Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, McArthur, CA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. McArthur is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near McArthur, CA. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
The Blue Lake Campground is situated in the beautiful South Warner Mountains of the Modoc National Forest in a tranquil and remote area of northeastern California. Blue Lake was formed from a massive landslide several thousand years ago. Over time, the land filled up with water from snow melt and rain where blue lake is today. Blue Lake is truly deep blue in color and remains ice cold even during the hotest days of summer! The fishing is great, and there's a 3 mile trail that goes around the entirety of the lake. Come enjoy your National Forest land by visiting the Blue Lake Campground this summer!
There is a trail around the lake 3 mile, along with many opportunities to walk and bike around the paved campground roads and boat dock area. There are several wilderness trailheads within 6-15 miles from the site as well. The South Warner Wilderness has many trails to offer a true solitude experience away from the big city. Off-highway -vehcle (OHV) use is also a popular recreation activity in the neighboring area road systems.
There is a trail around the lake 3 mile, along with many opportunities to walk and bike around the paved campground roads and boat dock area. There are several wilderness trailheads within 6-15 miles from the site as well. The South Warner Wilderness has many trails to offer a true solitude experience away from the big city. Off-highway -vehcle (OHV) use is also a popular recreation activity in the neighboring area road systems.
There are many ice cold mountain streams feeding into and coming out of Blue Lake. The campground is situated in a lower part of the mountains, but the entire campground is surrounded by mountain ridges scattered with ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, incense cedar, and aspen trees. There was an intense wildfire that came through the area back in 2003, so many of the hillsides near Blue Lake are in the process of regenerating tree stands. Fortunately, the campground was saved from the fire, so there are plenty of big pine trees for shade!
$70 / night
Shady campsites and a creek running along side make Lower Rush Creek Campground a great getaway destination. Trailers larger than 22 feet are not recommended. In the winter months roads may become soft or impassable. Please do not create resource damage by driving on soft roads or saturated soil. Remember the weather can change quickly and you do not want to be unprepared for extreme conditions.
Stough Reservoir Campground is only 1 mile off Hwy 299 on a gravel road. At 6,200 feet it provides relief from the heat of the valleys on either side. Small trailers and motorhomes will find access and turn-arounds manageable. The reservoir is small but is kept stocked by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Water is provided and campsites sit away from the shore with nice views of the reservoir. Stough Reservoir is Number 4 on the Basin & Range Birding Trail. Bring you camera and binoculars and expect to see Prairie Falcons, Rufous Hummingbirds and Wild Turkeys.
$15 / night
Great getaway property on top of California Pines. Just up the hill from Brown’s Pond and around the corner from Rainbow Pond. You can enjoy a nice camping area in the mountains during the summer. As a forester, I personally love being among the trees, especially the incense cedar and ponderosa pine as the afternoon breeze comes in 🍃🌲
$30 / night
The recreation opportunities in the Alturas CA area are endless, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, hunting, skiing, boating and OHV. The camping site has nearly 3 acres with a view of the town of Alturas and is a great place to kick back and enjoy the atmosphere of fresh air and juniper trees. There are flat usable campsites around the property and one portion of the property is fenced for horses (bring your own water trough). The property is approximately 3 minutes from downtown Alturas with restaurants and stores. The sleepy town is a perfect place to hang out and relax at the big park in town behind the VFW Hall on Main Street, have refreshments at the two bars in town or try your luck at the Desert Rose Casino. It's also cool to drive around the neighborhoods to see the "town deer", some of them get pretty big! The Wildlife Refuge has a self-driving tour where you can see all kinds of birds and wildlife. Take a drive outside town to the "Ranches" to see more deer, antelope, eagles and various waterfowl!
Alturas is a high desert area with wonderful views of the Warner Mountains and has an enchanting feel to it. Temperatures in the summer rarely get over 100 degrees, mostly low 90's, and in the fall the cool nights make for great sleeping. Pop over Cedar Pass to Cedarville, which is about 20 minutes away, to check out the newly designated "Dark Sky" area.
Come up and hang out in this very cool and special place, you will not want to leave!! The town of Alturas is also in the coveted X hunting zones, X3a, X3b and X2, for those of you who like to hunt. Two sites have full hook ups and the small trailer site on the above pad (see trailer picture) has electric only. During the winter, the pump house is turned off and drained due to freezing temperatures and the risk of blowing a pipe, so campers must bring their own water during November through March. Please ask if there are changes in these dates for the water hook ups. I have At&T phone service up there and it has good signal and I can get wifi through my phone. If you need internet for your computer I suggest bringing a MIFI. I hope you enjoy your stay at Camp Freedom! Cheers! Stacie
#CampFreedomAlturas #ExploreModoc #Duckhunting #DuckHuntingZoneNorthWestCA #XZoneCA
$50 / night
The Willow Creek Campground offers secluded tent and trailer sites in a large ponderosa pine and aspen setting. The campsites are located on the banks of Willow Creek.
$8 / night
$20 - $42 / night
Located on the edge of the South Warner Wilderness this campground is nestled in the thick pine forests above Jess Valley at the south end of the Warner Mountains. It's easy access makes for a perfect weekend get away.
The Blue Lake Campground is situated in the beautiful South Warner Mountains of the Modoc National Forest in a tranquil and remote area of northeastern California. Blue Lake was formed from a massive landslide several thousand years ago. Over time, the land filled up with water from snow melt and rain where blue lake is today. Blue Lake is truly deep blue in color and remains ice cold even during the hotest days of summer! The fishing is great, and there's a 3 mile trail that goes around the entirety of the lake. Come enjoy your National Forest land by visiting the Blue Lake Campground this summer!
There is a trail around the lake 3 mile, along with many opportunities to walk and bike around the paved campground roads and boat dock area. There are several wilderness trailheads within 6-15 miles from the site as well. The South Warner Wilderness has many trails to offer a true solitude experience away from the big city. Off-highway -vehcle (OHV) use is also a popular recreation activity in the neighboring area road systems.
There is a trail around the lake 3 mile, along with many opportunities to walk and bike around the paved campground roads and boat dock area. There are several wilderness trailheads within 6-15 miles from the site as well. The South Warner Wilderness has many trails to offer a true solitude experience away from the big city. Off-highway -vehcle (OHV) use is also a popular recreation activity in the neighboring area road systems.
There are many ice cold mountain streams feeding into and coming out of Blue Lake. The campground is situated in a lower part of the mountains, but the entire campground is surrounded by mountain ridges scattered with ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, incense cedar, and aspen trees. There was an intense wildfire that came through the area back in 2003, so many of the hillsides near Blue Lake are in the process of regenerating tree stands. Fortunately, the campground was saved from the fire, so there are plenty of big pine trees for shade!
$70 / night
Shady campsites and a creek running along side make Lower Rush Creek Campground a great getaway destination. Trailers larger than 22 feet are not recommended. In the winter months roads may become soft or impassable. Please do not create resource damage by driving on soft roads or saturated soil. Remember the weather can change quickly and you do not want to be unprepared for extreme conditions.
Stough Reservoir Campground is only 1 mile off Hwy 299 on a gravel road. At 6,200 feet it provides relief from the heat of the valleys on either side. Small trailers and motorhomes will find access and turn-arounds manageable. The reservoir is small but is kept stocked by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Water is provided and campsites sit away from the shore with nice views of the reservoir. Stough Reservoir is Number 4 on the Basin & Range Birding Trail. Bring you camera and binoculars and expect to see Prairie Falcons, Rufous Hummingbirds and Wild Turkeys.
$15 / night
The recreation opportunities in the Alturas CA area are endless, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, hunting, skiing, boating and OHV. The camping site has nearly 3 acres with a view of the town of Alturas and is a great place to kick back and enjoy the atmosphere of fresh air and juniper trees. There are flat usable campsites around the property and one portion of the property is fenced for horses (bring your own water trough). The property is approximately 3 minutes from downtown Alturas with restaurants and stores. The sleepy town is a perfect place to hang out and relax at the big park in town behind the VFW Hall on Main Street, have refreshments at the two bars in town or try your luck at the Desert Rose Casino. It's also cool to drive around the neighborhoods to see the "town deer", some of them get pretty big! The Wildlife Refuge has a self-driving tour where you can see all kinds of birds and wildlife. Take a drive outside town to the "Ranches" to see more deer, antelope, eagles and various waterfowl!
Alturas is a high desert area with wonderful views of the Warner Mountains and has an enchanting feel to it. Temperatures in the summer rarely get over 100 degrees, mostly low 90's, and in the fall the cool nights make for great sleeping. Pop over Cedar Pass to Cedarville, which is about 20 minutes away, to check out the newly designated "Dark Sky" area.
Come up and hang out in this very cool and special place, you will not want to leave!! The town of Alturas is also in the coveted X hunting zones, X3a, X3b and X2, for those of you who like to hunt. Two sites have full hook ups and the small trailer site on the above pad (see trailer picture) has electric only. During the winter, the pump house is turned off and drained due to freezing temperatures and the risk of blowing a pipe, so campers must bring their own water during November through March. Please ask if there are changes in these dates for the water hook ups. I have At&T phone service up there and it has good signal and I can get wifi through my phone. If you need internet for your computer I suggest bringing a MIFI. I hope you enjoy your stay at Camp Freedom! Cheers! Stacie
#CampFreedomAlturas #ExploreModoc #Duckhunting #DuckHuntingZoneNorthWestCA #XZoneCA
$50 / night
The Willow Creek Campground offers secluded tent and trailer sites in a large ponderosa pine and aspen setting. The campsites are located on the banks of Willow Creek.
$8 / night
TravelerLooked nice to camp and the creek might have been a nice place to drop a line. But, no spots available to camp as hunters used campsites for their personal parking lot and even took over the area to the south of the campsites. There were three trailers there but I lost count of the trucks there. We went up the road further to the Trailhead and hunting vehicles everywhere. So we went further and found a nice spot to camp. It would be nice if the campsites were clearly marked and were used as such.
Ranger
So many beautiful trees in the campground and plenty of places to hang a hammock.
We stayed for a long weekend, deer were plentiful and it was a perfect spot to enjoy nature.
Traveler
Sites were not completely level but workable. Looked like homeless folks might have lived there at some point. We made camp 1 night before headed on towards Oregon.
TravelerRoad side area, gravel surface. Step entry off road. Creek side good for stop over. State land.
ScoutI’ve never seen cleaner pit toilets Lisa said it all almost. The toilet also have a side table with magazines. We had a good site with a distant lake view. Easy in and out. Can’t beat it for a short overnight stay. The hosts are to be commended.
Guide
Needed a place while heading north. Easy to find. Inexpensive free shower and had access to do laundry. Worked well for our camper van.
Close to the wild refuge. Walked the 3 mile loop before heading out of town. Super close
Casino is also within a few miles. Penny slots
GuideGreat stop. The Most Immaculate pit toilets ever! Many pull through sites. Easy on/off Hwy 139. Trees . Quiet. Only one other camper there on a Monday . Honor federal interagency passes.
Guide
If you need a spot dont moss this one! Easy access from highway though only a 1/4 mile to CG sign . Did not see a Howard's Gulch sign. Clean, quiet, some road noise IF a vehicle goes by. Lots of trees, a short hiking trail, good tasting water. Probably won't accommodate big rigs 35' max????
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.
Scout
Graded dirt road a few miles from highway. Small camping area but not many people.
Scout
This was a great place at the top of the mountain. Rainbow pond was a great place to walk to from the campground. I really enjoyed my time setting up a hammock and enjoying the scenery. There was plenty of shade and a nice breeze in the afternoon that I looked forward to.
Scout
We pulled in a 16ft camp trailer with no problem. Plenty of camp sites to choose from. There are a lot of trees to navigate with larger trailers. 19 ft trailer may be the max. Very peaceful
GuideFirst time I stayed in a campground with heated bathrooms which was great because we pulled into camp during a storm. I do not snow camp so that was a blessing. Next day was beautiful. Even though it is a National Park the rangers allowed us to collect dead and down wood for the fire. They do not sell firewood in the park. Views were spectacular and so much to do and see. Definitely coming back to finish exploring the park.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Camp Freedom has a prime location for those who enjoy the outdoors, check out the list of nearby activities to do during your stay! Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!
ScoutCame here for the eclipse and had no trouble on the roads. Free campsites with vault toilets, tables, and fire pits. Enjoyed the sound of the river while camping.
Guide
We stayed here overnight when passing through the area. Very clean campground with pit toilet, concrete picnic tables and fire rings. There were also a few game cleaning stations as well. Beautiful rock formations and juniper trees. The area feels ancient with a beautiful energy. Will definitely be staying here again when we pass back through the area.
Guidethis site was much better than expected. it's about 2-3 miles off the 395 and has a variety of spaces. most of the sites are pull-through but if you have a bigger rig you might have a bit of a problem turning around at the end of the campground. It looked like a dead end and didn't want to risk it. even though there is a bubbling creek next to the campground it was great that we didn't have any bugs or mosquitos. I also talked to a group of contractors staying at the site that it can get busy when they (and 2-3 other teams) use it as home base to clear fire breaks around the 395 during the summer
Traveler
I had this campground all to myself at the end of June. Was a perfect place to stop for the night. Very secluded and beautiful. Sunset was amazing. So many unique birds and lake is swimmable.
Only downside is that it got buggy at night but no suprise there.
ScoutPulled off around 10:30-11 pm on a roadtrip, and car camped in the parking lot. Parked further from the road and away from road to avoid getting flashed by incoming cars. 10/10 sorry i put 4 stars. Pee Pee’d in the morning.
Legend
Not much to report here, other than be aware of snow in May. We tried to get to this campground but were blocked by too much snow in the road. Other than the snow the road was in good condition and easy to drive in our class c. The website lists the status for this campground as “area not cleared,” so presumably if you have a vehicle that can get through the snow, then you’re ok to go camp here.
Also as of Spring 2023 there will be a $15/night fee, so no longer free. Zero cell service here.
Legend
Sweet little free USFS campground that is open (previous review and Google maps list this as permanently closed). Campground is free and first come first serve. It’s very basic- there are picnic benches and fire pits at each site, as well as several pit toilets throughout the campground, but otherwise there are no services. There’s no host and no trash service and the sites aren’t even marked or numbered.
The Verizon phone had basically no service, just some sporadic in and out, but practically unusable. The cell booster didn’t help. The ATT phone has some service, not great, but usable for texting and light browsing.
The creek runs right through the campground and some of the sites are just right on the water. The sound of the creek drowns out most of the noise from the road (except for the big trucks), so you have the perfect scenario of easy access from the road but not much road noise. There were no other campers when we stayed here on a Saturday in mid May. One person was here to walk her dogs for a bit but otherwise we had the whole place to ourselves. There was still some snow on the ground and it looks like there’s a second entrance to the east but that road was blocked by snow. The website says that the vehicle limit is 17ft, but I’m not sure why. We had plenty of room for our 26ft class c. I could see large class As or 5th wheels having trouble navigating the narrow forest roads.
TravelerIt’s 5:30pm and the gate is closed. Not sure if it’s off season or what.
Legend
Free usfs camping! Secluded little campground right off 299. Follow directions on Dyrt app as coordinates don’t quite take you to the actual campground. There is signage as you turn off 299 but mileage is off. Pit toilets, trash and seasonal? water (was off when we were here in late October). Sites may be small for a big rig but fit our van with plenty of room.
GuideWe originally went to the dispersed campground down a very bumpy road but that area was a dirt parking lot, extremely exposed and unappealing so we headed back North Eagle Lake for an overnight stay.
It appears some upgrades have been done since one of the earlier reviews as there were 3 new vault toilets and a new entrance sign. Not sure why that review said there were no trees as we had plenty of them as did many of the other campsites. There were multiple vans, a Class A, tents and a tear drop so this campground can accommodate all rig sizes.
We'd definitely stay here again.
LegendGreat little BLM campground located on Eagle Lake. There are no established campground sites but an open area. There are two restrooms but no trash cans. This campground is pack in, pack out. It's a great site for a day.
Cell Service: 5G Great
LegendThis is a middle of the road, nothing particularly special about it campground. There’s a small lake/pond nearby with fishing but that’s the primary draw; you can hike or drive to additional decent fishing throughout the Sierras but don’t expect a major nearby body of water to give the place a nice ambiance. Mosquitoes are aggressive despite the altitude. It’s first come first served (and almost always has space available because it’s a bit off the beaten track). Two vault toilets in a degrading state of cleanliness.
Note that there are no services here, including no potable water. No trash service so please pack everything in and everything out.
LegendThis campground is HIGH up in the mountains (over 5,000 feet) so remember sunscreen, water, and the fact that it’s going to get plenty cold at night regardless of the season. There is a lot of BLM boondocking activity in this area so it’s nice to have an actual campground.
There are seven sites in total and according to signage you can stay for a maximum of 14 days. This is plenty even when you take into consideration the vast number of hiking trails and off circuit lakes to explore. It’s a beautiful corner of California and highly underrated.
RVs can fit in these spots but the maximum length is about 24 feet. Vault toilets. No camp host and no cell service.
Camping near McArthur, California, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and unique experiences. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near McArthur, California, is a great way to enjoy nature and create lasting memories. Just be prepared for the unique challenges and rewards that come with it!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near McArthur, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, McArthur, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 58 campgrounds and RV parks near McArthur, CA and 6 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near McArthur, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near McArthur, CA is Blue Lake Campground Group Site Modoc Nf (Ca) — Modoc National Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near McArthur, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 free dispersed camping spots near McArthur, CA.
What parks are near McArthur, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near McArthur, CA that allow camping, notably Modoc National Forest and Lassen National Forest.
