A Great Spot For Relaxing and Hiking
Getting There
We left on a Friday night after work to find this campground somewhere east of Auburn. We were not sure what we would find when we got there. All we knew was it was $4 a night because their was currently no potable water available and it was first come first serve.
So off we went using Waze and Google maps to get us there. We will often use two mapping systems on our trips to compare the the arrival times and routes. This time though, the two maps took us down two very different roads to the campground.
Definitely take the road that has a sign that says Dru Barner Campground. Waze took us past that road and onto a windy dirt road. I could see the destination was the campground, but the road was rough and had huge muddy puddles covering the entire road. We decided to turn back and not risk getting stuck. We went back to Google maps and it took us down a paved road that lead right into the campground.
It was dark when we arrived, but we found our site fairly quickly. The campsite was pretty level which was nice. We got out of the van to complete silence and a pitch black view.
Winter Review
Since it was early February there were not many people camping here. In fact, of the 48 campsites available, there were only two other people camping there.
The campground is designed for equestrians, but is open to anyone. There are no motorized vehicles allow on any trails.
Winter camping is great for getting a campsite last minute and for avoiding the crowds. I don’t think much changes here from one season to the next other than the grass changing from green to brown and back again.
The campground looked very well maintained. The individual horse corals were in great condition. The picnic tables and fire rings were in good working order. The campsites and parking pads were also well maintained.
The bathrooms were clean and stocked. As we were leaving there was a person arriving to clean the bathrooms even with such low occupancy.
It is a nice campground, but as I was writing the section below about campgrounds nearby, I think one of those might be nice since they are near water. Another great riverside campground closer to highway 80 is Mineral Bar Primitive Campground. We really enjoyed camping there.
Our Campsite Choices
#8, 10, 11, 20, 38, 39, 40 nice and flat with plenty of space.
#15, 16, 21, 23 big sites.
When you book you will also be able to see where the horse corrals are in relation to the campsites if you want to be away from their noises and smell.
Open Season
Open year round, but the access road is not plowed during the winter so check for snow fall.
Amenities & More
- Pit Toilets. The website says they have two flush toilets with sinks, but we did not see them.
- Picnic tables.
- Fire pits.
- Bear locker.
- Water Spigots. No potable water as of this review.
- Pets are welcome.
- Animals in the area: bears, turkey, deer coyote and racoons.
- Some sites have tree coverage for shade, but many have very little.
Fees
- $8 overnight, but the fee was only $4 for us since they did not have potable water available.
- $3 day use.
Reservations
- 1-877-444-6777
- www.Recreation.gov
You can book 4 days to 6 months before your first night’s stay. We booked two days prior and had no problems.
Campgrounds Nearby
- Stumpy Meadows Campground 12 miles away.
- Ponderosa Cove Campground 12 miles away.
- Black Oak Campground 13 miles away.
Local Things To See And Do
- Hiking.
- Stumpy Meadows Reservoir 15 miles to the east has a picnic area and boat ramp for boats, rafts, canoes and kayaks.
- The Rock Creek Trail system is nearby and offers non-motorized, motorized and multiple use trails.
- The rustic town of Georgetown is just a few miles down the road.
- 16 miles southeast in the town of Caloma is the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park where gold was discovered in 1848.
Cell Signal
- AT&T – 2 bars
- Verizon – 2 bars
Address
- Bottlehill Road (Forest Road 13N58)
Georgetown, CA 95634