Buckhorn Recreation Area, near Orland, California, is a scenic campground that invites you to unwind amidst beautiful views of Black Butte Lake. With sites that offer a good amount of space, it’s a great place for both tent and RV camping, allowing you to soak in the natural surroundings.

The campground is open year-round, making it a convenient choice for those looking to escape at any time. Visitors have enjoyed the well-maintained facilities, including clean restrooms, and many have commented on the peaceful atmosphere, especially during quieter months. One camper noted, “This is a beautiful, quiet campground!” 

For outdoor activities, you can take advantage of the nearby lake for fishing or simply enjoy the trails that wind through the area. The wildlife adds to the experience, with sounds of owls and distant coyotes creating a true nature vibe at night. Just be prepared for some bugs, especially in late spring!

While some sites can feel a bit snug, the overall vibe is friendly and welcoming. Whether you’re here for a quick stop or a longer stay, Buckhorn Recreation Area offers a nice blend of relaxation and adventure.

## Overview

 Buckhorn Recreation Area is at Black Butte Lake, situated at the northern end of the Sacramento valley, 100 miles north of Sacramento, CA and 30 minutes south of Red Bluff, CA. The lake is a popular meeting place for water sports and outdoor enthusiasts, so bring family and friends for an incredibly scenic getaway. 
## Recreation

 Find excitement with wake boarding and sailing or explore the shoreline's 13 miles of fitness trails for hiking, running and biking. Black Butte is renowned for its warm-water fishing, including catches such as crappie, channel catfish, and large and smallmouth bass. 
## Natural Features

 Black Butte Lake was formed in 1963 with the completion of the Black Butte Dam on Stony Creek. The lake's surface area measures 4,460 acres when water levels are high. Black basalt buttes and blue oak woodland hug the lake's 40 miles of shoreline. 
## Nearby Attractions

 A 18 hole disc golf course can be accessed across from the Orland Buttes Campground. Horeseback riders can make use of the horse trails at Grizzly Flat and Burris Creek. Drive east to visit the Mendocino National Forest.

Buckhorn Recreation Area

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Paskenta, CA has a lot to offer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.

Paskenta

The Best Camping Near Paskenta, California

Open all year is the draw for Buckhorn. Camp sites were plentiful in November. Took the canoe out every day. 

Year round camping. 

Not much to the site. It was very hot and a distance to the lake. Not to mention the rangers were very grumpy.

Very Hot

Wonderful spot. Sites were kinda small, but we we able to fit 2. -6 person tents and a 4 person in a row. Wasn’t windy when we got there in the morning, but that night the wind started and almost blew everything away. STAKE down, no matter the weather. Water was super warm, but gets icky in the summer, so definitely need to go early in the season. 

Great Spot,  very windy

The campsite/campground were well maintained the restrooms  were decent. 
The price wasn’t bad at all for dry camping. Only downfall it was really hot!


Fun lake/ maintained campsites

This is a beautiful, quiet campground! A lot of the sites have fabulous views of the lake. The surrounding area is beautiful to see as well. Great trail system for exploring the park.  Boat ramp,  old bathrooms. I was the only person in the park in mid December,  so peaceful and beautiful. Great day use areas! Nice playground area for kids. The swimming looks good as well. 

Gorgeous! 

This was a short one night stop on a camping roadtrip but it was nice. The park was beautiful and on the way in we passed a bison conservation area nearby which was cool. Falling asleep to the shrieks of distant coyotes was cool too. Heard lots of critters in the night, owls, deer, rabbits. In the morning was woken up by woodpeckers. Site 22 was huge and had plenty of space for our two tents and more. Our loop was full of RVs full of people having a great time. Weather was perfect and couldn’t ask for a better night in the middle of nowhere. 

Pretty hills and nice lake

We just spent one night in sight 6 with our 24’ camper and we had a good experience. Didn’t really have neighbors too close and had a great view of the lake. It only took a couple minutes to get down to the water, however, there aren’t a lot of places to sit and relax for the day (i.e. not many beach spots) close by. The site itself was mostly level side to side but our back stabilizers were nearly fully extended (with blocks) and the front ones we barely had to put out. The water spigot is close-by but in an awkward spot where other folks were skirting the boundary of our campsite to get to. It’s close to the bathrooms/showers which we didn’t use much, they were mostly clean but were inundated with insects. Note: there were LOTS of bugs everywhere when in late May and early June. 

Photos of Buckhorn Recreation Area

Real photos from real campers