Best Campgrounds near Burney, CA

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park serves as the centerpiece of camping near Burney, California, offering tent sites, RV spaces, and rustic cabins within walking distance of the 129-foot waterfall. The surrounding area includes several established campgrounds like Northshore Campground along Lake Britton, Dusty Campground with lakefront sites, and Burney Falls Resort with glamping options. Many sites sit under pine and oak canopies, providing shade during hot summer months. Public lands in the region also support primitive camping with various amenities ranging from basic vault toilets to developed facilities with showers, particularly within state park boundaries.

Seasonal considerations affect camping availability throughout the Burney area, with many campgrounds operating only from April through October. PG&E-managed campgrounds along Lake Britton typically open for spring and summer seasons, while higher elevation sites may have shorter operating windows due to snow conditions. Temperatures can vary significantly between day and night, particularly in forested areas. Cell phone coverage is limited or nonexistent at most campgrounds, with many visitors noting complete dead zones at McArthur-Burney Falls State Park. A camper observed that "this is a cell dead zone - absolutely no Verizon service until you drove back to Burney."

Water access represents a significant draw for campers in the Burney area, with Lake Britton and several creeks providing fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities. Campers frequently mention the proximity to trails and natural features as highlights, with easy access to the Pacific Crest Trail from several campgrounds. While the McArthur-Burney Falls area attracts substantial day visitors, the campgrounds themselves maintain reasonable privacy and quiet, especially during weekdays. Tent campers appreciate the shaded sites under tall pines, while RV travelers should note that many older campgrounds have limited space for larger vehicles. According to one visitor, "It is a wonderfully shaded park and the sites are nicely separated. However, it is an older park and our 18-foot trailer was too large for many of the sites."

Best Camping Sites Near Burney, California (210)

    1. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Campground

    42 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 335-2777

    $35 - $125 / night

    "Small store with limited items located in campground. 2 min from Burney falls or small beach on nearby lake. Campground is about 20-30 I’m away from Burney city where there is gas and a Safeway."

    "I think the best thing about this camp site is that it is located so close to Burney falls as well as many other trails (including the Pacific Crest trail)."

    2. Dusty Campground

    8 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 336-5521

    $16 - $20 / night

    "I last minute drove up to the Redding and Burney area to hike and see spring waterfalls in the area. I wanted a quieter campsite to relax at so Dusty was just right."

    "Burney falls campground was full so 10 minutes away I found pg&e campground. It’s very small with approximately 7 sites but it’s right on lake Britton."

    3. Northshore Campground

    7 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    11 miles
    +1 (530) 335-2199

    "This campground is situated on the north shore of Lake Britton, CA. directly across the lake from the McArthur-Burney Falls campground."

    "There is also a north campground called northshore on Lake Britton.  This is a review of the very small but great Dusty Campground. on the south eastern side of the lake. "

    4. Burney Falls Resort

    5 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 335-2781

    "Huge campground at Burney Falls park, pretty populated and always packed."

    "Great location on the way to many points north along with an excellent morning or evening adventure to the falls. Camp Host (owner/operator?) is awesome and worth the stay alone."

    5. Manzanita Lake Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park

    40 Reviews
    Mineral, CA
    25 miles
    +1 (530) 595-6121

    $26 / night

    "We took an eight-day tour through Northern California and this was our first leg. Tent-camped three nights."

    "California Hidden gems."

    6. Pit River Campground

    5 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 233-4666

    $6 - $12 / night

    "LOTS of poison oak surrounding area. Easy walk to a scenic river."

    "8 camp spots sites are super close to the river. Great fishing, swimming lagoon, picnic tables, fire rings ( no fires right now ), vault toilets, and quiet."

    7. Cassel Campground

    2 Reviews
    Cassel, CA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (916) 386-5164

    $20 - $25 / night

    "Stayed overnight here during a fishing trip to Baum Lake. The campground was almost empty. Unfortunately, the only other campsite was full of Jackwagons with no regard for other folks."

    8. Hat Creek Hereford Ranch RV Park & Campground

    3 Reviews
    Hat Creek, CA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 335-7171

    "Get out there and get your social distancing on folks!! Cheers!"

    10. Hat Creek

    7 Reviews
    Old Station, CA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 336-5521

    $16 - $80 / night

    "The road is dirt, but well graded and runs parallel with the creek with 5 different loops coming off of it. so the further you head back, the further you are away from Hwy 89."

    "You have direct access to Hat Creek, which is a great palce so sit beside, and to fish if you have a mind to. Nice sites under tall trees. Can be very hot in the summer so check your weather. "

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Recent Reviews near Burney, CA

655 Reviews of 210 Burney Campgrounds


  • Connie H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 13, 2025

    Hat Creek

    Great Camping Next to Hat Creek

    We only stayed here for an overnight on our way North, but it was a great campground. The fee was $16.00 a night. We pulled in about 9:00 PM and there were probably at least 10-12 sites occupied. We found site 46 to be perfect. There are no hookups, but each site has a picnic table, fire ring and grill. There is drinking water available through out the campground and vault toilets, which were pretty clean/well kept. Generators are allowed from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There are also multiple dumpsters and recycling bins. Our T-Mobile cell service was super spotty and pretty much non-existent. The creek is beautiful and very accessible!

  • Bobbi lee H.
    Oct. 8, 2025

    Lakehead Campground & RV Park

    Owner occupied rustic campground lots of good campsites and also some RV sites to plug in there is little cabins cabin tents type of uret and are great people here there's bathrooms in showers places to have picnics and then the back of the campground I'm sure you can bring a horse show and unload your horses and put up your own you know little enclosure pack with panels off of your horse trailer they don't mind dogs they're good people here it's right off I-5 down the road a bit there's more campgrounds in this area and it's just beautiful here I live at this campground there's only a few of us that are allowed to but it's open year round there's a pool a pool hall laundry services here also the owner is wonderful his name is Cecil

    Oh it's fun here I'm a quarter mile from Shasta lake we have a lot of people that come in for festivals up here lots of huge groups of people lots of families lots of boats lots of water sports everything you can imagine there's a few good restaurants up here but most of us love to barbecue and have a good time but the restaurants are awesome too they're all family owned and they're great the Klondike is my favorite

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 7, 2025

    Christie Hill Basecamp

    Awesome spot to boondock

    Not sure what previous reviewers are talking about regarding lack of spots due to construction. I only had to drive a little ways in to find a nice spot with a fire pit and space for my camper. I’ve been here for hours and haven’t seen or heard anyone. I also have full reception with Verizon. It’s also only 9 minutes from the Lassen NP visitor center.

  • Amanda V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 28, 2025

    Hat Creek Resort & RV Park

    Nice Campground

    Nice Campground right on the hat Creek! Full hookups Laundry Wifi available for purchase Close to Lassen Volcanic NP

  • Jeff A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Domingo Springs Campground

    Quiet, clean, lucky spot. Did not burn

    USFS Sites good sized, whispering pines all around. Pit toilets clean. PGE CG’s on west side of Almanor Lake same quality, same amenities, more sites, but tripled cost! :( Fire rings new tables, spring water across the way. For us we were pleased like rustic and we take good care of Mother Nature. No lake but brook nearby and Almanor Lake not far. :) Thankful to have found.

  • avery R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2025

    Manzanita Lake Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park

    Showers and indoor plumbing!

    If you like camping with modern comforts, this is your spot. They even had laundry (you’ve got to bring cash though). It’s busy, so it won’t be quiet, but it was a great place to meet people.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 19, 2025

    Sacramento River RV Park

    Nice place, clean and quiet

    The bathrooms are meticulously fussed over, laundry is clean, people are nice. 5 is a bit noisy but you get over that, reasonably priced.

  • Alice P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2025

    red fir campground

    Beautiful spot near Shasta

    Arrived here in my van late at night around 1:30am and easily found a spot a few hundred feet off the road. There were plenty of other cars around and someone pulled in right next to us at some point in the morning, but everyone was quiet and respectful. You can hear traffic from the road. Cell phone service is good.

    I happily woke up the morning to perfect weather and beautiful woods & scenery. I’d definitely stay here again.

  • marcus K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 14, 2025

    Manzanita Lake Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park

    Excellent NPS CAMPGROUND

    Simple but beautiful campground. Use Recreation.gov to reserve a site. If you dont have reservation you still need to log into the site to claim a spot. Fortunately there is wifi at the visitor center (not at the park store).

    Keep in mind that there is no water available. Need to bring your own.

    Also, no cell service but campground is sparsely tree covered. We were able to use Starlink just fine at our site.

    Lots of hiking nearby.


Guide to Burney

Camping options near Burney, California offer year-round access at elevations between 2,900 and 5,000 feet in the southern Cascade mountain range. The volcanic landscape transitions from pine forests to high desert terrain with summer temperatures averaging 85°F during day and dropping to 45°F at night. Most campgrounds operate from late April through mid-October, with only a few facilities maintaining winter accessibility.

What to do

Fishing in Hat Creek: Less than 30 minutes from Burney, Hat Creek Resort provides direct creek access for fishing. "We caught trout all morning. Wonderful place convenience store was great too!" notes Frank P. about the Hat Creek Resort & RV Park.

Swimming in Lake Britton: The lake offers sandy beach areas for cooling off during summer months. "I really enjoyed my night there. It's very small with approximately 7 sites but it's right on lake Britton. There is even a little beach area for swimming and launching kayaks," reports Tom B. about his stay at Dusty Campground.

Pacific Crest Trail access: Several campgrounds connect to the PCT for day hikes. "Loved the proximity to the PCT," mentions Robert W., who stayed with two dogs at Hat Creek Resort. The trail runs through the area, offering moderate terrain for day hikes.

What campers like

Natural cooling spots: During summer heat, campers appreciate shaded areas and water features. "It was super hot but if you walk down to the bottom of the falls it's like a natural air conditioner," shares Rob M. about McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Campground.

Wildlife encounters: Deer sightings are common at several campgrounds in the region. David V. from Northshore Campground reports an "Awesome deer encounter" during his stay, adding that the site has "great hiking trails/4x4 trail."

Historic sites: The region contains interesting historical landmarks. Laura H. notes about Dusty Campground: "Another perk of this campground is the railroad/bridge that was featured in the old movie Stand By Me is walking distance from the campsites - it's closed off and no longer in use but cool to check out!"

What you should know

Complete cell phone dead zones: Many campgrounds have no service whatsoever. "Absolutely no cell service!" reports Lee D. about staying at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, noting that despite this drawback, "bathrooms have been updated since the last time we were here in the mid-1990s."

Dust issues: The volcanic soil creates extremely dusty conditions at certain sites. "You'll be getting dirt out of your clothes for a week. It's more like volcanic ash or clay ash… it's super sticky," warns Autumn O. about Dusty Campground, adding that "every time someone drove by there would be a massive dirt cloud covering your tent and chairs, food, drinks."

Mosquito preparation: Insects can be problematic, especially near water. Michael B. describes the experience at Dusty Camp: "Mosquitos. Vast clouds of them, attacking you through the fabric of your tent. In the early morning, when you step outside, you often see a haze, a fog, on the water. It's not fog, it's mosquitos by the millions."

Tips for camping with families

Budget option for kids: State park cabins offer affordable alternatives to tent camping. "I stayed at the state park in a cabin for 2 nights. Good amount of trails... the falls are not even far to get too maybe 5 minute walk," shares sergio T. about his family experience at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

Activities beyond swimming: Several campgrounds offer recreational facilities. Hat Creek Resort provides "a volleyball court, cornhole and a basketball area," according to Kristi D., who adds that the resort has "the cutest little resort with little cabins, yurts and spots for a camper or big RV."

Safety precautions: Evening vehicle traffic can be a concern at some campgrounds. David V. warns about Northshore Campground: "Last night tho 3 guy's on dirt bikes rode right thru our campsite & a few other campers around 11:00 pm & almost ran over our 2 Pomeranians. Be careful especially if you have children!"

Tips from RVers

Level parking importance: Many campsites require adjustment for RVs. "Level spot, nice clean bath and shower area," notes Kristi D. about her experience at Hat Creek Resort, appreciating their facilities that include "little cabins, yurts and spots for a camper or big RV."

Site selection strategy: Some campgrounds offer premium waterfront locations for RVs. Jason D. recommends: "We got a spot right on the water. The spots had a bunch of space between them and you had a feeling of privacy," regarding his stay at Hat Creek Resort and RV Park with his 22-foot travel trailer.

Shower access: Pay showers are available at some locations. At Northshore Campground, "Showers ($1 bills only), fire pits, and FCFS sites, as well as a friendly campground host," reports Jena F., who found it to be a "Beautiful spot right on the lake."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best campgrounds near Burney Falls?

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Campground offers the closest access to the falls, with sites just a 2-minute walk from this natural wonder. The campground features flushable toilets, showers, and a small store with essentials. For a quieter alternative, Northshore Campground sits directly across Lake Britton from the falls, offering 30 campsites with beautiful lake views, coin-operated showers, and vault toilets. Many campers appreciate that both options provide convenient access to Burney Falls while offering different experiences – one with immediate access to the falls and trails, the other providing a more peaceful lakeside setting.

What camping options are available in the town of Burney, CA?

Burney Falls/Hat Creek KOA is a well-maintained option with a restaurant open on weekends, a decent store, and friendly staff on beautiful grounds. This KOA serves as a convenient base for exploring both Burney Falls and Lassen National Park. Another excellent choice is Hat Creek Hereford Ranch RV Park & Campground, which accommodates both drive-in and walk-in camping with reservable sites, water, toilets, and is big-rig friendly. The town of Burney itself is about 20-30 minutes from Burney Falls and offers essential amenities like gas stations and a Safeway grocery store for supplies.

Is Pioneer Campground a good option for staying near Burney Falls?

While Pioneer Campground isn't specifically mentioned in available reviews, several excellent alternatives exist nearby. Dusty Campground is a highly-rated option about 10 minutes from Burney Falls, situated right on Lake Britton with beautiful waterfront sites. It's smaller (approximately 7 sites) and quieter than the main falls campground, with a beach area for swimming and launching kayaks. Another good alternative is Fowlers Campground, which offers a peaceful setting away from the main road with no traffic noise. It features paved roads and sites big enough for medium to large RVs, running along a trail and the McCloud River.

Can you tent camp at Burney Falls?

Yes, tent camping is available at Burney Falls. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Campground accommodates tent campers with sites that include fire pits and small storage cabinets. The campground is conveniently located just minutes from the falls and connects to various hiking trails. For a more secluded tent camping experience near Burney Falls, Cave Campground is situated along the banks of Hat Creek and offers a more rustic experience for tent campers who enjoy fishing. The campground area around Burney Falls can get dusty due to diatomaceous earth, so tent campers should be prepared for some dirt and may want to bring extra cleaning supplies.