Best Cabin Camping near Lassen National Forest

Our annual camping trip to Eagle Lake at the Merrill Campground in Lassen National Forest started as a family trip for a good friend about three generations ago. Ourselves and other friends have since tagged along for the last 6-8 years (some longer). We now routinely book 6 or more campsites, most with power for trailer hook ups though a couple of us still tent camp. Half the group are avid fisherman and go out every morning. The trout fishing is world class and makes for an out-of-this-world fish fry! This is one of the most pristine and quiet campgrounds we visit. The camp hosts and other campers are always extremely friendly and respectful. The facilities are clean and well maintained, the marina is well stocked (both fishing and daily food/drink essentials). We look forward to coming year after year.

This campground is BIG. there are four loops of sites.  I am a tent camper so this area can be on the crowded side for me with not enough privacy.

That being said the lake is beautiful. Easy access for kayaks and canoes.

The sites are clean, have table, food locker and fire sit.  Bathrooms are flush with showers available.  Close by are cabins to rent on the lake and a store, rentals and even gas,

Great jumping off site to get thru Lassen Park. Can take 45 minutes to get to the other side but there is lots of hiking and incredible views.  And crazy geo thermal sites such as Bumpass Hell.

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).

I have camped at burney falls twice. My first time camping here I stayed in the little cabins they have. (Memorial Cabin Area) That was pretty awesome it’s just a small cabin that has a bed, all cooking and hanging out is done outside the cabin. It has a little porch was pretty cute. The downside to this campground is that it’s pretty obvious that visitors feed the squirrels. The squirrels were more than accustomed to coming right up to us. I put groceries on the picnic table and was unloading the car and squirrels literally ran to the table to attack. I was more than annoyed by this because I don’t interact with wildlife, for their safety to the public who may harm them. My second time staying I tent camped and the first night it rained. (Pioneer Campground) This was no huge deal to me because from what I’ve learned about the outdoors is you’ll never get the weather you expect haha. The next couple days weather started clearing up but was still cloudy. We hiked down to the water fall which is so breath taking and then hiked out to the lake. They have a souvenir shop, firewood and restrooms right on the campground. There’s a small town about 15-20 minute drive to shingle town that normally has little outside events.

It had been over 20 years since the last time we camped here so I was pleased to see that updates had been made and the park is well maintained. Two loops: Rim Camp and Pioneer camp. Pioneer has over 20 cabins plus over 20 camping sites. We stayed in the Rim Camp; on a Monday the week before Memorial Day, we had our pick of sites as the park was nearly empty but the website warns that on weekends and during the summer, this park does fill up. No hookups so the $35 per night ($33 for seniors) price is a little pricey. Some sites have paved pads and some are dirt; since it rained hard as soon as we set up, we appreciated the pavement. Bathrooms have been updated since the last time we were here in the mid-1990s and they are individual rooms with toilet and sink and (powdered) soap but no trash receptacle. Didn’t check the condition of the showers. The two draws are Burney Falls and Lake Britton. We didn’t go to the lake because it was cold and rainy but there are boat and kayak rentals available, which we would take advantage of during nicer weather. Absolutely no cell service!