Mineral Bar Campgrounds — Hotel in Grass Valley

Mineral Bar Campgrounds is great for a quick "getaway". It is real quiet except for the distant train up on the mountain side. During our winter camping trip, there was only one other couple in a distant camp site and the only voices heard were our own..Winter camping brings out the sounds of the small but mighty layers of water falling down the hillside on the opposite side of the bridge and freezing cold water rushing over the river rocks. Its so relaxing!

The restrooms are exceptionally clean for having no-flush toilets. Toilet only bathrooms without sinks. Bring hand washing wipes and/ or your own soap and water.

BRING WATER There is no running water anywhere except for the river so bring clean drinking and washing water. River water is not reccomended for cooking or washing.

Personal Bear containers are on each individual site for your food. Bear resistant trash containers and recycling containers are provided near the bathrooms too.

Only 5 or 6 sites were open to the public during my winter camping trip. Covid friendly keeping sits in between empty. Rangers visit multiple times a day though they do not have rangers living or staying onsite.

First come first serve *no reservations. Sites are small but all sites will fit at a regular size tent and some will fit itrailers. Winter time allows for fires but only in the deep pits. No wood gathering so *BRING YOUR OWN WOOD *

Camping is near the river with bushes and trees in between.

There is a separate Walking and driving bridge, trails near by, your surrounded by mountains on all sides and a steep bending road on the side of the camp but it's not very busy and travelers go very slow around its corners.

I give this camp ground 5 stars for the sights and sounds of nature, the smaller and more intimate size of of the park, the cleanliness, awesome Rangers, the convenience of it being open when most other parks are closed during the winter season.

Call the park county for list of open parks. They were the ones that sent us here when our other camp ground was closed. What a gem! Day...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful Hidden Gem – Worth the Windy Drive!

Mineral Bar in Colfax, CA is such a beautiful hidden gem, just about an hour and change from Sacramento. The drive up is scenic with wide freeways until you get to the little town of Colfax. From there, it’s about 10-15 more minutes to the river access — but be warned, once you turn off for the river, the road gets very narrow, steep, and windy. It takes about 7–8 minutes to make it down, and I would not recommend trying it with a big RV or trailer (maybe a small one if you’re brave, but I wouldn’t chance it).

Before you cross the bridge, there’s a restroom and river access with a dirt/wood staircase down to the water. The bathroom was impressively clean! Once you cross the bridge, you reach the campgrounds. There’s very limited parking, and it’s $10 to park (cash or card when we went). We got there around 9:30–10am and had no problem finding a spot, but by noon it was packed, and people were circling for parking.

The campground itself is dry camping only — no water or electricity. I didn’t check out the campground bathrooms so I can’t speak to those, but the sites were about half full when we visited in early June. The paths down to the river from the campground are rocky and take a bit of a walk, so come prepared.

Now the river? Absolutely stunning — clear, cool, and refreshing. There’s no sandy beach, but the rocks are smooth. Definitely wear water shoes though — it’s rocky and you’ll want that extra grip. It’s also dog friendly, which was a huge plus for us! Our pup Guapo had a blast swimming and exploring the water.

All in all, this is a perfect day trip if you come early and are ready for a bit of rugged terrain. Clean water, great views, and a peaceful vibe once you’re down there. Highly recommend for nature lovers, families, and dog...

We intentionally chose a campsite toward the back for more privacy, but unfortunately, one of the main trails to the water ran nearby. As a result, there was constant foot traffic from day users, which was both disruptive and distracting. We wouldn’t choose to camp here again.

Additionally, we were disappointed by the lack of enforcement of basic regulations for both campers and day users. There was frequent loud profanity and noticeable amounts of garbage left along the riverbeds. Given that this is a state park, we expected a higher standard of upkeep and oversight. We believe the staff could do more to maintain the area and ensure a more respectful environment, especially considering this is funded by...