Looking for the best options for camping with dogs near Lassen National Forest? The Dyrt can help you find the best campsites for you and your dog. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect pet-friendly campsites that are scenic and easy to access.
Manzanita Lake Campground (elevation 5,900 ft.) is the largest campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is within walking distance of the scenic Manzanita Lake, a popular fishing and family destination, and offers impressive views of Lassen Peak, the largest volcano in the park at 10,457 feet. The facility is conveniently located one mile south of the park entrance, close to The Loomis Museum, Loomis Ranger Station and popular hiking trails. Educational programs are presented at the museum and amphitheater.
Manzanita Lake is popular with fly fishermen, but the campground does maintain a catch-and-release policy. Non-motorized boating is also permitted and Kayak rentals are available nearby. The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails, a variety of which can be accessed from the campground, including family-friendly hikes as well as those for more experienced hikers.
Manzanita Lake is popular with fly fishermen, but the campground does maintain a catch-and-release policy. Non-motorized boating is also permitted and Kayak rentals are available nearby. The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails, a variety of which can be accessed from the campground, including family-friendly hikes as well as those for more experienced hikers.
The national park is known for its volcanic history, as well as its diversity of plants and animals. It contains 300 active volcanic domes, as well as many hydrothermal features, such as mud pots and steam vents. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades, and the second most recent to erupt in the lower 48 of the United States before Mount Saint Helens. Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The park is at the junction of the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin, thus providing many unique habitats.
$15 - $26 / night
Merrill Campground is located in the Eagle Lake Recreation Area of the Lassen National Forest. This recreation area has five campgrounds, three designated day use areas and a marina on the south shore of Eagle Lake. All of these recreation facilities are connected by a 5.2 mile paved hiking/bike trail. The Osprey Overlook, another day use area in the recreation area, can be hiked or driven to for a scenic view of the southern end of Eagle Lake and the surrounding forest basin. The Lassen National Forest offers a variety of lakes, streams and wilderness areas for recreational opportunities. The forest offers miles of trails that are used for hiking, mountain biking, off-highway vehicle riding and in the winter months, snowmobiling.
Fishing for the Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout, a California Heritage Trout, is the primary recreational activity on Eagle Lake, but the 3rd largest natural lake in California (22,000 acres), provides for plenty of room for swimming, kayaking, skiing and all other boating activities by motor or sail. There are no 2-cycle restrictions for outboard boat motors or PWCs.
Eagle Lake is located where the Sierras meet the Cascades at the southwestern end of the lake, and the Modoc Plateau of the Great Basin at the northeastern end. This unique location offers diverse landscapes, geology, wildlife and vegetation. Merrill Campground is located in a mature conifer forest of pines and firs on the southern shoreline of Eagle Lake, at an elevation of 5,100 feet.
The Lassen National Forest has many other recreational opportunities and the Lassen Volcanic National Park is an easy days drive to and from Eagle Lake Recreational Area.
$35 - $80 / night
Summit Lake North Campground (elevation 6,700 ft.) is conveniently located on the main road of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The campground is within walking distance of the small but scenic Summit Lake and eight miles from the 10,457-ft. Lassen Peak, the largest volcano in the park.. Hikers will find one of the park's major trails only 1/4-mile away from the campground and many more within a close proximity. Summit Lake North is on the opposite side of the lake from Summit Lake South Campground.
The campground is a hub for hiking and backpacking enthusiasts. Campers can access many of the park's 150 miles of hiking trails from the Summit Lake area. The Cluster Lakes loop trail--a major trailhead into the park's interior that bypasses several alpine lakes and is popular among birders--is located a short walk from the Summit Lake Ranger Station. This is the closest campground to the Lassen Peak Trail and within 10 miles of the hydrothermal area Bumpass Hell. Educational programs are presented at an amphitheater within the facility.
The national park is known for its volcanic history, as well as its diversity of plants and animals. It contains 300 active volcanic domes and many hydrothermal features, such as mud pots and steam vents. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades, and the second most recent volcano to erupt in the lower 48 of the United States before Mount Saint Helens. Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 native species including birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The park is at the junction of the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin, providing many unique habitats.
$15 - $24 / night
Summit Lake South Campground (elevation 6,700 ft.) is conveniently located on the main road of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The campground is within walking distance of the small but scenic Summit Lake and eight miles from the 10,457-ft. Lassen Peak, the largest volcano in the park. Hikers will find one of the park's major trails only 1/4-mile away from the campground and many more within a close proximity. Summit Lake South is on the opposite side of the lake from Summit Lake North Campground.
The campground is a hub for hiking and backpacking trails within the park. Campers can access many of the park's 150 miles of hiking trails from the Summit Lake area. The Cluster Lakes loop trail--a major trailhead into the park's interior that bypasses several alpine lakes and is popular among birders--is located a short walk away at the Summit Lake Ranger Station. This is the closest campground to the Lassen Peak Trail and within 10 miles of the hydrothermal area, Bumpass Hell. Educational programs are presented at an amphitheater within the facility.
The national park is known for its volcanic history, as well as its diversity of plants and animals. It contains 300 active volcanic domes and many hydrothermal features, such as mud pots and steam vents. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades, and the second-most recent volcano to erupt in the lower 48 of the United States before Mount Saint Helens. Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 native species including birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The park is at the junction of the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin, thus providing many unique habitats.
$15 - $22 / night
Beautiful views of Lake Almanor and Mount Lassen can be seen from Rocky Point Campground, located among the ponderosa pines in Plumas County, one of Northern California's most scenic areas. Several sites are available for reservations, which can be booked from our online system. Other sites remain first come, first served. Many of the camping spots are on the shoreline of Lake Almanor, known for its boating, fishing and waterskiing. Biking or walking the paved Lake Almanor Recreation Trail reveals the birds, scenery and wildlife of the area.
Pioneer Camp
$35 - $143 / night
Goumaz campground is between Highway 36 and 44 at the South end of Eagle Lake. There are 5 campsites located along Susan River and adjacent to the Bizz Johnson Trail. This is a great place to start a bike ride, walk or horseback ride along the Bizz. There are campfire pits and drinking water is available with one vault toilet. Accessing Goumaz by way of 44 is recommended when towing trailers.
Campground located 7 miles off highway 44. Motor homes and large trailers not recommended due to rough steep road. There are 17 sites at lake, each site has a fire ring and table. Hand pumped water, vault toilets. Fly fishing, canoeing, and float tubing are favorites at Crater Lake. Fall season check out the display of colors our aspen stands contribute to the tranquilty of the area. No gas motors on lake.
RV Sites, Tent Camping, Cabins, Yurts and Motel Rooms
Scout
Men’s shower code is 9271 as of 10/10/24 for all you stinky campers (myself included)
Scout
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. Water, dump, and trash are available at Old Station Visitor Information Center just north (RV sewer dump closes mid October)
Guide
It's definitely a 5-star campground, but if you don't fish, kayak or do paddle boarding, there is nothing else to do within 20 miles. National forest camping with power and electric, Wow!!! The price with a National Forest pass was only $32.
Traveler
This was a perfect campsite. Came in late but everybody was eager and happy to help out. Met the hosts who took their time and explained about the park.
Located only 10 minutes from Lassen and by the road and still an rv spot in the forest. Very nice.
An upper class restaurant and a bar so something for everyone.
Very recommandable
Ranger
This campground is a very quiet spot after Labor Day, it is small, only 10 sites total and it is only open until September 30, which I don't understand since there is no snow here until November.
When we were there only one other camper was staying here and he was a deer hunter.
The water is shut off after Labor Day so come prepared. This campground has two sites that will take a 30' trailer and the remaining sites will take smaller trailers, tents or campers.
One site has a new picnic table but all sites have tables, fire pits and plenty of room between sites. Pit toilets are near the entrance and only one was clean when we stayed here.
Not to far from Bucks Lake if you want to camp and then drive to the lake.
Fees have changed, they are $25 a night and $12.50 if you have the pass.
Ranger
This campground and the one to the south, Cool Springs, are both run by Pacific Gas and Electric Utility company.
There are campground hosts at both campgrounds and late in September half of Ponderosa Flat closes. The entire campground closes at the end of September.
There was plenty of water in the Reservoir and it could be okay for a boat but you have to look out for all the snags in the water, and there are a lot of them.
Campground is quiet but tight to get a large trailer in, ours is 26 feet and it was tight. The spaces in the closed portion of the campground were a bit more spacious.
Fire rings, tables and pit toilets. It was $30 a night with no power, power sites are more expensive.
If you have a cool campground host you can ride your ATV or Side by side out onto the dirt road and ride for miles. Just be mindful it is not really supposed to be a ride out campground.
Guide
Flushing toilets, easy access, friendly host, gorgeous setting, level ground- can’t ask for any better at $8 a night (after interagency discount)!
Scout
Great spaces next to lake. No cell service. Lots of places to enjoy on the shoreline.
Guide
One night stay. Well maintained and clean. Great landscaping and keeps it watered. Laundry just $1.50 a load and nice laundromat. Almost level site. Awesome and friendly owner...since 2022. Nice bathrooms. Great views and quiet.
Scout
Same 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!
Scout
We had a great time up at Antelope Lake. It is a very pretty lake and would definitely recommend going. However, the camp host there was very rude and very unaccommodating. I booked 6 campsites for two nights, when I showed up on Friday, the campground was not full so I moved to my trailer to a different site because it was close to friends and family. The site I moved to was first come first serve. The camp host was hounding me - saying I must pay for the site I moved to even though the campground wasn't full. Originally, I paid close to $500 for all 6 sites and the camp host made me pay for the extra site that wasn't even taken/reserved. Be careful of this guy! I think this guy might be pocketing the money.
Scout
It's along a cove in the lake. Super nice hosts and nice campers. The bathrooms are kind of gross but that's expected. Always camp here when we go to the lake.
RangerLarge state lakeside camp, well laid out. Clean toilets but no showers. Ca, so expensive. Great bike/hiking paved path In The pines. Lake entry about 200 yards from Lowest campsites which are unpowered sites. Water and electric available on the two upper levels. We did not have reservations, 4 powered sites and many unpowered were available. We chose the basic site, closer to the lake side.
Guide
Just try to get a last minute camp spot on Memorial Day weekend most places. We were fortunate to discover Butt Lake near Lake Almanor. Only one small burn area far from the campgrounds. Friday was opening day for Cool Springs campground. A PG&E operated facility, it was in great shape and ready for the season. We did three nights, departing on Monday. On Friday night we were one of only a few guests. Saturday and Sunday were full, but the feeling was vary spacious. The lake is a reservoir with no actual inlet. Rather it is fed by a pipe from Lake Almanor with a hydroelectric plant just prior to the water entering Butt Lake. Oddly for a PG&E lake there is not hydroelectric plant at the outlet dam. Did some bike riding to check out the dam, Ponderosa Flat campground, Pioneer cemetery, and east shore of the lake.
GuideStayed one night and loved Eagle Lake. Rare USDA campground with power and water. Lovely forest area shades the camp. Lots of families with bikes and dogs all on leashes. Great bike paths to ride or walk right next to the lake.
Guide
Beautiful lake. Great campsites. Cannot pay at site.
Guide
No water or outhouse. If you have a low clearance vehicles, pick your pins carefully.
Traveler
I’ve been coming here since i was a newborn every year and i am now 18 years old and it’s stayed my favorite place in the whole world. anyone who knows me knows this campsite is my entire personality and my biggest obsession. every day i wake up i am solely motivated by the mere thought of coming to this place for the single week out of the year. the lake is maybe 20 feet from the site which is perfect for boat access and the lake britton is my favorite i’ve ever been to. i’ve camped by tent and by trailer and both were so great. the summer heat makes swimming perfect but as night falls it cools beautifully enough to be able to bundle up by the fire. friends of mine have fantasized of one day being able to join me on my trip as it’s all i talk about. the only bugs are mosquitos which is inevitable while camping. campsite is super private and calm and is super spacious. BEST PLACE ON EARTH.
Traveler
North is open, South is closed for Summer 2024.
It took some digging on this information as the USFS website is wrong.
I camp here on the South campground at least once every year. For the 2024 season, they CLOSED it at the last second.
The North campground is OPEN, but you cannot reserve it. First Come First Served (FCFS).
Boat ramp is at the North campground, but if you just have a paddleboard or kayak, you can just walk to the water by just waking down the road and launch at the edge of the lake.
There is a General Store within walking distance and restaurant/bar right on the lake too. I highly advise reservations for dinner on the deck.
TravelerAbout one mile south of the northwest entrance, so it’s convenient. Follow the instructions from other campers as they’re spot on. We camped to the right of the road, as we saw another camp site that was filled to the right. Tent campers will have no issues finding a spot. We didn’t venture too far down the road due to having a lower car, but we had plenty of options.
Although you feel secluded, the highway isn’t too far, so you’ll have some road noise (nothing crazy). We did hear coyotes off in the distance, which is so cool and spooky at the same time. Bear activity was reported in the area before we arrived, so keep that in mind. Make sure to bring your buh spray!
Will definitely stay here again if we visit the park again. Arrived June 19, left June 20.
GuideThis place is cool - the Mineral Lodge and Restaurant is where we checked in for campground. We needed a place to stay before heading into Lassen Volcanic NP. The Mineral Lodge and campground next door are family owned and have a community feel. No frill campground, does have hookups.
$35 per night plus $2 pet fee
Sites very close together. Bathroom old but works. Poor T Mobile service. No wifi.
ScoutMosquitos. Vast clouds of them, attacking you through the fabric of your tent. In the early morning, when you step outside, you often see a haze, a fog, on the water. It's not fog, it's mosquitos by the millions.
The campground is called Dusty Camp for a reason - it's built on a deposit of diatomaceous earth. This is the shells of tiny sea life from millions of years ago. It's incredibly abrasive and clings to clothes - better to discard them. The good news is that there are no ants here - the DE gets into the exoskeleton joints of the ants, immobilizing and starving them to death. It's actually sold in garden stores to control household crawling insects. DE is not toxic but unbelievably abrasive. It's very lightweight and when dry gets into EVERYTHING - it even has a static charge. When dry it reeks of rotten fish.
This is a good place to run from, which is ironic, as "the train on the bridge" scene to "Stand By Me" was filmed on a trestle just down the road. (The kids are trapped on a railroad bridge with an oncoming steam locomotive, and help each other flee for their lives
Ranger
We were looking for a nice Forest Service campground somewhere between Susanville and Weed, CA to stop for the night on our way home and came across this little gem situated on Hat Creek. There are 5 sites. Three are on the creek. One of the other sites has a big lava formation near it. The sites all have fire rings and tables. No water, there are two very clean vault toilets, and although there is road noise from Hwy 89, after dark it dies down and it was very quiet. We stayed there on a Thursday night and no one else was in the campground.
Ranger
The campground is fairly nice. No functional bear lockers (camp host said there haven’t been bears here in over 9 years). The bathrooms (flush toilets) were clean. Weirdly, most of the campsites were vacant, but the online reservations showed that most of the sites were booked. We had a large noisy group next to us the first night. Otherwise it was quiet. The trail to the falls (Falls Loop Trail) was closed for repairs, which we knew when we booked. Not the nicest place we’ve been but not the worst. Probably won’t stay there again.
Guide
This campground is huge and busy, but I was able to get a first come, first serve camp site last minute on a weekday. The lake is incredible and Lassen national park is a really special place so it’s a great spot to check out the rest of the park! The hiking is incredible and there is a trail that goes around the lake.
Traveler
Mosquitoes EVERYWHERE! We pulled in to the area around 6 PM on a Tuesday evening, not a single person around. We originally pulled near the little bog. When we got out we noticed TONS of mosquitoes, so we drove about a quarter to a half mile down the road and made a left. Still tons of mosquitoes, but absolutely beautiful night sky!
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lassen National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lassen National Forest is Manzanita Lake Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park with a 4.4-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Lassen National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 121 dog-friendly camping locations near Lassen National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
