Northern California Summer Family Camping Adventures

Summer camping has arrived and the campground is buzzing with activity.  We’re still in awe of our amazing 3rd place USA Today 10 Best win for RV Campground, for the third year in a row!   Memorial Day weekend was busy, great to have so many return campers bring the kids and enjoy some time together outside.  We’re super grateful to kick off the summer camping season.  Any else ready for Nevada City summer camp season?  While we know we’re the go to outdoor recreation for visitors and locals in our area, we love that we can be a playground for all ages, relive your summer camp days at the Inn Town Campground or come camping with multiple generations.  We love that folks think of us as the best family camping in Northern California.   We love that we offer tent, glamping and RV options so you can pick what works best for you and still include your camping family.   And for those of you who want to try out RV, consider renting a RV, either to pick up or have dropped off.

We know folks are trying to plan their future trips and it’s been great to have so many community events back on the schedule this year.  Here are a few of the upcoming things to plan for….

• Nevada City Farmers Market, Saturday mornings
• First Friday Art Walk, June 6th, July 11th, August 1st
• Grass Valley Car Show, June 7th
• Movies Under the Pines, June 7th
• Grass Valley Thursday Night Market, June 12th-July 10th
• Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum
• Humbug Day, Malakoff Diggins, June 14th
• Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, June 12th-15th
• Bear Yuba Land Trust Summer Hike Challenge
• Nevada City Film Festival, June 20th-22nd
• 4th of July Parade
• Nevada City Summer Nights,  July 16th, 23rd & 30th
• Nevada County Fair, August 6th-10th
• Draft Horse Classic, September 18th-21st

And it’s great to see so many live music events, if you’re looking for a round up of concerts and events check out: The Center for the Arts, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada Theatre, InConcert Sierra, Music in the Mountains or even some of the smaller venues like Crazy Horse Saloon, The Fern or The Stonehouse in downtown Nevada City.

And we’re all dreaming of our upcoming lazy days by the river.  SYRCL has some great tips and suggestions for planning your next trip to the South Yuba River State Park, please be aware of cold temperatures and high flows at the beginning of the summer.   You can track the water levels online, keep in mind typical summer flows are 100 CSF.  Now is a great time to remember that there are lots of great outdoor activities in our community, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, SUP rental and swimming in Scotts Flat Lake.  Remember if you can’t get a camping reservation at Scotts Flat Lake, you can always use the day use area, so always something fun to do.  If you’re looking for summer camping reservations, now is a great time to book with us, our recommendations is for weekdays.

Our top 10 kid friendly activities:

• Visit Empire Mine State Historic Park
• Check out the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
• Go for a hike along the Deer Creek Tribute Trail
• Visit Treats in Nevada City and try an exotic flavor of ice cream or sit in the patio at Panaderia Matilija and have a Mexican pastry
• Movies Under the Pines organized by the Nevada City Film Festival
• Check out the Points of Historical Interest walking tour map of Nevada City or the tree tour
• Gold Rush Climbing Gym
• Swimming in Scotts Flat Lake or check out the new Memorial Park Pool in Grass Valley
• 4th of July Parade
• Watching movies at the campground

If you’re looking for more kid friendly activities this summer, click here; there are tons of great kids events and things to do in Nevada City & Grass Valley.  And, if you don’t have a tent site reservation, don’t worry, the Inn Town Campground still has sites available this summer – book soon for weekends as they are filling up quickly.  Or, if you’ve always wanted to try glamping, think about joining us mid-week, when we have more availability and town has a more relaxed, quiet feel.   Check out top Nevada City kid friendly things to do blog post by The Little Dove blog, who recently came camping with us.

To follow along with us make sure to check out our Instagram,  Facebook, Pinterest, Threads, TikTok feeds, if you’re looking for more local ideas, check out the Visit Nevada City Instagram feed or the InnSide Nevada City blog.   We’re excited that the summer season is here….  we’ll see you at camp!