Best Tent Camping near Forest Ranch, 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.

I loved this campground! Would go back in a heartbeat. This was the first KOA I've ever stayed in, and I was worried it would be too cheesy/boring (in comparison to the forest/state/national park ones I tend to love), but it was totally fun.

Pros: Lots of clean bathrooms, warm swimming pool, lots to do including a whole forested area with swings, a fort, etc., games, ping pong, decent sized sites. Close to the entrance to Lassen Park.

Cons: Some tent sites were better than others. My favorite tent sites were T6. T7, T8 and especially T13.

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.

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.

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.

We have been to this camping spot a few times. It is big with a nice store. Music on the weekends on the deck. Some sites on waterside are nice. Nice beach. Can get crowded but we liked it. No issues. RV or Tent sites. Roads are steep in spots but no problems getting into site. You can boat and fish here but we didn't do either. Might be nice in the winter when nobody is around?

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.

I decided to go on a last minute solo trip and called this places for a one night reservation. Next time I definitely want to stay longer. It’s a great family spot and there were lots of dogs and kids running around. The tent camping spots are far enough from people and you don’t feel like you’re on top of each other. You can choose if you want to glamp or camp here, so it’s also a good place if you have friends that don’t like dirt but want to be around pine trees.

One thing I will warn is google maps did tell me to turn too early and I was wondering around a neighborhood for a little bit. You turn right off of 44 to get to the site.

We were just happy to get out and camping. It’s definitely a place I’ll put on my list to camp at again, especially when they figure out their electrical issues. From what I could tell when driving around the majority of the sites were level; we had 4 spots and all were easy to back in.

Some Pros - the market was well stocked; majority of the staff were very helpful; campsites on the outer rings had shrubbery for site separation and inner rings are great for groups; showers were close and they had hot water; kids loved fishing from the shore; quiet at night; deer had no problem hanging out with us as we had our meals.

Some Cons - I’m not really a fan of “first come first serve”, it makes it hard when group camping; there wasn’t a single day when some campsite didn’t have electrical issues, in fact they turned a lot of their RV sites into Tent Sites because of electrical issues; no wood fires, propane is okay; at no fault to the site/staff, and all due to Covid precautions, there was no playground, boat rentals, etcetera.

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.

In September of 2015, I hiked with two friends from school up to the summit of Mt. Lassen. We passed by several fellow travelers on our ascent. Reaching the top took just under three hours.

As I was the only one in my crew with legitimate hiking gear and experience, I carried the bulk of our supplies, including the tent. The final approach brought significant increases in wind gusts and a drop in temperature. The barren summit itself looked like the surface of Mars. We first unloaded and walked to the marker that designated the highest point on the ancient volcano - the last eruption being in the early 1900s.

We surveyed the area for our would-be campsite. Our final trek to the topmost part left us with little time to set up camp. Our decision for our final resting place -pun intended- was situated between two rocks on the flattest stony ground we could find. We had heard gusts could reach 70 mph at night. My solution to this was to leave the two side chambers on my tent collapsed and place on them and around the edge of the tent to hold it down.

We crawled inside and ate beef jerky and cold beans straight from the can. It was one of those meals that was eminently satisfying, regardless. The night rolled over us just as a very large (and day away from a lunar eclipse) moon dominated the clear air above us. As we didn't want our tent to have a sail in the high winds, we didn't use the tarp. To preserve the tent in these conditions, I placed myself on the inner edge of the tent where the winds were pushing hardest to keep it all in place.

We were awakened by stiff winds that had persisted through the night. My tent showed a few signs of minor straining from the rocks and wind. I loaded my pack as swiftly as I could manage. In tearing down the tent, we nearly lost it down the side of the mountain as one gust nearly took it away once the stakes were out. Our descent was swift and steady. Hungry stomachs drove us on, as did a sense of accomplishment. After all, we had just camped on a volcano.