A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service group campground

Big Bend Group (Yuba River)

Forest Service group campground in Tahoe National Forest, Placer County, California. About 5,700 feet. 17.7 miles from Truckee.

Managed by
Forest Service Tahoe National Forest
Elevation
About 5,700 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
2 2 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
22 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Placer County

Overview

Big Bend Group Campground is located 19 miles west of Truckee, California in the Tahoe National Forest at an elevation of 5,700 feet. Visitors enjoy the area for its fishing and hiking opportunities, as well as its historic significance along the California Emigrant Trail. This campground is operated and maintained by Forest Service staff.

Recreation

The South Yuba River offers swimming and rainbow trout fishing. The historic California Emigrant Trail and Loch Leven Trail are located nearby. The surrounding area offers many additional hiking, biking and off-road vehicle trails.

Facilities

The campground offers two accessible group sites, Lincoln and Victory, which can accommodate up to 25 people and five vehicles each. Picnic tables, grills and large campfire rings are provided, as well as vault toilets and drinking water.

Natural Features

The campground lies along the gentle South Yuba River; just behind and across the river from the Big Bend Fire Station. Stands of pine and fir covers the area, offering pleasant shade at the group sites.

Nearby Attractions

Donner Lake is located 15 miles east via historic Route 40/Lincoln Highway, the nation's first transcontinental highway. Many points of interest lie along Route 40, including China Wall, Rainbow Bridge, Sugar Bowl, Lake Van Norden and Ice Lakes.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • camping
  • climbing
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • gold panning
  • hiking
  • historic & cultural site
  • information site
  • mountain biking
  • off highway vehicle trails
  • photography
  • star gazing
  • swimming
  • water access

The land around Big Bend Group (Yuba River)

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.