Are you planning a tent camping trip to McArthur? We've got you covered. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of McArthur's most popular destinations.
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 Campground at Cave Lake is little used and the perfect place for a week-end or week long getaway.
Divine springs campground has 5 metal fire ring/bbq pits and tables. A small stream runs through the site, and is fenced off from livestock.
Rocky Point West is located at Eagle Lake outside of Susanville, Ca. This is a small undeveloped campground on the west shore of Rocky Point. The site is best suited for self-contained camping. There is no potable water or trash removal available but a vault toilet is provided. There is no fee for the use of the campground but a donation is requested to assist with the routine maintenance costs. The surface in the campground is packed earth, gravel or sand. It is possible to launch small boats along the shoreline in the campground area. .Click the links below for more information on the BLM and Forest Service Eagle Lake and nearby campgrounds at Eagle Lake. North Eagle Lake Campground Rocky Point East Campground Eagle Lake The Lassen National Forest, Eagle Lake Ranger District manages southwestern end of the lake which includes the Christi, Merrill, Aspen and Eagle campgrounds located off of Eagle Lake County Road. The Eagle Lake Marina includes a small store, restrooms, showers, and fish cleaning station. Gallatin Beach is a popular place to swim by the shore. Visitors can contact the Eagle Lake Ranger District Monday-Friday at 530-257-4188. For information visit: Lassen National Forest Campgrounds Eagle Lake Campgrounds & Marina
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
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.
ScoutClean. Quiet! Helpful and friendly host
Ranger
Very peaceful campground nestled in the forest. Sites were clearly defined with fire rings and picnic tables. Pit toilets were surprisingly clean given the remoteness of this campground. There are several dirt road trails from campground offering various hiking options.
Road to campground was easily accessible by 2WD.
Only concern we had were the abundance of mosquitoes. Would go again.
No cell coverage.
No cost; FF campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near McArthur, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near McArthur, CA is Cal Pines with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near McArthur, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near McArthur, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
