Looking for the best horse camping near Lassen Volcanic National Park? Finding a place to stay in California while traveling with your horse has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect site for your California horse camping excursion.
Butte Lake Stock Corral (elevation 6,100 ft.) is located in the northeastern section of Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. It is fairly remote and within walking distance of Butte Lake, which is popular for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. Several trails are located nearby. The facility is 45 minutes from the main park road.
Outdoor enthusiasts stay at Butte Lake Stock Corral for its many recreation opportunities. The lake is popular for trout fishing, as well as non-motorized boating. Trailheads within the facility include the hike to Snag Lake, trails leading to the interior of the park, and the Cluster Lakes loop. Longer trails nearby will take you to Juniper Lake and Summit Lake. The Pacific Crest Trail can also be accessed from Butte Lake and runs through the park.
Outdoor enthusiasts stay at Butte Lake Stock Corral for its many recreation opportunities. The lake is popular for trout fishing, as well as non-motorized boating. Trailheads within the facility include the hike to Snag Lake, trails leading to the interior of the park, and the Cluster Lakes loop. Longer trails nearby will take you to Juniper Lake and Summit Lake. The Pacific Crest Trail can also be accessed from Butte Lake and runs through the park.
The area is dominated by Ponderosa pines and surrounded by soft volcanic soils. Extending into Butte Lake is a large black lava flow, creating rocky shores and interesting views for visitors in kayaks and canoes to explore. Trails suitable for horses are easily accessed from the corral and numerous forest roads just outside the park boundary. 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 Volcanic National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 species of vertebrates, 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.
The Caribou Wilderness area is managed by the Forest Service has numerous trails that are suitable for stock use and can be accessed directly from the park via the Widow Lake trail.
$37 / night
RV Sites, Tent Camping, Cabins, Yurts and Motel Rooms
Black Rock Campground is a dispersed campground situated in the Oak Woodlands along Mill Creek. 6 sites are available for primitive dispersed camping. Grills and tables are provided at each of the 6 sites. Black Rock Campground is open year round.Black Rock Campground is located on the Northeast corner of the Ishi Wilderness. Hiking in the Ishi and along Mill Creek is wonderful and the fishing in Deer and Mill Creeks can be very rewarding.__Black Rock Campground is accessible via Highway__36 east from Red Bluff to__Ponderosa Way. Ponderosa Way is a dirt road, not recommended for RVs, that leads to the Ishi Wilderness.
Soldier Meadows is a developed campground with 15 designated sites. A maximum of 8 people is allowed per site. Located in a picturesque meadow near Soldier Creek, the campground is surrounded by a majestic pine and fir forest. Grills and tables are provided.
Whitehorse campground is located within three miles of Bucks Lake in the northern Sierra Mountains on the Plumas National Forest. The Bucks Lake area offers year-round recreation activities including fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, skiing,snowshoeing and horseback riding.
Bucks Lake provides fishing, boating, and canoeing. There are walking trails to the lake. A hiking trail runs from the campground and provides access to Buck Wilderness and the Pacific Crest Trail which runs adjacent to the campground.
Whitehorse is set in fir and pine trees offering shade during the warm summer months. Situated at 5,500 feet in elevation, the campground is settled along a small creek that feeds into Bucks Lake.
The nearby Bucks Lake Lodge has a bar, restaurant and store offering fishing supplies and groceries.
$31 / night
Come camp on our private hilltop property, adjacent to sharp mountains, and overlooking the city of Susanvile, CA!
Lassen County Paradise boasts an award winning 26 mile camping and hiking trail. Campers are strongly encouraged to stay multiple nights or make arrangements for a long-term trip to experience all the activities Lassen has to offer. We are at the epicenter of three nearby lakes - Lake Almanor, Eagle Lake, and Pyramid Lake - and other parks, like Lassen National Forrest, equipped with open spaces and OHV areas. Plus everything else fit for outdoor enthusiasts, such as hiking, ranching, swimming, snow sports, and more all within 10-30 minutes! Some nearby towns include Chico, Klamath Falls, and Reno.
We invite you to pitch your own tent, park your own RV or car at one of our designated campsites. Water is located near the property on the bizz johnson trailhead and gallons are also sold or re-filled in town.
Please feel free to contact us with questions or inquiries. We look forward to your visit!
$35 / night
During the winter season campground remains open with no snow plow or other services. Snake Lake is located in the Meadow Valley area off of Bucks Lake road and boasts shady lakeside campsites for tents, RVs, OHVs and horses. the multi-use campsite has 17 sites; 8 of them with corrals for equestrian campters. There are no hookups. Horses are allowed overnight in equestrian campsites only. Activities include fishing, hiking horseback riding on OHV trails and non-motorized boating. Snake Lake is not recommended for swimming. During winter months there is no snowplow service and water and restrooms shut down. There is no garbage service at Snake Lake Campground. Please remember to "Pack it in, Pack it out".
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.
Legend
Nice spot near the NP. Level spot, nice clean bath and shower area. Got a nice hot shower, thank you!
We stumbled across it when all the campgrounds in the national forest and national park for closed for the season and what a nice surprise. They had a little grocery store with ice cream..we had some ice cream. It was delicious.
They had the cutest little resort with little cabins, yurts and spots for a camper or big RV. They had a volleyball court, cornhole and a basketball area. Great little spot! We would absolutely come back. Internet on my phone was hit or miss outside. They offered internet for a cheap price. $1.95 a day. 12 minute drive to Park entrance. Otherwise, you are in the middle of nowhere. 20 minutes to a grocery store. Beautiful spot!
Guide
Perfection. It was early October, and while the AM Temps dropped to 32°F. I wanted to stay one more day. The toilet needed pumping out, to be expected at the end of the season. The water pump didn't produce, I had plenty. I recommend bringing enough to wash with as well as drink. This time of year, the creek was a babbling brook. For the 5 days I stayed, at most 3 campers, and one only stayed one night. Very peaceful, just what the doctor odered. Road is very easy to get down. I look forward to going back. However, I am posting a picture of a notice posted at the entrance. I would not pay for this campsite. It was perfect for what it was. If they do start charging, then I believe it would not be worth it.
Guide
It's a great place to camp out of the way from all the other campgrounds in Lassen Park. Just beware of the 5 mile gravel road into camp. The lake is close to the campground, quiet and peaceful. No motor boats. You must wear a life preserver if you put your boat in the water.
GuideThis was a very peaceful campground, given it was in a popular National Park. The setting is very open, with tall pines and no undergrowth, but the sites are far apart. There is no cell service, no dump site, nor any grey water dump pits. The latrines are very nice with running water and toilets. The toilet houses are the only place you can get drinking water and there are only about four locations. There is no way to hook up a hose, even with a water robber, so you have to fill jugs and carry from the sink. There is a campground host, but we had no interaction.
I was there in late July and the lake was great (cold, not numbing) for swimming. Several people launched kayaks and lots of people did the many hikes around the area. Not really a place for riding bikes.
The campground is at the end of a six-mile gravel road. Not too dusty or bumpy. Maybe that is why it wasn't so populated.
For those looking for boondock sites, the first five miles are National Forest with several side roads.
GuideLarge campsite with fire pit and large trees. There are toilets but I didn't see any showers. If you visit after the summer season it is dry camping meaning there is no drinking water available so keep that in mind. The campground is near the lake, and cinder cone trailhead.
TravelerMy wife and I and two dogs stayed at campsite 51. Wonderful site with hook ups. easy to find and loved the proximity to the PCT.
GuideNice campground with all year facilities. We enjoyed a hike to nearby cindercone volcano. Campground is nicely shaded. The water in the lake is low this year, but lots of campers brought canoes and boats. The boat ramp is closed. No motorized boats allowed. The last 7 mile to the campground is dirtroad. Rv spots are drive through.
LegendStayed at Butte Lake for two nights in late June 2022. None of the campsites has an unobstructed lake view, but it’s a short walk to the day use area on the shore. This is a good jumping off point for a ton of hikes on this side of Lassen NP; excellent signage tells you how far each destination is. The sites themselves are not very private; kids were rolling through our site on bikes all afternoon and evening, dogs were barking at each other, it was a little crowded feeling even though it was probably only at half capacity. (There were reservation cards on almost all the sites, but it seems like a lot of people didn’t show up.) That said, after driving past some of the other campgrounds right next to the highway, I was happy to have chosen this one.
ScoutNice campground near the creek. Sites are nice and clean but some are a bit crowded. Lots of nearby fishing.
Scout
I had a very enjoyable time looking out at the scenery. I had peace and quite with no large buildings and being on a private road. It all gave me the feeling I was one with the nature all around me. The camp also represents and embodies that same unity.
Traveler
The first morning we were there my dog found and ate some weed that someone had carelessly and irresponsibility discarded on the ground and she became extremely ill and had to be rushed to the emergency vet for treatment. Practicing leave no trace is so important for the safety of all animals and the preservation of our wild lands.
The road in took about an hour and a half and I would not recommend attempting it without 4WD and high clearance. There is one stream crossing but it is minor.
ScoutThis is a great place to escape city life. Don't mistake this camp ground for the one in Joshua state park. The road to get there was the only headache especially since we drove a small car. We made it but I'd definitely recommend something with a higher clearance. There were 6 campsites with tables and a fire rings. The camp ground had a pit toilet and no running water. There was no cell service and alot of mosquitoes.
TravelerThe campground and hosts were….awesome! The hosts were attentive and drove around in their golf cart regularly and diligently and were informative and friendly. The camp was good too. All was fairly quiet and the spots are far enough apart. However, the lake was dismal. It smelled like sewage and there was an algal scum floating all over the surface…the bad part is, we didn’t notice the smell until we were already in the water. I have been out on the lake about 20 years ago and it was great, from a boat out in the middle somewhere. From the beach? Miss me with that, please. One can rent a boat…only for fishing… We might stay there again, if we bring kayaks or boats or something.
GuideIf you're up for driving down a bumpy gravel road for 5-6 miles, this campground is a hidden gem within Lassen. Facilities are clean, sites are decent sized and there's a beautiful lake (Butte Lake) and a couple of great hikes that you can do directly out of the campground. We did the Cinder Cone trail, which is short, exposed, extremely steep but has a great payoff in terms of view and curiosity factor. We stayed for one night only, as we were passing through and I enjoyed our stay. If you're freaked out about taking your rig down a bumpy and dusty road, I would avoid this one. Otherwise, this is a tranquil spot away from the masses, which easily offers a day or two of activities, including potentially serving as a base camp to see other sites in the park and area. e.g. Barney Falls.
GuideThe road is bumpy in, so plan on that. We pulled in our R V with no problems. The lake is small but beautiful. It has a lava flow going right into it. Great for hiking, biking, paddleboard, kayaking, whatever. It is a great place on its own, but if you are trying to see the Volcano National Park, it's a bit of a drive. We loved camping here.
TravelerDespite the remote location and the bumpy gravel road to get to this park, it is a very popular campground. Advanced reservation is a must. Make sure to read the signs about the wildlife and take the advice of how to store food seriously. We saw a bear just a mile outside the campground.
The sites are large and spaced far apart and shady. The lake is only a short walk away and great for swimming, kayaking or paddle boarding. The lake is surrounded by lava and the beach has been formed by volcanic material and smells a little sulphuric but the water is very clear. There are several stunning hikes starting right at the campground .
RangerFree! I do love free. I had spent the day in the sun and had no intentions of driving four hours away. I did Subway Cave 👍🏻, Burney Falls👍🏻, and took a much needed nap by Hat Creek.
I pulled into another campground but there were kids running everywhere and the second I got out the mosquitoes came at me starved for my blood. I left.
The next was Bogard. I had literally no idea where I was. I needed rest.
It was beautiful. Aspens fluttered. Owls hooted through the night.
Most of the sites are for horses so I tried to take another without corrals as I’m not a horse but light was fading, I took a horse one.
I met all my fellow campers. So many dog cuddles. Kids rode bikes and played hide n seek.
5 other sites were taken so it was nice and quiet.
I found some wood someone had placed in my site previously and had a nice fire before sleep took over.
It was hot so no rain fly on my tent and the stars were abundant. So were the bugs.
Literally the only downside.
Easily 30 bugs came to bed with me. I used repellent to no avail.
But hey. It’s free.
GuideThis campground made for a great overnight getaway trip. We went in late may and the weather was perfect for traditional camping activities. The mosquitoes were out in full force so bug spray is a must. There are some nice places to fish that are just a short walk from the campsites and the campsites are nicely shaded to help cut the heat during the day. We saw some salmon, deer, quail, and frogs. There was evidence of bears around our site but we didn't have any issues.
GuideMore to the campground than just camping. Fishing in camp and nearby. Friendly staff. Had originally reserved a back in site, but emailed to hopefully get a pull through. Got a quick reply, and all taken care of. Campground is close to other fishing, the Subway Cave (ya gotta go there) Lassen National Park entrance and much more.
LegendWe did not stay the night here, as there was too much snow on Bridge Creek Springs Road in April for our RV to be able to get through. We spent the night in a clearing nearby though, and walked over to the campground to check it out.
The camp sites are nicely spread out, and each comes with a picnic table and steel fire pit. The website says max trailer length is 25 ft, but the sites looked plenty large enough to accommodate longer vehicles.
There is lots of shade, almost no sun, so if you rely on solar power keep that in mind.
Not maintained during the winter, but the campground is open. There are two unisex handicap accessible vault toilets, and one was unlocked and the other was locked. We saw several sites with dedicated horse corrals at the site.
There is also a day use area.
We saw a sign pointing the way to “water” but did not see any water spigots in the campground. The sign may have been referring to Pine Creek which passes along behind the campground. The website does mention handpumped water though, so maybe there was a spigot that we didn’t see.
During the winter the campground has kind of an eery, disheveled look. However, when maintenance starts up again, and when the Aspen change color in the fall, this campground is probably a beautiful place.
Zero cell service.
No fees even during open season.
Traveler1st RV park that I ever took my trailer to. Easy to get in and out of the camp site large camp sites, the hat Creek runs right through the camp ground and we caught trout all morning. Wonderful place convenience store was great too!👍👍
Traveler
This is a great spot for camping. There are very nice and large spots for both Camper and Tent camping. The bathrooms and showers are clean and exactly what you would expect from a county park. There are lots of tall trees for shade during the day, and the trees separated the spots enough that groups can be separate or together. The road isn’t too close, and there isn’t much traffic after 9:00 or so anyways.
There is also a water access to go easing and a few deep spots for swimming.
There are also 3 Poké stops and a gym for Pokémon Go players.
GuideThis little gem is a great place to stay while visiting Lassen. Located off a well maintained gravel road near beautiful Butte Lake. We had no problem towing our trailer to this location and neither did our friends whose trailer is 30+ ft. The campsites are spacious and well maintained. Lots of trees and within walking distance to the lake. Flush toilets were decently clean.
There are no sites located on the actual lake so you have to pack a beach bag, chairs, toys and snacks and haul them down to the waters edge if you want a beach day. Mosquitoes were HUGE so don’t forget bug spray!
The Cinder Cone hike along the old lava flow behind the campsite is spectacular! Don’t let the climb up the cinder cone dissuade you; the panoramic view from the top is well worth it! We did it with two 6 year olds. Don’t forget to visit the nearby Lava Tubes and geothermal sights.
Scout
The campgrounds is small, which was perfect. A total of 19 spaces, but on a Sunday night there were only 5 filled spaces. Trees and birds! Chipmunks! Walking trails connect to the campground! What a delight and right near Bucks Lake!
It is bear country, and the campsite was visited by a bear at night. Just one night, when the night before the dumpsters were emptied. The bear messed with the campground dumpster but left everything else alone. All the garbage goes into bear proof dumpsters. Don't leave it out in cans. Those are labeled PLASTIC and CANS. Just do what they say- and keep your food stuffed locked up. Head the warnings- right? The bear, after speaking to the host, is well known locally. They have watched it grow up.
Someone reviewed poorly because of vault toilets. Maybe they have never been camping. Vault toilets are very common and a non-issue. Sure they don't smell like an indoor bathroom- but these were serviced every day! Not a concern. They work for what you need them to do. And there was even toilet paper stocked!
ScoutBathrooms had a horrific smell, trash overflowed the receptacles all four days we were there; not to mention the huge “bear country” signs to make sure trash is properly disposed of, but the ranger just drove by it multiple times with her truck bed empty. It’s right by the main road/interstate; large trees are placed in front of the camp area..I’m assuming so a car will hit the tree and offer sometime of protection?! Yikes. We made the best of it but we will not be back. I’ve heard of other great sites around bucks lake and will be sure to check those for the future.
GuideStayed at a full hookup site in my 22 foot travel trailer. We got a spot right on the water. The spots had a bunch of space between them and you had a feeling of privacy. The store here was closed, but there is one a couple miles down the road that is well stocked. We will be back here for sure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lassen Volcanic National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lassen Volcanic National Park is Butte Lake Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park with a 4.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lassen Volcanic National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Lassen Volcanic National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
