Hope Valley Dispersed Camping

Nothing beats free, but some free spots are definitely better than others:
Hope valley dispersed campground delivers on almost everything on my list. I have very low ground clearance (Mazda van) and AWD, so I cannot go too far off road. The campsites are located along a short gravel road right off the highway. Google took me straight there! The gravel road has some dips and rocks but if you go slow, anyone can make it.
The campsites are clean and almost all provide good shade for the entire day, and best of all- VERY QUIET! I arrived on a Friday afternoon and had no troubles finding a spot, and despite other families coming in with their RVs or ATVs, they went to play elsewhere and so the campground is mostly quiet.
No toilets, must come prepared and pack in-pack out.
Reasonable cell service. Calls and texts are fine, with between 2-3 bars of Verizon network. Internet can be slow or fail to load occasionally, so not great for digital nomads,

Best of all, you are only a 30 min drive to “civilization”, whether that’s in Tahoe or across the state line to Carson City Nevada. Target, Walmart, Trader Joe’s even,, anything you need to refuel is within 30mins of the campsite.

No fires right now due to fire restrictions. Ranger drives thru campsite couple times a day and makes sure no one has any fires going.

We stayed here while visiting Lake Tahoe. Don’t confuse this with Hope Valley Campground, this space is free. It’s forest service land so no real “designated” sites. You find a spot that works for you and use it. We were able to choose a large and private space for our van and it was one of our favorite sites on our five week road trip. Beautiful surroundings and trees, some shade, and plenty of places to hang hammocks. Nobody bothered us here. Some sites large enough for RVs and lots of tent campers. We left our tent up and a few other things while we went to the lake, twice, and they were untouched when we returned. About a half hour from Tahoe. Making it super convenient as well. Lots of the spots have stone fire pits made by previous campers. Probably a good idea t put fires out before bed due to dry climate. Very quick detour off main road, easy access. We loved it.

We arrived about 8 pm on 5/5/21 based on info that site is open year around but found the gates locked, so we just parked for quick overnight outside the gate. Another car of capers arrived a bit later and expressed disappointment of site being closed and left. Another camper arrived about 11 pm and pitched a tent across the road for quick overnight. We all left by early morning. Check status before you go!

Cute tree lined foothill next to open meadow with river access a short hike away. Plenty of dispersed sites that can accommodate any rig of any size. Lots of people and sometimes fairly close, but you still retain decent privacy. Very loud group of fifth wheelers the weekend we were there, but they settled down after 2230. No water nor electrical nor dump, haphazard cell service. Would definitely camp here again.

We have been coming here for years and it’s a favorite! Large open areas for groups or single sites tucked into the trees for privacy. Most sites are to the right (east) once in the area. All size rigs will fit and most places to park are fairly level. Yes there is some road noise and weekends can get busy but the views and activities in the area (hiking/kayaking) are worth it! Here in late Sept this trip so nights get chilly but days were warm! The quaking aspens change colors in early Oct. About 30 minutes from South Lake Tahoe and all its beauty! 14 day limit and ranger does come around checking on things.