Best Tent Camping near Crescent Mills, CA

I like this campground a lot. Just the right size, maybe 40-50 camp sites total in two separate loops and it’s all very walkable. There’s a couple of pull-though spots for RVs and trailers and a decent mixture of small and medium RVs and tents.

Camp sites aren’t huge, but enough room not to be completely on top of each other and lots and lots of trees. Some have more room behind them depending on whether they are facing in or out on the loop. Each spot has a fire grate and picnic table. Nice camp host when we were there and an amphitheater nearby.

Totally awesome lake that’s safely swimmable for kiddos that’s also available for day-use. Flush toilets(always a plus). Enough to do either at the campground or nearby to keep kiddos busy for several days. And Lassen in general is a lovely park.

Pros: Best part is the awesome lake. Fairly shallow overall but plenty of fun.

Cons: Not many“extras” (like a store or playground), but I liked it just the way it is. Some spots better than others as far as privacy/space goes.

Spacious campsites with soft dirt/gravel that makes tent camping pretty comfy. Bathrooms were in good shape. The camp store is a close walk and has everything you would need. Stunning views of Lassen Peak from the lake.

Campground was full but very quiet. Stayed at a great site for tent camping with my motorcycle. Bathrooms were clean, weather good, and bugs weren’t too bad. Also a trailhead for hiking to a few secluded lakes. And the best..no cell phone coverage!!

Had a great time here - terrific proximity to lake & decent sized camping sites. Nearby Portola, & easy drive from the Reno area.

Lots of generators in use during the day (the only reason I can’t give it 5 stars, since we were tent camping) , but all seemed to abide by hours posted for operation.

Already have reservations for this summer!

I went to Everstoke a week ago. Based on my camping experience here, I would suggest to those who intend to come here to experience some camping styles. Traditional campers can choose from spacious tent sites where they can pitch their own tent, 2 player games and enjoy a rustic camping experience. For those looking for a touch of luxury, there are luxury accommodations, offering comfortable and stylish tents equipped with amenities like cozy beds, private bathrooms and even fire pits.

The smaller sites at Juniper Lake are first come first serve, unlike the group sites that can be reserved.  Over the last few years the popularity of Juniper Lake has grown and it is difficult to find a spot on weekends, but early to mid week there's a pretty good chance you can find a spot. If you're lucky enough to get a spot on the lake you'll have one of the most beautiful camping spots in Northern California with an epic view of Mt. Lassen.  There are a couple of good day hikes nearby as well.  Typically camping here is tent camping, but if you have a smaller trailer like a tent trailer or Rpod you might be able to get it in. There are no RV hook ups.

I stayed here numerous times as a young kid and teen with my family. We lived in Susanville and would go here to get out of the town and feel closer to nature and experience it all. The sites are walk in so be ready to pack what you need with you. The wildlife possibilities seem endless and it's a very tranquil spot to camp. You can head to thr river to fish as well, which is a plus. Overall, a food campground if you're not looking for any amenities and are tent camping.

Another great campsite within the gorgeous (and uncrowded) Lassen Volcanic National Park, this one is on the northern shore of a Summit Lake, a blue, pristine lake near 7000 feet. There are two camping loops with tent sites and small RV trailer sports available. No hook-ups, but flush toilets and sinks nearby.

Sites can be further inland near the forest with a parking lot that separates you from the lakeshore. In the summer, the lake is great for swimming.

There is another campsite on the southern side of the lake that is very similar, but we prefer the north campground in that the sites are closer to the lake itself. Numerous hikes are available within the area.

My all Time favorite spot maybe because I grew up in the area and there are lots of wonderful hikes lakes and waterfalls. This park is nice well taken care of lots of redwood trees. A creek runs through it. You can access some hikes to lakes right from the park. Seen a few tarantulas. A mtn lion lives near by saw him once at dusk while walking my dog along the trail toward the mine he was drinking water and we surprised him. He surprised us too! Rare to see them. Bears are in the area but never have I seen one in 25 years but there are bear boxes and bear proof trash cans so don't leave your ice chests out! Roomy site. Pay close attention when making a reservation some sites can only accommodate 1 tent. Sites are a bit pricey $$$ but there are showers and flush toilets and it's a fairly quiet place.

General: Four loops plus a cabin loop, however, after September 5 at noon, the only loops open are A, B, and cabins. 

Site Quality: Some pull-throughs and some back-in. The back-in sites were, for the most part, better suited for tent camping as the camper pads were quite short and many were not level. We lucked out in that our camper pad was only slightly unlevel and we could make it work with our camper van. Some sites were close together with minimal separation while others had more trees separating them. 

Bath/Shower house: There were several toilet options ranging from vault toilets to basic bathrooms with flush toilets, to larger restrooms with dishwashing sinks. Although there was a soap dispenser in the two closest to our site, there was no soap. The very cold water was oh-so refreshing on a cold September morning! The dishwashing sink in the A loop was locked but we did see campers using the one in the B Loop.

Activities/Amenities: There is a camper store with food, showers, gas, and laundry available. You can access both Manzanita and Reflection Lakes (1.5 and.5 miles respectively) from the campground. The Chaos Crags trailhead is approximately a half mile from the A Loop. There are kayak, cataraft, and SUP rentals available for Manzanita Lake but it was a bit chilly when we were there. There is zero cell service in the campground but it is noted there is a milepost where you can grab a signal. On our Chaos Crags hike, however, we got a strong signal on Verizon!

The campground was okay but worth it as a base camp for exploring the northwest part of the park. Happy this one has not been outsourced to a vendor and the price is still reasonable ($26 or$13 with the senior pass).

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

Trees help add privacy and make you feel like you’re not as close to your neighbor as you are. Campground was very quiet, even during the day, although we were there during the week, so I’m sure that helped. Stars were beautiful at night. Despite the blazing temps in other parts of the park we were always comfortable here, and even chilly at night! Bear box huge and all site amenities were in good shape. Couple bits of trash and a water bottle unfortunately littered about our spot.

We did have about a dozen anthills spread throughout our site, but were able to pitch our tents a bit away from them. Never had them bother us. We also saw yellow jacket traps in the trees, and they did their job well. Hardly any mosquitos.

Bathrooms mostly okay, except the last morning—strips of TP everywhere, 2/3 stalls not really clean enough to sit on, but I think that was more an issue of guest misuse than camp staff negligence. No dryers or paper towels, but there was soap. Nice dish-washing closet. Showers were hot and had good pressure, but one was broken and the shower head actually fell on one of us! They are no longer coin-op; you pay a $5 use fee at the camp store for the duration of your stay and receive a code to get into the shower room for when it’s locked at night. Otherwise it’s wide open (and I do mean wide—the ladies door is right next to the store entrance so make sure you do all your dressing/undressing behind your stall curtain, though there is a makeshift wall outside the door to help shield the room).

Camp store was a nice place to refill water bottles on our way out in the mornings as we never did find a water spigot near our site. They offer a smattering of groceries (eggs, premade sandwiches, drinks) and have a little cafe, some souvenirs and camp supplies. They ran out of wood our first day there and didn’t know when it would be resupplied (it never was while we were there) but directed us to a place 20 min away where we were able to get plenty. Store folks knowledgeable and friendly. Tiny gas pump out back very convenient and actually decently-priced.

There are a few hikes in the area but most of the main attractions are closer to Summit Lake campgrounds, however they don’t have all the amenities Manzanita does.

Clean campground, great fishing, and nice trail around lake. Kids love camping here. Bathrooms are kept clean and stocked 2-3x a day. We have done both tent only and loop A and don’t have many complaints. Spacing in tent only is cramped but that’s it.