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Nugget Campground

2026 USRA National Rafting Championships

Nugget Campground

South Fork American River · Chili Bar Dam to Nugget Campground
August 13–16, 2026Race HQ & campingColoma–Lotus, California

Fees

$22
Camping at Nugget
per night, per person

Pay for camping

$6
Day Use
non-campers — athletes and spectators

Pay day use

Camping and day use are paid separately from team registration. Team entry is handled through Eventbrite on the Nationals page.

Arrival & Parking

Unload your gear at the campground first, then move your vehicle to the upper parking area. When you leave, do not bring the vehicle back down until your gear is curbside and ready to load.

  • Speed limit is 10 mph everywhere on the property.
  • Vehicles parked anywhere other than the upper parking areas will be towed at the owner’s expense.
  • Never block the flow of traffic — at the put-in or in the parking areas.
  • The bus turnaround loop runs through the upper parking areas. Park tight and leave room for buses to get through. Violators are towed.
  • Do not move parking barriers or landscape boulders, and do not drive on the lawns.
RVs: there is no space for RVs at the put-in. RV and vehicle camping is in the upper parking areas only. No fires in the parking areas, and do not block the roadway.

Camping

Tent camping is in the designated campground only — the area downstream of the bathhouse. The campground is walk-in only, so plan to carry your gear from the drop-off.

  • No campfires during Nationals. Open burning is not permitted at the Nugget in August. Do not light fires in the fire rings, in the campgrounds, or in the parking areas. Bring a camp stove if you plan to cook.
  • Quiet hours are 10:00 pm to 8:00 am. No amplified music after 10:00 pm.
  • No pets and no firearms on the property. Do not harass wildlife.
  • Trash and recycling containers are provided — please use them.

Facilities

  • Bathhouse with restrooms, cleaned daily. Please go easy on the toilet paper and flush completely.
  • Camper kitchen at the end of the bathhouse.
  • Drinking water is provided at the campground. The Nugget runs on a well with limited capacity — please conserve.
  • Do not tamper with plumbing or electrical fixtures.

Respect the Property

The Nugget is a working river park with residents on site. Please stay out of the private housing area, including the stretch of river behind the houses. Camping and parking are not permitted in the put-in area.

Site Map

The map shows the gate off Route 193, the upper and lower campgrounds, the bathhouse and kitchen, the put-in, and the parking areas and bus loop up toward Dam Road. Worth a look before you arrive — the parking and unloading rules below assume you know the layout.

Open the site map (PDF)

Cell coverage at the Nugget is poor. Download or print the map before you leave home.

Getting There

The Nugget River Park sits on Route 193 along the South Fork American River, roughly 2.5 miles from Placerville, with Kelsey about 4.6 miles the other direction. Enter through the gate off Route 193; the parking areas and bus loop are uphill toward Dam Road, and the campgrounds and put-in are down along the river.

Safety

River levels fluctuate quickly below Chili Bar Dam and can change with little warning. Swim at your own risk, and keep an eye on children and first-time visitors around the water.

Questions & Lost and Found

For any problem with the facility, or for lost and found, contact the resident manager at house #6045 or call 530-391-5429.

Race questions — schedule, accreditation, results — go through the Nationals page, not the resident manager.

This facility is provided for your recreation and enjoyment. Respect it, protect it, and have a great time at the river.