Camping › California › Sardine Peak Lookout
Sardine Peak Lookout
7 mi south of Sierra Brooks, CA · Verizon 5G · AT&T 5G · T-Mobile 5G
About Sardine Peak Lookout
Sardine Peak is a forest fire lookout tower that was constructed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is a three story enclosed tower with external stairs. Presently the top room or observation cab is the only rentable space. Sardine sits at an elevation of 8,138 feet in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Tahoe National Forest, approximately 20 miles from Truckee, California. The lookout does not have electricity, water or garbage service. It does have a propane tank to operate propane-powered appliances. Hiking, mountain biking and off road vehicle use are popular around this lookout. Stampede and Boca Reservoirs are nearby for fishing, boating and swimming. The interior of the cab is 14 feet long and 14 feet wide and contains two twin beds, a dry sink, a table and four chairs, two propane lights, a propane cast iron heat stove and a propane stove/oven for cooking. A…
- Managed by: Tahoe National Forest, FS
- Where: 7 mi south of Sierra Brooks, CA · 39.54021, -120.18786
- Winter: the road at camp is closed to cars in winter; plan to ride, ski or snowshoe in.
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sardine Pk Lo | ATV road | at camp | 0.2 mi |
| Sardine Peak | ATV road | 0.1 mi | 5.2 mi |
| Winch Hill Shortcut | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 1.5 mi | 0.2 mi |
| Main Bear Valley OHV Loop | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 1.7 mi | 15.7 mi |
| Bear Valley OHV Connector | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 1.7 mi | 0.1 mi |
| Knob Hill | ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 1.8 mi | 0.7 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 5G · AT&T 5G · T-Mobile 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way is bright, with a little glow low on the horizon.
Class 3 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 23.9 mi
Water fill-up: 21.4 mi
Camps nearby
- Bear Valley Campground 2.9 mi
- Lower Little Truckee 4.6 mi
- Little Truckee Summit OHV/Snowmobile Staging Area 5.8 mi
- Emigrant Group 6.2 mi
- Logger Campground 6.4 mi
- Stampede Reservoir - Water Recreation 6.4 mi