Camping near Chico, California
Camping near Chico, California includes 1 public campground on record, 1 first-come. All are run by the U.S. Forest Service. 1 is free, and 1 stays open all year. Another 9 public campgrounds filed under nearby towns are within 30 miles of Chico.
noindex Fewer than 5 campgrounds here clear the indexable bar yet, so this page stays noindex.
Camping near Chico at a glance
- Public campgrounds
- 1 (1 National Forest)
- Getting a site
- 1 first-come
- Cost
- 1 free
- Distance from Chico
- 30 miles in a straight line
- Elevation
- 2,100 ft at Black Rock (the only one on record)
- Season
- 1 open all year
Distances are straight-line miles from Chico's point in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2025), not driving distances. Every other fact comes from each campground's own sourced record, linked from its page.
More campgrounds within 30 miles of Chico
- Butte Meadows, 26 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $12 per night); listed under camping near Butte.
- Philbrook, 26 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Butte.
- Rogers Cow Camp (family Campground), 27 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ; listed under camping near Butte.
- Orland Buttes, 28 miles from Chico in a straight line , Army Corps of Engineers , reservable ; listed under camping near Glenn.
- Cherry Hill, 29 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (Single Site: $14 per night); listed under camping near Butte.
- Milsap Bar (family Campground), 29 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ; listed under camping near Butte.
- Buckhorn, 29 miles from Chico in a straight line , Army Corps of Engineers , reservable ; listed under camping near Tehama.
- Grizzly Forebay (family Campground), 30 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Plumas.
- Little North Fork (family Campground), 30 miles from Chico in a straight line , National Forest , first-come (free); listed under camping near Plumas.
Things to do near Chico
Public land and water within 30 miles of Chico, the public land its campgrounds sit in, and landmarks at those campgrounds, nearest first.
- Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, a state park whose mapped point is 2.3 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park, a state park whose mapped point is 7.4 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, a national wildlife refuge whose mapped point is 8.2 miles from Chico; its hours, camping, hunting and fishing rules, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Paradise Reservoir fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 14 miles from Chico; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, a state park whose mapped point is 19 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area, a state park whose mapped point is 22 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Butte City Project Prop, a state park whose mapped point is 23 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Lake Oroville fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 24 miles from Chico; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
- Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, a state park whose mapped point is 24 miles from Chico; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
- Ishi Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 28 miles from Chico; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
Supplies and emergencies near Chico
Next nearest: Oroville Hospital, 2767 Olive Hwy, Oroville, CA, 23 miles , (530) 533-8500.
In an emergency, call 911.
Both report emergency services in the CMS Hospital General Information dataset (accessed 2026-09-26) .
- Groceries
-
- Safeway
- 7-Eleven
- Speedway
- Fuel
-
- 76
- Safeway Fuel Station
- Speedway
- RV dump station
-
- Chico Elks RV Park
- Potable water fill
-
- Larkin Road Boat Launch
- Pharmacy
-
- CVS Pharmacy
- Walgreens
- CVS Pharmacy
- Laundromat
-
- 8th Street Laundromat
- The Clothes Pin Coin Laundry
- Walnut Express Laundry
Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of Chico: propane and ice. Stores, fuel, propane, dump stations, water fill, laundromats, and pharmacies are the nearest few mapped within 25 miles, straight-line, © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of 2026-10-01; this extract under the ODbL). Hours are as mapped; call ahead.
Common questions
Where can I camp around Chico, CA?
1 public campground is on record near Chico. Nearest first, straight-line from town: Black Rock (30 miles). 1 is first-come, first-served with no reservations.
Is there free camping near Chico, CA?
Yes: Black Rock charges no fee at the campground.
Are there year-round campgrounds near Chico, CA?
Yes: Black Rock is open all year, per the managing agency. The rest are seasonal or have no season on record.
Where is the nearest emergency room to Chico, CA?
Enloe Health, 1531 Esplanade, Chico, CA, is 2 miles from Chico in a straight line and reports emergency services to CMS; phone (530) 332-7300. In an emergency, call 911.
Every campground in the state: camping in California ; by agency: National Forest campgrounds in California .