Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Black Butte Lake

This place was a very nice spot for any overnight stay on the way up to Oregon. The woman at the front desk was friendly and helpful. There is great shade in our site (A6) and a nice table. Kudos for the large dog park, now if I can only solve for the a*holes who can't be bothered to pick up after their dogs at every dog park I've ever visited. Don't expect a ton of privacy here and the sites are all gravel and/or dirt except for strips of grass in between neighbors. With all that said we will definitely use this as an overnight stop again.

PROS:

+ FREE overnight parking for RVs, trailers, and camper vehicles.

+ Very safe and heavily traffic location. Lots of travelers here spending the evening! Signs say for Olive Pit Customers Only but we spent 2 nights here (along with a few other campers) and no one ever disturbed us.

+ Very flat, leveled, and long paved spots (great for up to 35-foot long fifth wheelers and even 50-foot rigs).

+ Huge lot with lots of available spots. Around 10 spots for larger trailers and RVs, and lots of small spots for campervans and car rooftop tent campers. We saw 4-5 other campers around us who mostly were very private and to themselves

+ Super convenient location near lots of fast food joints, a Starbucks, Rite Aid, and supermarket. The lot shares the same entrance as the Shell Station and Olive Pit Cafe & Store where you can conveniently pick up food/beer/supplies.

+ The Olive Pit has a great cafe and wine tasting room. They sell specialty items such as olives, balsamic vinegar, etc. And they have a great breakfast!

+ There is a giant dumpster for trash disposal behind the Olive Pit

+ There is also a pet area that has a small white fence around a dirted area for pets to relieve themselves.

+ Lots of palm trees in the backdrop giving the place a very California vibe.

CONS:

+ No tent camping, unless it's a car rooftop tent or a pop-up tent trailer

+ No fires/no showers/ no toilets (Although you can walk to the Shell Station to use their toilets which were super clean and well-maintained.)

+ Loud 24 hour carwash at the Shell station. Usually quiets down around 9 pm

+ Bright security lights in the parking lot. Just don't park directly under one. There are a few darker and less lit spots

We originally were going to Fouts Creek Campground but it was HOV weekend (Presidents). Lots of dirt bikes and law enforcement. National Forest pulled in officers from surrounding forests and Sheriff Depts.

With a 35' Class A our options were limited. A Ranger suggested Letts Lake. There is a narrow one lane newly paved road that goes up to Dixie Glade equestrian camp, from there it is dirt. Taking it slow, we made it to Letts Lake and parked in spot 12. It was a tight fit, but we made it.

There are two additional campgrounds at the opposite end of the lake but they are closed for winter. As there was no water or trash service there was no fee. Typically $5.00)

The lake is small with no motors allowed but easy to walk around. Pet friendly in fact all but one campsite had at least one dog.  Fire damage to the forest is substantial but new growth is already starting

We stayed there long term after Paradise Camp Fire. Many spaces had their own private grassy areas, which management took care of. We had pottd plants and yrd art and potted veggies. .y site didn't have a cemented space but there was an old picnic table and it was small gravel so easy to get trailer leveled. Allowed to put up a dog containment fence, outdoor screened room on the awning and a small storage shed. We also started a community veggie garden where residents could plot their own veggies. Many spaces are spacious and ours backed up into a wooded area. Our neutered cat loved to roam the woods at night. Pool is refreshing but there are a lot of kiddos, so don't expect quiet "no splashing" moments unless it's a dinner time. Bathroom/showers/pool area are clean, grounds are green and colorful with flowers, there's a club house used for parties and management puts on Christmas and Halloween events. There's a newly built sunshaded playground for the kids, ultimate course on grounds and a small boat ramp nearby to Sac River for fishing access. I wouldn't launch my kayaks or paddleboards due to under currents, but that's just me. I prefer Whiskeytown and Shasta Lake for kayaking/paddle boarding. Overall, I had a wonderful year staying there. Rules aren't so rigid that it makes it uncomfortable. Basic common sense and common RV etticate are expected, like picking up after your pooch, don't let you barker bark too long without duct taping (just kidding) doing something about it, keep area clean and not junked out and just chill out.