Best Tent Camping near Bella Vista, CA

We camped in a tent, but most others were in RVs. It was very rowdy and loud at night but the campgrounds are in a good location next to Shasta Lake.

This campground is just south of Lassen Volcanic National Park.  It has two main sections, one for RVs and the other for tents.  There are a small number of RV sites with full hookups and then a larger number of tent sites.  The RV sites are fairly small, but felt separated enough to have some privacy.  The tent sites are a bit more rustic.

The other slightly odd part is that most of the RV sites were filled with people who came and stayed for the entire summer, year after year.  We were the only not long-term camper in the RV section.  

Pros:

* Close to a lot of amazing scenery with Lassen

* Well kept, clean, quiet campground

* Camp store/restaurant is great

* Laundry on site

* Access to a nice little creek w/swimming hole

Cons:

* Camp store is open limited days

* Tent sites only have pit toilets which are not the best maintained

OK:

* No fires in the RV sites

* Showers were not always very clean

So pretty. Did the normal tent camping which is nice at the upper campsites, got a paddle board and pretty much had the whole lake to ourselves

Stayed in a tent site for some car camping. The sites are well spaced out and offer a lot of privacy. Tons of amenities. Showers are free!

Beautiful spot at the foot of Mt. Shasta! Lovely little town I’ve stayed here twice now once in April and once in august. They have four tent camping sites with electric hookup and fancy seating among many other types of sites

Nice, lots of amenities. Minus one star because of the cold shower that should have been hot. Other than that, the beach is nice, the tent sites are nice. A bit bustling busy during the summer, great for kids

Cute town and peaceful campground. Clean bathrooms and showers. Pool, game room, shuffle board, basketball court and off leash dog park. Lots of trees in the sites great for hammocking (in the tent sites). I would definitely stay here again.

Great little park. Lots of shade and green grass, good management, Clean restrooms and well kept grounds. Close to river and lakes for boating and fishing. There is a great area for tent camping or a place to dry camp with your RV just below the main RV park. There are targets set up for bow hunters in the pines below the park.

Our 35 foot fifth wheel easily navigated the space.

There are 4 tent sites and 20+ RV sites.

9 miles away from the Lassen Volcanic NP southwestern entrance.

They have restrooms and showers (one stall and one shower for men and one and one for women).

There are are two fire pits for the “community” but we were the only tent campers for two nights in the middle of June. Each site has a picnic table and charcoal only bbq also.

Perfect RV and tent campground just outside of Lassen National Park. The RV sites are somewhat close to each other but there are plenty of trees around so you really have a forest feeling. There is a good restaurant and general store next door where you register. We would definitely stay here again.

Truly and amazing place! I’m looking forward to going back after Covid. We met our family half way and wanted a campground we could all find easily. It’s a bit pricey but for the convenience it was well worth it! Tent sites are huge and so is the campground! We stayed pretty far away from the beach and we were all by ourselves! Might try some of the dispersed camping in the area and use the campground day use and store next time?

We spent a full week here and enjoyed it immensely.  Our tent site was large and spacious and even when full, the campground was quiet and peaceful. The hosts were very attentive to the needs of everyone staying there.  We had one night during which a nearby, private property had some dogs that barked all night.  We reported this concern the next morning, after which the hosts contacted the neighboring individuals and the dogs were quite for the remainder of our stay.  The bathrooms and showers were always clean and well maintained.  We will definitely stay there again.

General: There are tent sites, partial hookups, and full hookup sites, as well as cabins and cabooses that can accommodate either couples or families. It was pouring when we were there, so we opted to stay in a caboose! There is also a dining car

Site Quality: The camping sites are nestled among the trees; some are pull-throughs and others are back-in (mostly the tent sites). Most of the sites appeared level, but not all of them (beware of Site 34). The pull-throughs in the center are less private (but I believe these are the ones with full hookups). The best sites in my opinion are the ones that back up to Little Castle Creek. Especially after a good rain, you can be lulled to sleep by the sound of the rushing creek! 

Bathhouse: Keypad entry so I was not able to see the inside (we stayed in a caboose and therefore did not have entry). There are showers and also a very nice laundry facility. 

Activities: There is a pool in season and also a hot tub that was open when we were there. It is covered but it was cold and rainy, so we didn’t try it out. There is a short hike at nearby Hedge Creek Falls and you are close to Mount Shasta. 

We stayed here 25 years ago in a caboose with our daughters, and it was nice to see the place has been kept up nicely. We would definitely return and stay in the campground next time (weather permitting).

Spent a 3 night camping trip staying here. While it is mainly an RV park, it does have some tent camping. There is a central bathroom that is clean. One trouble that we did have one night was the door to the women's bathroom was broken and no one could get in. There is a small lake in the middle of the lot where people can have catch and release fishing. There is a small store and restaurant, but we didn't get anything there. Many of the RVs seem to have been there for some time, every one was very friendly. The camp site had electric and water nearby with a fire grill.

oh wow what a fantastic and gorgeous location. really well maintained when it comes to their bathrooms (flushing & sinks) and trash cans… but holy bear. around 4am a black bear (maybe 500lbs?) came through our site and pulled on the bear box and kept it moving to check neighboring sites (which were vacant) only to come back shortly later for a few sniffs. this would’ve been less scary had we been in an RV buuuut tent camping + bear is not the vibe guys. it definitely smelled us and knew exactly where we were & we’re incredibly fortunate but of course we were terrified. i’d definitely come back with different equipment and plenty of mace and really wish there were more signs about the likelihood of bears in this area at this time. there were a handful of signs but so small and easy to get lost amid all the other super valuable information.

The campground is pretty good, but I was shocked by the lack of camping etiqette from our fellow campers. In particular there was just a lot of noise- generators running loud and at all hours. Thankfully, the camp hostess was great and mostly got it under control.

Given how hot it gets up there I'd have liked there to be a little more shade. The sites on the perimeter of the campground are better than those in the center. While I generally like campsites close to the river, those set against the hill seem to provide a little more shade and privacy. The exception are the couple near the end of the loop where the campsites are closer to the river and set away from the road- best for those tent camping. 

It was a nice place, though a long 4.5 hour drive for us. We had spotty access with AT&T.

When I'm up in Mt. Shasta this is where I camp. It's easy for both vanlife and tent camping as well as car camping. 

I hesitate to tell anyone about this place because it's one of the less expensive campgrounds in the state, has a group camp, and the sites are far enough apart to offer some privacy. It's very basic. No showers. But there are vault toilets. The running water comes down the mountain in the form of a creek, and there is a water pump at the well for those who would rather not test their constitution with the stream. 

The elevation is not as high as Panther Meadows and the access to the camp at McBride is easier.

Deer wander through the campground and sometimes visit the tents.

Bring everything you need or plan on running into town (about seven miles) to go shopping or out for meals. It's about another seven or eight miles to the Old Ski Bowl trail head where both campers and locals gather to watch the sun rise or set over the mountains.