1
Pull-thru
USFSPlumas National Forest · California
Running Deer Campground
Overview Running Deer Campground is located on the eastern shore of the Little Grass Valley Reservoir, giving visitors ample opportunity to fish, swim, boat and enjoy nature.
Sites4138 reservable
Elev.5,548ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rig33 ft1 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento2h27real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 5,548 ft, Running Deer Campground has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 26°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 41 sites total: 38 reservable and 3 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 1 pull-through, and the longest takes a 33-ft rig. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 8 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
93%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 23
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 17.
54°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
110 mi
2h27
02
San Francisco
204 mi
4h32
03
Fresno
282 mi
6h16
04
Los Angeles
546 mi
12h08
05
San Diego
688 mi
15h17
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 13.3 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 41 SITES
Color byShow only
41 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
1
Prime
41
Sites
★ The standout
Site 16
AREA RUNNING DEER CAMPGROUND · prime location · shaded.
To neighbor
78 ft
Location
Prime
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
4
Peaks
8
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
13.3 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.