Looking for tent camping near Black Butte Lake? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Black Butte Lake, including sites, reviews, and tips. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Small creek flows through camp early in the season (dry in late season). Camp is situated amidst oaks and ponderosa pines.
Dispersed camp site not as developed as the regular campgrounds. No traffic control such as paved loop road and parking spurs that you find in "developed" campgrounds, and no water system. Pack out garbage.
The Wilderness Act of 1984 established 23 new wilderness areas including the 60,000-acre Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest. The Snow Mountain Wilderness straddles the summit of the North Coast Range within Colusa, Glenn and Lake counties. The area is less than a four-hour drive from San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Sacramento. The central feature of this wilderness is the large broad topped Snow Mountain, which drains water toward the Sacramento River on the east and the Eel River Basin on the west. The wilderness also has the largest known waterfall on the forest. Elevations range from 1,800 feet in the gorge of the Middle Fork of Stony Creek to 7,056 feet on the summit of East Snow Mountain Peak. The deep canyons skirting the Wilderness compress ecological life zones creating a unique biological sky-island. Forty miles of trail are located in the wilderness. This leaves a vast amount of acreage very remote and highly conducive to cross-country exploration. The moderate hike to the top of East Peak affords visitors a magnificent view of the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, Clear Lake to the southwest, the Coastal Mountains to the west, and the timbered mountains of the Mendocino National Forest to the North. Good drinking water is scarce in the Snow Mountain Wilderness during much of the summer. Plan ahead and refill canteens at every opportunity. Mountain streams may look inviting but they may not be safe for drinking. Treat all water for drinking and cooking by either processing through a portable water filter or by boiling over a portable cook stove.
Black Rock Campground is a dispersed campground situated in the Oak Woodlands along Mill Creek. 6 sites are available for primitive dispersed camping. Grills and tables are provided at each of the 6 sites. Black Rock Campground is open year round.Black Rock Campground is located on the Northeast corner of the Ishi Wilderness. Hiking in the Ishi and along Mill Creek is wonderful and the fishing in Deer and Mill Creeks can be very rewarding.__Black Rock Campground is accessible via Highway__36 east from Red Bluff to__Ponderosa Way. Ponderosa Way is a dirt road, not recommended for RVs, that leads to the Ishi Wilderness.
Has 6 developed sites and 1 vault toilet. No water.
Small, quiet camp amidst large oaks and ponderosa pines.
Situated in forest at the edge of a meadow. Thomes Creek is located about five road miles from the camp and is a popular fishing and swimming spot.
Set amidst fir and pine trees along the edge of a large meadow.
Scout
Tent camped here a few nights ago. A little spendy at $37 for a single night but it is super close to I5 and a few gas stations. Nice property with some grass to throw the tent on, none of the other residents were super loud. Restrooms and showers onsite and they were both clean. Didn't get to talk to any of the property managers in person due to COVID-19, but the woman on the phone who did the booking was super helpful. Seems like a better for RV camping as there are many more spots for that.
Guide
Fuller grove was a nice little campground on Lake Pillsbury (our rented minivan just weathered the dirt road in from the 101). It’s a small loop with great options for multi-tent camping. Some of the sites far from the entrance and along the water are very nice with multiple pads and tables. The campground beach is beautiful, definitely recommend some late-night stargazing. There’s only outhouses in decent condition. We were there with only a few other campers, so it was a peaceful stay.
Legend
Super cool place to camp in Sequoia National Park. I drove in from the south and passed quite a few full campgrounds before I finally made it to Sunset and scored a spot that I thought was great- up high and dry, no neighbors, a nearby source of downed wood. It looks like the Park Service stays busy downing dead/dying trees, however there were lots of trees providing cover. The closest neighbors were even able to hammock (though I was not due to lack of trees). When noisy neighbors moved in at the adjoining site, I was able to move to a primo site the next day. The new site (52, I think) was right on the edge of the granite slope with an amazing view of the sunset (hence the name of the campground). All sites had the usual amenities of picnic table and fire ring (and the mandatory must use bear boxes), but you need to take a look around for a site that is level and has adequate space between the fire pit and the tent site (mine did not, so no fire for me). There is a visitor center across the road at Grant Grove Village with ranger station, grocery, post office, restaurant, gas station, and cabins. This is a good place to set up camp if you want to see big trees; the big sequoia tree General Grant is in a sequoia grove just up the road (you could easily hike there from the campground).
Scout
Pitched 2 tents on asphalt. 3 other cars here. Picnic tables and an outhouse. Saw/heard great horned owl, fox, then cows in the morning.
TravelerStayed here for a second time driving from Southern California to Oregon. The sites are spacious and there is a pool to cool down during the hot summers. There is wine tasting as well. Management kept in communication with us through text (my preferred method). Easy access to I-5, very close to a Pilot for larger rigs. Definitely somewhere I plan to stay on my journeys through California.
Ranger
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.
GuideThis 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.
ScoutNice sites, trees for hammocks, bathrooms (no showers) w running water and toilets. Close to neighboring campsites but not too bad. Grove village is really close where they have firewood, grocery store, restaurant, shops, post office. Bugs in summer so don’t forget your bug spray! It’s bear country, so bear bins provided! Campsite is in the middle between King’s canyon and Sequoia National Park. Our site had a spot for 1 car, 2 tents and a hammock. Space looked shared with adjacent site.
Traveler
A pretty primitive place only 10 or so sites to camp. Tent only as the road to get here at the end you need high clearance vehicle. Although there was a Tesla and other cars that made it up remarkably!! The river is flowing real good. There are 2 trailheads in the area. It rained some while we were there so we didn’t venture too far out. There is a primitive toilet that was pleasing to see. A small building with a hole in the ground but better than nothing. I wished I had brought a rod and reel and license to fish. Next time!!
GuideI have stayed here several times as a waypoint on my travels between California to Washington.  It is a nice safe quiet park that has many pull through spaces for RVs spending the night.  I have used their website to reserve a space and then pick up the paperwork outside the door of their office.  so far I haven’t met any of the owners or staff but all the hook ups work and I believe they have Wi-Fi as well. 
Guide
I’ve been camping cross country for the last month with my husband. We’re from New York, and like to think we’re not easily rattled or intimidated. This was the first time on our trip that we were both scared.
The forest service website says this campground is not open for camping, just dirt bike and horse riding, so I had found a campground further into the National Forest to camp at. When we drove by Middle Creek, we could see the sites from the road and a few of them had tents and we could see some folks, the campground was pretty clearly operating to some extent. We just wanted somewhere to stay overnight on our way into SF so we doubled back and found a site, paid the $8 and had a snack. We explored our corner of the campground a little- pretty clean, a fine campground. No visible host.
Lots of wasps and flies, like standing right next to a dumpster. There was a woman who seemed to be experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness occupying multiple sites. She pretty clearly was stealing from sites people weren’t present at, right in front of us. She also had a dog that didn’t seem to be hers.
The man at the campsite next to us didn’t have a tent or anything, just paid then sat in his truck screaming and cackling and breaking stuff loudly and pounding beers.
We left without spending the night. The police need to go take a look out there.
Scout
This is a great reservoir to camp, boat, jet ski, fish, etc. It is a pretty good size that has plenty of space for small parties or large party campsites. It is not too far out from the town of Stonyford but still has enough privacy. Not too many people are familiar with East Park Reservoir which is nice in the sense that it usually isn't over crowded on holiday weekends and especially not during regular seasons. The pricing is pretty inexpensive but the only downfall is that here isn't a whole of tree coverage for shade(hence why I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5) so make sure to bring a pop up tent/canopy for shade. Otherwise, this is an overall great reservoir to camp at and a friendly one.
Scout
This is a great campground in Mendocino NF. It's about an hour away from Willows, CA on I-5 but you feel like you're hours away from civilization. Campsites have pull-through's for trailers and back-in's for tent campers. The pit toilets are very clean, trash service is twice a week, and right now there is no water as there is a leak in the pipes they haven't been able to find. There are 2 ponds for fishing trout and the upper pond is usually stocked each year. The campsite #12 has a beautiful meadow behind it with deer that pass through. The downside for us is there isn't much nearby to do. A great place to spend a night or day or a great place if you're looking for quiet in nature. No reservations and I haven't ever seen this campground full. It does get busier around deer season with hunters.
RangerI've been to this campground twice now, and had very different experiences.
The first time was memorial day in 2019, and we had a great spot right on the water. We took our canoe and were able to launch from our site. So ideal. It was relatively quiet, and nobody immediately near us. Amazing sunsets.
The second time we went was June 2020. This time we stayed on the other side of the lake. The water was super low, so our view was completely dried up. Also, it was pretty noisy with sites cramming several tents onto their sites.
Either way, on both occasions we the site relatively last minute, maybe a week or two in advance. Any Californian will know it isnt always easy to book last minute campsites, so I appreciate that! There are 100+ campsites there, so it seems like always something available. Plus, not too far from the bay area.
Legend
We didn’t want to chance it! We tried but were unable to make same-day online reservations and no one answered the phone at 4 pm. It would have been a two-hour drive to get to this place from where we were but with all the wildfires in recent years in this part of California, many campgrounds have closed. The most recent review on The Dyrt was a year ago and we could not find any information on the web regarding the state of this campground. After securing alternate arrangements, we visited to see what it looked like. The grass was already dry (but had recently been mowed), and the bathroom/shower was a little dated, but otherwise, it looked like a very nice place to camp. All sites were paved and looked flat, although several were closed. Each site had a picnic table but no hookups. We rarely see propane canister recycling so this was a bonus!
Hopefully, this updated review will help other campers (at least before the 2022 fire season) if they are looking for a place to camp.
ScoutOpen all year is the draw for Buckhorn. Camp sites were plentiful in November. Took the canoe out every day.
GuideNot much to the site. It was very hot and a distance to the lake. Not to mention the rangers were very grumpy.
GuideThe 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!
LegendThis 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.
ScoutWe 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.
Legend
This is a nice, basic COE campground with hiking trails, lake access, and a boat ramp. Volunteer host on site.
No hookups at sites, but there are random water spigots throughout the campground, as well as a dump station and water flush on the way out. There was a water spigot with no handle at the dump station as well, and we used pliers to open the water and fill our tanks.
Each camp site at this campground has a completely unique configuration, in terms of flatness, layout, privacy, closeness to neighbor, etc. For this reason we'd recommend waiting until you arrive to pick your site, rather than reserve in advance, if possible, because a few of the sites would not have worked for us. All reservations must be made online at Reservations.gov. There is no reservation fee, and the site comes to $20/night. There is cell reception at the campground.
Day use fee is $5 and is payable at a kiosk at the campground.
There are flush toilets and free showers, but the showers were among the grossest we've seen and we did not use them.
There are several trash dumpsters and one recycling bin for CRV glass, aluminum, and plastic.
LegendHeh, well, there's only one other review for this place, and it's from me from 2 years ago. So I won't repeat it all, because basically everything is the same except:
We arrived mid week with no reservations and the place was practically empty. It filled up on the weekend with loud partiers but overall it was a quiet and pleasant experience.
Great place to camp! Read my last review for more details!
GuideBeautiful sites and friendly staff. For $60 a night, I was a little annoyed that the showers were coin-operated.
ScoutFriendly staff. Super clean and well kept property from the grounds to the toilets.
Pull through and full hook up.
GuideWe were able to get a last-minute spot on July 4th weekend. We called around 5pm, made a reservation and rolled in about 8:30pm. There were nice sized trees on the grass patches between each site and lots of open sites so it didn’t feel crowded at all. Showers were coin op - we didn’t use them.
TravelerWe found this site via the Dyrt app. We stayed one night, in an very hot week. We really appreciated the pool, the very friendly staff and clean restrooms. Note that the pull through sites have some shade, but the gravel is a small heat island, so it takes long to cool down in a camper van without AC.
TravelerGreat place to stop along I5. Well cared for with nice pull through sites, the best grassy, clean dog run and a refreshing pool to cool off in after a long day of driving.
Tent camping near Black Butte Lake in California offers a serene escape into nature, with various campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat.
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