LaPorte Area Camping

[Kendo]

OK, so I'm trying to plan a camping/riding trip while the Dad in law is in town and I'd like to hit the LaPorte area if at all possible. We took him riding up around Plumas - Poker Flat area last year and I'd like to hit the same area only from the other side this time. Does anyone know of any camping on the EAST side of LaPorte Road?? Or, can you leagally cross the road from the Little Grass Valley Reservoir side to get to the trails on the east side of the road?

Specifically, I want to ride towards the Howland Flat area and down into Poker Flat as well. Last time we camped just outside Plumas Eureka and rode west, but that made for a long day.

Oh and one more thing, I need to be able to get the toy hauler in there too. Don't need hookups, just a halfway decent road to get to the site.

[Chadd]

Go through Laporte. 1 mile outside of town Turn right on Howland Flat Rd drive about 2 miles to Ginormus trun out on your left side. Good gravel road to camp spot and you can ride your ATV from there, you can even ride your ATV into town from there.

[Kendo]

Right on Chadd, that's EXACTLY what I was looking for. Howland Flat is where we wound up last year from the state park in Plumas. I know there's more to see on that end of the road but the fuel situation was getting desperate.

[GrizzlyGuy]

Last year I camped at a nice spot just upstream of St. Louis Bridge (the yellow waypoint in this map):



As you are driving/riding in from La Porte, you would see this:



Side view of bridge on Slate Creek:



Drive across the bridge and the spot is on your left. Here it is:





The big county road is what you see in the background of the second photo. The plaque in that shot says the rock wall is the Great Grove Wall:



You may have to back your toyhauler out when you leave, I can't remember if this spot is big enough to turn around in. I actually camped about 50 yards further upstream where a small road/trail goes down into a nicely shaded spot.

[Kendo]

GG camping spot recommendation - :facialtick: - goat trail - new finger grooves in steering wheel - intestinal disorder - nausea - headache........

So the next question is - what's the best/fastest/safest way to get there from Auburn?? I'm guessing Hwy 20 to Marysville Rd and up?

[Chadd]

Howland flat Road is good to the St louis bridge. Past there it gets rough. I would tow a toy hauler in there no problem. BUT the Miners are in there at the bridge so those Camp spots GG recommended are ocuppied. Let me know when your going up I'll try and meet up with you and show you the Secret spots.

[Chadd]

best way to get there Marysville rd to Laporte rd.

[GrizzlyGuy]

GG camping spot recommendation - :facialtick: - goat trail - new finger grooves in steering wheel - intestinal disorder - nausea - headache........

LOL! Yeah, I guess I don't have such a good record in recommending Plumas camping spots for Kendo. I'm 0 for 1 and now that Chadd says Miners are at St. Louis bridge, I guess I'm 0 for 2.

Be sure and drop in at Poker Flat, I was out there last week with RedGrizz. We saw two guys in wet suits with snorkels and masks swimming around in what looked like a good swimming hole. They had a pump(?) running that worked like a big underwater vacuum cleaner. They were sucking up the stuff on the bottom of the hole, running that into a sluice box, and hopefully snagging some GOLD.

They also had an impressive "high lead" type of cable setup to get their pump down into the canyon where they were swimming around.

When you get to the bottom, hang a left, they're up maybe 150 yards or so.

Oh, the road/trail down there seemed a little better this year. Still steep but lots less lose rocks. Only one marginal spot near the bottom.