The forested landscapes surrounding Cassel, California feature predominantly dispersed camping options within Lassen National Forest and near Mount Shasta. Hat Creek Dispersed and Big Pine Dispersed Camping areas provide creek-side sites with varying levels of accessibility. Most camping in this region consists of primitive sites along Forest Service roads, with locations like North Manzanita Dispersed Camping and Christie Hill Basecamp offering proximity to Lassen Volcanic National Park. These areas typically provide basic fire rings and flat spots for tents or small to medium-sized RVs, with minimal to no facilities.
Road conditions vary significantly throughout the region, with many sites requiring travel on gravel or dirt forest roads. As one camper noted, "Just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking." Vehicle clearance requirements increase during spring when snowmelt and rain can create muddy conditions. Winter access becomes limited or impossible at higher elevations, with several reviewers reporting snow-covered roads as late as June. Cell service is spotty or nonexistent at most sites, though some locations with clear views to the north can support satellite internet. Fire restrictions change seasonally, with complete bans common during dry summer months.
Creekside camping receives consistently positive reviews, with visitors highlighting the peaceful sounds of flowing water. According to one camper at North Manzanita, "It's next to the creek and we fell asleep to the sounds of flowing water." Sites near Lassen National Park entrances tend to fill quickly during summer weekends but remain relatively uncrowded compared to developed campgrounds. Wildlife encounters are common, with reviewers mentioning everything from chipmunks to bumblebees. Many dispersed sites offer surprising privacy despite their proximity to forest roads. Volcanic soil in some areas can be challenging for larger rigs, with one visitor cautioning, "The ground here is loose volcanic sand. I wouldn't recommend a heavy trailer rig or RV without 4x4."
"As one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking."
"Car camping----->Vanlife----->Skoolie life (present day). Must be the Shasta energy, I love this place, and I have to return."
"Best dispersed camping near Lassen. Area is clean w/ amazing creek side sites, fire pits, and plenty of space between."
"Right next to the creek and big spots! Our motorhome drove down here just fine. Caught a bunch of trout in the creek and had an absolute blast. Quiet and safe and lots of shade."
"We found this spot based on advice of the rangers in LVNP. Overall a great place to camp if your looking for a free option to camp/boon dock very close to the park."
"Arrived late Friday night on Labor Day weekend and found a spot right at the beginning of the dirt road - coming from Redding direction, turned right off of 44 onto the dirt road then took the first right"
"There are several very good campsites along Butte Lake Road as you approach the national park boundary. Many of these are just off the road and experience a fair bit of dust from cars passing by."
"We arrived late, and pulled into the first spot we found just to be safe. Woke up this morning and it's beautiful, quiet and no one else near by."
"No water or outhouse. If you have a low clearance vehicles, pick your pins carefully."
"Just off the main highway. Gravel road in. We had a Ford van that had no problem driving over the dirt and gravel road. There are sites with fire rings and relatively flat ground."
"The main road to Bogard Campground had too much snow for us to be able to pass through, so we found this small clearing tucked away off of Forest Route 32N09 in Lassen Nat’l Forest to stay overnight instead"
"We met a very kind older woman who had been there a while & said that not many people know this place exists, so it doesn’t get very busy. The campsite was well kept."
"Really easy trail was about a mile past the coordinates on google map but it’s a very obvious dirt road. Stayed at the 5th site in which is spacious and has a few paths for small hikes."
"It’s a dirt road but not bad at all. You have to keep going pasta where it takes you on google maps until you see a dirt road turnoff on the right."
"This spot is great, plenty of space, quiet, great views of Mount Shasta, easy to access."
"High and dry. Great view of Shasta Mtn. 8 campers here in mid May. All 2 wheel low clearance accessible. 8 or more still available for higher clearance vehicle. T-Mobile reception good."
"Lovely quiet remote dispersed camping spot. No services. On a very nice gravel road marked for winter cross country skiing. Saw a few others in the area."
"Just across the street from the red fir group campground, there is a good area among the trees for dispersed camping. No facilities or running water. Pretty flat spots scattered around between trees."
"Pull in and park / camp… flat space to park or set up a tent. No services but they have outhouses about a mile up the road. No reservations or assigned spots. Quiet and comfortable. I will be back."
LegendLovely quiet remote dispersed camping spot. No services. On a very nice gravel road marked for winter cross country skiing. Saw a few others in the area. Most camp spots are right on the edge of the road but lots of room and plenty of privacy. Leave no trace. Pack in, pack out.
TravelerJust across the street from the red fir group campground, there is a good area among the trees for dispersed camping. No facilities or running water. Pretty flat spots scattered around between trees. We had a 21 ft long campervan that was relatively easy to drive around looking a for good spot. It had been dry and sunny days so ground was firm. There were about 8-10 other vehicles. The area was large enough that the nearest neighbor was at least 25 yards away. Good shady area.
ScoutAs one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking.
TravelerReally easy trail was about a mile past the coordinates on google map but it’s a very obvious dirt road. Stayed at the 5th site in which is spacious and has a few paths for small hikes.
GuideOverall good stay. I don’t think you can do fires right now and there wasn’t too many options of where to stay, but we ended up finding a spot that fit 2 SUVs. It’s a dirt road but not bad at all. You have to keep going pasta where it takes you on google maps until you see a dirt road turnoff on the right. It was pretty hot at night, and a bunch of bugs so keep that in mind. There was plenty of shade at the spot we found. It was a like 10 minute drive to the lake which is what makes this spot so worth it!
TravelerWe found this spot based on advice of the rangers in LVNP. Overall a great place to camp if your looking for a free option to camp/boon dock very close to the park.
Right when you turn off 44, go up a small hill, maybe 100m, then there is a clearing on the west side of the road. There is a perpendicular dirt road at the clearing (running west/east) with several spots to park a van, trailer, or even smaller RV. We saw four distinct sites where people had made fire rings—however due to the number of pine trees the ground is covered in a thick layer of pine needles— make sure you sweep at least a 20’ fire ring down to dirt around the rock pit before you make a fire. You can also hear noticeable road noise from 44 in the front spots so not super secluded.
Many of the sites we checked (near the entrance and deeper into the woods) had bumble bees coming out of holes in the ground so be careful picking your site, particularly at night so you don’t wake up to an unpleasant surprise.
Going further south down the main road you can find many other more hidden camping spots deeper in the forest, but the road is rougher and only suited for a 4x4.
ScoutGreat campsite! Will be bumpy for a regular sedan but we did see a Prius roll by. There a 3-5 sites along the road and very spread apart. We did not hear any other campers even though there were at least 2 nearby. Google will try to get you to the coordinates but doesn’t know about the existence of the final dirt road to get you there. So it gets you to a point and then expects you to walk across a small ravine. But as the other reviewers stated, keep going on the road keeping in mind that you are trying to get to exact coordinates listed which are accurate. See one of my pics. Google has you stop at the red X, but keep going along the blue path drawn.
TravelerThis is a small flat area near the base of Christie Hill. The turn off of the Hwy 89 is at the McGowan SnoPark area (really just a logger's staging area). There are a handful of very rough roads one could pull off the road and camp in a tent on (or 4x4 van). For a larger RV or travel trailer, we found only one spot (40.390996,-121.540748) that was large enough to accommodate our 32 foot travel trailer. It is right along the road, but there is virtually no traffic here, so we found it acceptable.
I do not believe there are any good spots further down the road. A word of caution as well - the lake just beyond here (McGowan Lake) - is privately owned and gated. It is not available for camping.
ScoutSame experience as the other reviews. Arrived late Friday night on Labor Day weekend and found a spot right at the beginning of the dirt road - coming from Redding direction, turned right off of 44 onto the dirt road then took the first right. The turnoff is on Google maps and was easy to find even in the dark. Nobody else around that we saw, even given the busy weekend! Agreed with others on the road noise but it was fine. Just a few minutes from Manzanita lake. Great find!
Dispersed camping near Cassel, California provides primitive sites within the volcanic soils of Lassen National Forest. Situated at elevations between 4,000-6,000 feet, these free camping areas experience significant temperature drops after sunset, often falling 30-40°F below daytime highs. The region's volcanic terrain creates natural drainage that keeps most sites usable even after light rain.
Swimming at local lakes: Castle Lake Dispersed Camping offers proximity to swimming opportunities. "If you camp here check out Siskiyou Lake right down the way to swim it was THE best view of Shasta and the most mellow and perfect swimming conditions!" notes camper Tiffany M.
Fishing for trout: Big Pine Dispersed Camping provides excellent creek fishing access. "Caught a bunch of trout in the creek and had an absolute blast," reports Christine M., who adds, "Our motorhome drove down here just fine."
Stargazing in mountain clearings: Without developed facilities blocking the views, many sites offer exceptional night sky viewing. "We did hear coyotes off in the distance, which is so cool and spooky at the same time," reports Elaine S. at North Manzanita Dispersed Camping.
Creek-side camping sound: Meatball W. found "some black raspberries along the creek" at Big Pine Dispersed Camping. Many reviewers appreciate the natural water sounds that mask road noise.
Affordable overnight options: Free camping near Cassel provides budget-friendly alternatives to developed sites. "It's convenient," notes Claire D. from North Manzanita Dispersed Camping, adding it's "Just a few minutes from Manzanita lake. Great find!"
Natural shade coverage: Butte Creek offers "at least sunlight" compared to nearby alternatives. Nick C. contrasts this with the NPS campground that is "dark and thoroughly infested with mosquitoes."
Variable site accessibility: Road conditions fluctuate with weather and seasons. At Christie Hill Basecamp, camper Robert N. advises, "If you have a low clearance vehicles, pick your pins carefully."
Construction and logging activity: Some dispersed areas serve multiple forest management purposes. "There appears to be logging or construction going on," reports Matt S. about Christie Hill, noting "most of the pull ins are just areas that the bulldozer is pushed everything back."
Cell service variations: Communication options differ dramatically between sites. At Castle Lake Dispersed Camping, Greg O. reports "T-Mobile reception good," while Big Pine campers need to "drive to the overlook between Twin Pines road and Big Pine campground entrance to get 1 bar," according to Meatball W.
Kid-friendly water access: Christine M. found Big Pine Dispersed Camping to be the "Perfect spot for kids and dogs!" adding, "Right next to the creek and big spots!"
Wildlife education opportunities: Multiple sites offer chances to observe forest creatures safely. At Bogard USFS Dispersed, camper kami notes, "A chipmunk got to my dog's food but other than that, we had no issues with wildlife!"
Mosquito preparation: Sarah J. warns about Bogard USFS Dispersed: "Mosquitoes EVERYWHERE! We pulled in to the area around 6 PM on a Tuesday evening, not a single person around."
Turning radius considerations: For larger rigs, advanced planning prevents getting stuck. At Dispersed Campsite near Castle Lake, Meatball W. cautions, "I made it down with my Tacoma and a 12ft travel trailer but it was a stretch. Super easy to get in, but took a long time to turn around and get back out."
Size-appropriate site selection: Even in free camping areas near Cassel, site capacity varies. At Big Pine Dispersed Camping, Stephanie I. shares, "We found a could spots that our 38ft fifth wheel could fit, and many spots for smaller rigs."
Ground composition awareness: Volcanic soil creates specific challenges. "I wouldn't recommend a heavy trailer rig or RV without 4x4 do anything but back back straight into this site," advises Nick C. at Butte Creek, explaining, "We bogged down a bit while turning around and needed to use our 4wd."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Cassel, CA is Hat Creek Dispersed with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
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