Bear River Campground

I camped at this location back in the 70’s & 80’s as a kid growing up. Not much has changed accept the updated restrooms and the river depth. They used to stock this river with trout at the north head back then. Planning to go here to fish before season ends…
I am not sure why Dan D., gave this location 1 star and referred to it as a lake and RV/​Park. He must have had the wrong location for his review?

Staff and everyone at the restaurant & store were super friendly and courteous– so why the low rating? Well, we came here to camp and the majority of campground is populated by permanent residents. The best spots are taken bythese residents and the remaining campgrounds are stacked right on top of each other with no lake view.
It was more like pitching a tent in a mobile home/​RV park than camping. Unless I just needed a home base to park my truck and set up base while I launched my boat & spent all day/​night on the lake I probably wouldn’t go here again. It would be good for that, but I would look elsewhere if you want a more traditional camping experience.

Went up from April 2 – 9, first 5 days was at the private campground, last 3 days at the pay per day campground. Had a great time, we showed up the day after the freak snow storm dropped a couple inches on Colfax, it was beautiful but not ideal for prospecting.
Coming in and out of the private campground was easier than it first looked, I had left my 4×4 diesel Suburban at home and brought my lowered 2wd one since it is more reliable and has overdrive. Even with 1000lbs of gear in a lowered suburban we had no trouble getting in and out on the dirt road, even while it was raining, to the private campground.
The 3 days at the pay to stay public campground were just as fun, we had a few other campers staying there and all were quiet and respectful. Even the couple that was obviously living in their van and jumping from campsite to campsite after the 14 days are up were no problem.
The «Rangers» were very friendly and did a great job of keeping the trash empty and the bathrooms clean and stocked. I look forward to heading back up next year with our group.

This was my worse camping experience ever and I have been to many places. It is «home» to many people with no common sense. Kids abound, most of them left to their own devise. Spent 2 nights, first was just noisy, second Fire brigade and Sheriff came. Someone made a fire with lighter fluid, even though no fire/​bbq was allowed because of the fire danger. Music blaring, kids screaming-​no sleep. In the morning kids started running, screaming before 6am, no supervision. 911 was called by 2 campers, mainly to protect a baby crawling all over unsupervised and so was child protective services. If you want peace and quiet do not go here, it is a beautiful river and I had some lovely moments watching nature but my mind is still very upset by what I saw regarding the kids. Hopefully the City of Colfax will see better days.

I have never camped here because I live a stone throw from this place, but it is our go-​to place for evening walks, river day trips, and even a nice long walk with our dog or hike. The campgrounds always seem fairly full; the sites are large and offer river access but not too much shade. Although you are river side, you are also on the side of the road that drives through the area.
During the summer time the campsites and the day use are crowded, but not the kind of «crowded» you see closer to Sacramento, or on the American River. This river isn’t the best for swimming because it is «dirty» in comparison to the almost clear water of the American, but it is refreshing to take a dip and cool off without having to drive or walk very far from your vehicle to the water. This place is popular for locals and people like to bring their dogs.
If you drive down to the day use area there is also a separate gated entrance for group sites. I have spent many evenings walking down through the group site area. The site itself is about 2 miles from the main camp sites and offers total exclusion for you and your group. When the spot is reserved, they will inform you on how to obtain a key to open the gate to let the members of your party in.
I enjoy going here in the fall and winter months when it feels like you have the place to yourself. My husband and I have also prospected a good amount in gold from this river also. Camping, floating, swimming, gold prospecting, pic-​nicking, sun bathing or walking the dog, this place will accommodate it all!

I like this campground alot. It is somewhat small but still enough room between sites. I like how it is away from the freeway but close enough to town that if you forget anything or just want a burger u can drive up and out! I go here every year and will be back as soon as they open!

Although this campground is really in a beautiful setting, it seems to be a party spot for locals. We went on a Saturday and were kept up until after 4am by some high school kids partying (loudly) at the site next door. Other neighbors were blaring 70s music from their car radio all day and another group of locals stopped by and used the campsite next to ours to binge drink. Many people don’t seem to understand why the dumpsters are there, as they left empty cans and bottles at their site. Maybe it’s better on a weeknight?

My wife and I just spent 5 Days over the Memorial Day weekend in our 36′ 5^th. Wheel. This place is Heaven! We will be going back,

Bear river campground/​day use area is an awesome place! Great for swimming, lounging, floating, fishing, and just having a good time in the outdoors by the icy water on a hot day! LOVE this place and it’s never too crowded. Beware swimming in early spring, for the mountain snow runnofs can create a hazardous current!

This is a great spot for coming to camp, tube the river, or just lounge around! I would give it a 5 star, but sometimes the neighbors can be a challenge. Other than that, the temp is hot in the summer and the river is cold. Grab a tube and jump in, this is my all time fav. lazy river camping. If you plan ahead, you can park a car/​truck at Dog Bar bridge and tube all the way down. Don’t forget to jump off the rock!
Oh yeah, almost forgot…
$ 10 per night… first come, first served
$ 2 per night extra car fee
I also almost forgot to mention that there is no water available (except from the river), so you’ll have to bring your own… they said it was budgeting, but I have a feeling it was done to keep people from living there ;P…
…and I don’t think that I mentioned that the river is about 20 feet from each campsite!
This place is great!