Searching for the best camping near Hat Creek, CA? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Hat Creek, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"As one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking."
"Take creek trail. Bathrooms, garbage, water available at main campground. 1 bar lte AT&T."
"Plenty of dispersed camping along the creek just south of Big Pine Campground. We found a could spots that our 38ft fifth wheel could fit, and many spots for smaller rigs."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
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.
ScoutAs one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking.
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.
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!
ScoutThere's signs acknowledging it's free camping. Large barren area with a toilet near the lake. Not great for a tent but can make it work. Good distance away from roads and houses. Lake view.
GuideNo water or outhouse. If you have a low clearance vehicles, pick your pins carefully.
TravelerImmediately prior to turning down road to Lassen turn in to dirt road. Again less than 50 yards on right is area to camp. Could also turn a big rig.
A 4 wheel drive is not required, it's just a dusty road. About 100 yards further, you could walk up the road and grab some water from the stream.
No Verizon phone or internet reception
LegendThe 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.
It’s a nice open flat-ish space, big enough for several rigs as well as big enough to do a complete u-turn in our 26ft class c without having to back up.
It’s quiet except for lots of distant road noise from the highway and surprisingly frequent train noise in the distance. We stayed here on a Sunday night in April, and did not see another soul. There seems to be a lot of logging activity in this area though, and we wondered if this clearing was some sort of staging area for the loggers.
There’s a small pond here at this time of year, probably from runoff from snow melt. Be aware of the ground near the water being deceptively solid but saturated with water and muddy. Our tires sank a bit when we tried to park too close to the water.
Zero cell service for any of the 3 major carriers, and our cell booster did not help much.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Hat Creek, California, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. This area offers a variety of options for those looking to immerse themselves in the great outdoors.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Hat Creek, CA is Hat Creek Dispersed with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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