO! Cliff, the volunteer that day, lead us through the process of measuring gold in the ore. The Camp Host suggested we take a hike (ha!) up to the entrance of the Eureka Mine. We did and found it to be a good hike uphill to the mine. Definitely hike up to Eureka Lake. It's a thigh-burner, but the reward are the views and the beautiful lake. Campground looks amazing...will be back to camp. When in Johnsonville, check it out! read more

Plumas-Eureka State Park - Parks Near Me - Blairsden, California

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Neat state park with some great hiking trails and camping. Visited the museum and it's fairly bare bones. Best part -- it's entirely free. They accept donations and the woman said they barely scrapped together funds to pay the state and stay open. Oh no! The museum details a lot of history of the area -- mining and supposedly the introduction of the sport of skiing to the Western Hemisphere! I visited later and went for a hike and loved seeing the mill and some other things. No wild animals fortunately. read more

Plumas-Eureka State Park - Parks Near Me - Blairsden, California

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We went camping with a few of our friends in August 2022, The campground is nice. The Ranger was very nice. We had a problem with the camp host Dan a volunteer. It seemed like he was harassing our group. Once we arrived he asked my friend if she had a tag for the motorcycle which was still on the vehicle. The following day our other friend was told to turn down the music at 7:30pm even though it was not loud or quiet time. I feel like they were harassed because of the color of their skin. He may need to be trained about discrimination appearances. read more

Didn't know what this was until I found and AirBnB in nearby Portola. Saw a lot of beautiful things in the park and loved how unpopulated it was. Problem is, trails and roads were completely blocked by snow and there was nothing to indicate this. I never saw a park ranger or anything of the like. They also have not marked the trails very well. We completely lost the trail several times and you could hike miles without a trail marker. The trails desperately need to be defined and marked and maintained. However, we did not pay a cent to spend the day driving and hiking around the forest. I can see why they can't maintain things if they don't have any money coming it. read more

Plumas-Eureka State Park - Fern Falls trail which was almost entirely covered by snow in late April - Parks Near Me - Blairsden, California

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This is a review for the people working at the Plumas-Eureka State Park (Park) office. I would give them zero stars if I could... We had a reservation for mid-summer, and received a call from the Park 4 days prior to our arrival saying that there would be no showers and only chemical toilets available. So I canceled my 4-night reservation. No showers, no go. We were planning on tent camping for Christ's sake! And they said nothing of providing alternatives: like tokens for a shower at another facility, or trucking in water from somewhere (use a storage tank if you must). Yes, there are ways to make it work. For $35 per night, I expect a shower. That's what the extra cost over the USFS campgrounds in the area is for imo. And when I made the reservation, I paid the contracted amount for the site I chose and availability of certain services spelled out on the ReserveAmerica website. If I wanted a primitive site, then I would have gone to Plumas Natl Forest and paid less. When I initially called ReserveAmerica to cancel, they refunded me everything but the $8 reservation fee; that, they said, can only be authorized by the State Park. Okay... so I called the Park... twice. Nothing was resolved at the end of the second call, so I waited another couple days, and I called ReserveAmerica today to see if they could see it in their hearts to refund that amount. As it turns out, the Park had called ReserveAmerica after my second and last call, and they told ReserveAmerica that the only way to refund the money ($8) was if the Park closes. The moral of this story is: Only if you are absolutely sure you want to camp, even without water (showers, flush toilets), then go ahead and make a reservation at Plumas-Eureka State Park. Good luck getting a State employee to call you back. You may be without amenities and you gotta suck it up. Note: I know all you die-hard campers will not agree with me, but for those that actually LIKE and NEED to stay somewhat clean, this review is for them. If showers and flush toilets aren't an issue for you, there are plenty of forest service campgrounds in the area that cost less at $20-25 per night. read more

One of my favorite campgrounds if you are looking to camp with other people. Still fairly quiet compared to other campgrounds I've been to, dog-friendly, and amazing hikes all over the place. With a bit of exploration, there are little lakes all over the region which are worth a couple of hours of huffing and puffing to get to. Camping facilities were decent. As always, if you come on weekends, try to come on a Thursday or stay until Monday when the number of visitors drop down tremendously and peace and quiet reigns and for the best choices of sites close to the water. read more

Visiting this park is a family tradition for many who frequent the Graeagle area for good reason. The campground is a hidden treasure. It was a little hard to find. We finally asked a local at the Graeagle Fros-Tee for directions. They raved about it and told us exactly how to find it. Their family had been enjoying the campground for generations. The camp hosts were genuinely warm and helpful. The campsites are immaculate. Many are secluded and situated around a picturesque river. The river is perfect for wading and just hanging out with the kids. The bathrooms and showers were clean and incredibly nice. There is a visitor center within a short hike. We were delighted to discover it is full fledged nature museum. The museum volunteers are incredibly friendly and personally invested in maintaining this wonderful park. There are outside exhibits with lots of room for the kids to run and explore in a kid friendly environment. We saw a blacksmith shop with a working blacksmith. A few huge pieces of historic mining equipment are located in the same area. There was a special event going on while we were there. We saw people dressed in period costumes using real spinning wheels. There were horse drawn carriage rides through the town and tours of historic buildings. We stayed here late in the season last year and we can't wait to return as soon as the weather warms up again! IMPORTANT NOTES: *Our GPS was horribly wrong. Stay on paved roads and ignore the GPS if it tells you otherwise. *The people at the visitor center strongly suggested calling ahead to verify the park is open. Due to funding and other factors it is subject to periodic shut downs. *The camp hosts told us reservations for the campground MUST be made online. Check in is done at the visitor center when it is open. read more

This lush state park and campground is situated along two creeks at the base of a dramatic mountain near The Lakes Basin Rec area. It is a former gold mine so there is lots of cultural stuff here from the Gold Rush. Several hikes lead to beautiful lakes. Because Graegle nearby is a retirement haven, there are lots of good dining/drinking/golf options nearby. One fine dining restaurant in an old lodge is walking distance from the park entrance (The Iron Door). Camping is $35 but you are supporting your state parks and get free hot showers. The "high cost" eliminates the noisy yahoos. read more

Plumas-Eureka State Park - Park Resident - Parks Near Me - Blairsden, California

This place is really wonderful compared to the other 7 campgrounds I've been to in California. The space between campsites is enormous for a developed campground. The camp hosts were also very friendly and helpful. There's a stream that runs through the campground which is great for cooling off. We let the dogs run through it. It's also very quiet at night- no drunkards. Off of campsite 53 there is national land that has dog friendly trails. Cons: Park rangers were polite but not friendly. On a busy weekend they could use more poorly lit bathrooms. Also, they don't clean the bathrooms on a daily basis. A couple stalls were awful, but there were still some useable ones- not horrible, but could be better. read more

This is such a beautiful place to camp...loved our campsite and all of the beautiful day trips we took. Would definitely return to this lovely setting. read more

Fabulous state park in a great park of Northern California that few people know about. Nice historical replicas of pioneer life, great gift shop and very very friendly volunteers and park staff. Marked trails for hiking, no dogs on trails but there's a road that dogs can walk down to camp area read more

I kind of happened upon this place while I was in the area and took a little time to explore it. What little I did manage to see what gorgeous. It was so calm and quiet. I loved it. The only hike I went on was the one to Frazier Falls but it was such a gorgeous view I would love to explore more of the area. The roads in the park are well kept but pretty narrow in some spaces so always keep an eye out for fellow motorists! I look forward to coming back and exploring more of what this state park has to offer. read more

Well, its that time again. MY summer vacation is now here and I chose to go to Plumas Eureka State park once again. Nearly 29 years ago, I found this park and decided to try it, even though its a 6 hour drive from our home. We arrived in the late afternoon, in early June. The park is about 5 miles off the main road and about 2 miles from the nearest Ranger station. So, it is very quiet and isolated from the hub-bub of the city noises and activity. By California standards, the camp sites are quite large and somewhat private, The spots have something for every one; trailers, tent campers, car campers, etc. The most appealing part of the park, is the stream that flows through the park and is near many of the camp sites. I dont like direct car-camping, so we have usually gone to the two walk-in sites that are available, Total, there are about 60-70 sites, but unfortunately, only 2-3 walk-ins. The walk-in sites are heaviliy used and hard to get, they are positioned close together and thus isolated away from those big RVs and trailers that usually come in from Reno. I love to fish close to my camp site, and this is the most attractive part of Plumas Eureka State Park. Over the many summers of visiting, we have seen a slow and steady decline in the amenities of the park. It is so sad, because our law makers tell us at children that we need to protect and maintain our California resources, But, our latest State government is so bloated with people make in a living off of the State and its resources, they have no respect or care or love for our State and its vast and unmatched resources. This , total disregard by the State agencies for maintaining our parks, especially, Plumas Eureka State park, was shown most dramatically this past summers visit on the faces of those in the rank and file that take care of the park. There is basically nothing that these hard working ,dedicated and caring people can do , to make the State government do its job and protect the parks. Here is what we observed this year in the park: 1. no showers that worked 2. no hot water to the bathroom, especially the showers, 3. no fish in the stream 4. no apparent planned planting of fish. 5. no ranger seen in the park only hired summer help. ( this is a dangerous situation should an emergency arrive, the closest head quarters is 2 miles away, and no phone, or no communication possible.) 6. personnel who are on duty have no idea what is going on in the park, and they basically seem un concerned . ( I was told that the stream would be planted on Sunday, nothing happened, Then on Thursday I was told that the planting would be that day, again, nothing happened. I dont know if it ever was planted.) 7. same locks and door closers on the mens showers that were broken in 1990, are still un-repaired and remain broken. 8. Fees for camping are enormous, $35 /night, for what? no showers, no hot water, no fishing, no bathroom maintanence 9. the most sickening thing is that the drains on the cold-water showers do not drain and after only about 60 seconds, the sewers back up and you end up standing in 2 inches of sewage.!!!. It has been this way since the showers were built in about 2000. or nearly 18 years ago. Repeated warnings about this have never received any attention. This year the State has a huge budget surplus, and no politician who is running for office has ever addressed the mis management of this State park. They either have never enjoyed the out doors in California, or they just dont give a crap about having the visitors bathe their feet in cold sewage!. Glad Brown is out of here ,,, finally.!. read more

Really great place. Friendly rangers, big bear boxes, beautiful plots. We stayed in site 34 which backs up against a rocky shallow ravine, and just beyond the ravine is the river, so walking to the river from that site is really easy. The park bathrooms and showers were clean, showers had hot water, and the camp host will deliver firewood to your site for 7 dollars a bundle (no extra charge for delivery), which is about what you pay for firewood at the store in the summer. There's also a great frostee ice cream and burger joint down the road, Frostee's. Have fun!!! read more

Very cool state park. The museum about gold rush days in the area is interesting for the kids and the adults. It isn't very large, but the staff is very knowledgeable and kind! Worth a stop if you are in the area. read more

Honestly the world is missing out on this park, and I am happy about that. This past July we wandered thru the hamlet next to P-E SP, Johnsonville - and the road ends at an abandoned ski area. It was (allegedly) the first ski area in California, something like 1890s? The lake up there is gorgeous, and completely swimable, and totally deserted. There is a picnic area, as well as a restroom (like you need it...). On our way back down to the ski area parking lot, there were two guys with the most gigantic telescope I have ever seen, unloading it in pieces from the back of a van. They set up that night in the lot, and we and the park ranger were the only ones up there with these guys and we saw more planets, galaxies, and stars than I could possibly name. Truly amazing experience. Which would never have happened if I hadn't come to Plumas-Eureka. So if you worried about taking a shower, I guess I would say if that's what's really important to you, then this is not the place for you to come. Or if you cannot remember to bring your own baggies, then, you probably don't want to come up here because probably you will have much larger problems than that. Regarding the carpenter ants, well, when there is not much water, and there is so much dead and stressed wood, there is a feast for ants. The rocks were indeed a sad affair, but that was done a few years back. I have found if I stay at sites on the perimeter of the campground, I avoid the rocks altogether. There are flat tent pads, we have camped there for four years and have had flat pads every year. read more

Car camping is usually a pull-in off the road, with varying qualities of campsite dimensions, campground accessories, surrounding countryside, and limited access to communities and cultural escapes (if needed or desired). Plumas-Eureka State Park is truly beyond compare (in our considerable experience) in each and all of these dimensions. Within the campground, the close access to flush toilets and warm showers provides an immediate comfort level, and the short walk to these facilities past respectful, tasteful campers provides a feeling of a community coexisting with respectful privacy. There is an ambient friendliness wherever you go in this spacious yet superbly arranged campground. On three nights of the week, a campfire is hosted by the affable, entertaining, and informative Patrick, who leads hikes to the lakes above the campground and liberally acts as interpreter for the wildlife and ample vegetation of this pristine Sierra landscape encouching P-E. The lakes are swimming paradise, and the brook and brown trout fishing are an added lure (pun intended). As you enter the park, there is a museum which is filled with vintage gold mining detritus from the rich history of the area, and the Moriarity house adjoining the camp which affords campers a free tour of a house built in 1871 that retains its original construction and interior with diligent authenticity. The surrounding Lakes Basin area provides day hikes to exquisite hikes and swims in pristine high Sierra lakes where, after a couple of miles, the feeling is inescapable that the lake is your private private pool. Only minutes from the campground, the town of Graeagle and its superb mix of warm friendship and excellent food, drink, and music (see yelps for Graeagle Outpost), together with a superb micro-brewery (The Brewing Lair, also supremely yelped) on highway 70 just east of the 89 junction, and more great dining in the little town of Blairsden just 2 miles north of Graeagle, and you can see that this is a camping paradise unparalleled in any criterion a camper may wish to discover, though its price, reflective of the abundant facilities, is a bit high (low $30's) relative to more primitive sites. Kids have a ball here, and the activities are so diverse and accessible that families comprise the majority of the happy campers at P-E. read more

Very few level campsites. Tent pads have been covered with jagged 2 inch crushed rock and then wood chips. Carpenter ants everywhete infesting this wood.. Showers closed for season due to water shortage. Signs on showers indicate showers avaliable at other restroom but those are closed as well. Bathrooms were closed requiring use of Porta potties stationed at each restroom. Campfire program started and ended 30 minutes before published times. Museum indicated closed but was actually open. Very disorganized staff. Stamp mill grounds cordoned off so you cannot get close. Would be a good base camp for strenuous hikes into thousand lakes wilderness but no easy hikes less than 1.5 miles each way unless you drive to nearby samora lake. Cannot see any of the scenery through the trees in the campground. We have seen much better campgrounds. On the positive side it is not a popular place and there were several empty campsites each night of our stay. Not much litter about. BTW groceries in Graeagle are priced at highway robbery level. $10 for box of 25 quart zip lock bags... BYO everything! read more

Amazing little campground - not overcrowded and feels so spacious, with so much to see and do in the vicinity! Would come back here in a heartbeat. p.s. they have showers! read more

We went cross country skiing here. Thanks to the folks who maintain the trails! They were well groomed and marked. Great day!