Looking for an adventure where you can explore Mill Creek and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best tent camping sites near Mill Creek. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Mill Creek, California's most popular destinations.
The Southwest Walk-in Campground is located on the east side of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area. A short walk along a paved walkway provides easy access to each site. When snow is on the ground (approximately Nov-May), the location of the Southwest Campground changes to an over-the-snow area south of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area. Winter camping registration is located at the fee booth located south of the parking area.
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.
Developed campground with 12 available sites. Maximum of 8 people per site.
The Juniper Lake Campground is located on the east shore of Juniper Lake via a 13-mile paved/gravel road. All single campsites are first-come, first-served only. Reservations are required for the two group sites and one stock corral. Drinking water is not available.ADA Access: There are no ADA sites.
North Battle Creek Campground on the North Battle Creek Reservoir, is a scenic spot in Shasta County. Limited to non-motorized boating, the lake, at 5,600 feet in elevation, is an ideal place for canoeing, kayaking and rafting. Ten no-hookup sites for RVs or tents are available, as well as five walk-in tent sites. Booking a site with the online reservation is quick and easy. North Battle Creek Campground opens as weather permits. Potable water, fire rings, bear safe trash cans and a dirt boat ramp are available. Road is rough and high clearance vehicles are recommended.
Nestled adjacent to the beautiful Deer Creek, Alder Creek is a semi-developed campground with 6 designated sites. Space is limited.
11 sites, tents and RV's, vault toilets, piped water, 6 persons per campsite
Scout
This campground was very close to Lassen NP, which is convenient. Check-In is simply looking at your name on the board and finding your campsite, which is not clear from the confirmation email. It would've been nice to speak to a host to get the lay of the land. The vault toilets in the tent area are very dark even during the day, and are not well maintained. The showers were also very dirty with dead bugs everywhere. The trail down to Mill Creek while short, is incredibly steep and narrow. The creek itself is beautiful and you can hear it while you fall asleep which is nice. The tent sites in the upper numbers are well spaced out. And there are deer in the area that come right by your site :) Mosquitoes were not bad at all even right next to the creek. I would maybe try another campground that came recommend from a fellow tent camper while at this one. Also, I couldn't get a cell signal for Verizon the whole time I was at the campground.
GuideThis campground is just south of Lassen Volcanic National Park. It has two main sections, one for RVs and the other for tents. There are a small number of RV sites with full hookups and then a larger number of tent sites. The RV sites are fairly small, but felt separated enough to have some privacy. The tent sites are a bit more rustic.
The other slightly odd part is that most of the RV sites were filled with people who came and stayed for the entire summer, year after year. We were the only not long-term camper in the RV section.
Pros:
* Close to a lot of amazing scenery with Lassen
* Well kept, clean, quiet campground
* Camp store/restaurant is great
* Laundry on site
* Access to a nice little creek w/swimming hole
Cons:
* Camp store is open limited days
* Tent sites only have pit toilets which are not the best maintained
OK:
* No fires in the RV sites
* Showers were not always very clean
Legend
I like this campground a lot. Just the right size, maybe 40-50 camp sites total in two separate loops and it’s all very walkable. There’s a couple of pull-though spots for RVs and trailers and a decent mixture of small and medium RVs and tents.
Camp sites aren’t huge, but enough room not to be completely on top of each other and lots and lots of trees. Some have more room behind them depending on whether they are facing in or out on the loop. Each spot has a fire grate and picnic table. Nice camp host when we were there and an amphitheater nearby.
Totally awesome lake that’s safely swimmable for kiddos that’s also available for day-use. Flush toilets(always a plus). Enough to do either at the campground or nearby to keep kiddos busy for several days. And Lassen in general is a lovely park.
Pros: Best part is the awesome lake. Fairly shallow overall but plenty of fun.
Cons: Not many“extras” (like a store or playground), but I liked it just the way it is. Some spots better than others as far as privacy/space goes.
Legend
I loved this campground! Would go back in a heartbeat. This was the first KOA I've ever stayed in, and I was worried it would be too cheesy/boring (in comparison to the forest/state/national park ones I tend to love), but it was totally fun.
Pros: Lots of clean bathrooms, warm swimming pool, lots to do including a whole forested area with swings, a fort, etc., games, ping pong, decent sized sites. Close to the entrance to Lassen Park.
Cons: Some tent sites were better than others. My favorite tent sites were T6. T7, T8 and especially T13.
Guide
Spacious campsites with soft dirt/gravel that makes tent camping pretty comfy. Bathrooms were in good shape. The camp store is a close walk and has everything you would need. Stunning views of Lassen Peak from the lake.
Traveler
Lake cove is always a good choice. Clean bathrooms and laundry facility on site. There are tent sites, even sites with and without hookups, cabins, and a trailer to rent. They also have a volleyball court, horse shoes, and arcade available.
Ranger
There are 4 tent sites and 20+ RV sites.
9 miles away from the Lassen Volcanic NP southwestern entrance.
They have restrooms and showers (one stall and one shower for men and one and one for women).
There are are two fire pits for the “community” but we were the only tent campers for two nights in the middle of June. Each site has a picnic table and charcoal only bbq also.
Traveler
The smaller sites at Juniper Lake are first come first serve, unlike the group sites that can be reserved. Over the last few years the popularity of Juniper Lake has grown and it is difficult to find a spot on weekends, but early to mid week there's a pretty good chance you can find a spot. If you're lucky enough to get a spot on the lake you'll have one of the most beautiful camping spots in Northern California with an epic view of Mt. Lassen. There are a couple of good day hikes nearby as well. Typically camping here is tent camping, but if you have a smaller trailer like a tent trailer or Rpod you might be able to get it in. There are no RV hook ups.
Legend
This is one of several campground at Eagle Lake. The unique aspect of Aspen is it is set aside for Tent camping only. No RVs or cabovers are allowed here. It is set in shady pines just like the other campgrounds at the lake. All the usual amenities are here too. Picnic tables fire pits and nice bathrooms. A camp host is present. The campground sits near the water. Close by and to the east is the trail head for the beautiful Osprey Overlook trail. Overall a nice campground for the back to basics Tent camper.
ScoutPerfect RV and tent campground just outside of Lassen National Park. The RV sites are somewhat close to each other but there are plenty of trees around so you really have a forest feeling. There is a good restaurant and general store next door where you register. We would definitely stay here again.
Traveler
I stayed here numerous times as a young kid and teen with my family. We lived in Susanville and would go here to get out of the town and feel closer to nature and experience it all. The sites are walk in so be ready to pack what you need with you. The wildlife possibilities seem endless and it's a very tranquil spot to camp. You can head to thr river to fish as well, which is a plus. Overall, a food campground if you're not looking for any amenities and are tent camping.
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.
TravelerWe spent a full week here and enjoyed it immensely. Our tent site was large and spacious and even when full, the campground was quiet and peaceful. The hosts were very attentive to the needs of everyone staying there. We had one night during which a nearby, private property had some dogs that barked all night. We reported this concern the next morning, after which the hosts contacted the neighboring individuals and the dogs were quite for the remainder of our stay. The bathrooms and showers were always clean and well maintained. We will definitely stay there again.
Guide
Spent a 3 night camping trip staying here. While it is mainly an RV park, it does have some tent camping. There is a central bathroom that is clean. One trouble that we did have one night was the door to the women's bathroom was broken and no one could get in. There is a small lake in the middle of the lot where people can have catch and release fishing. There is a small store and restaurant, but we didn't get anything there. Many of the RVs seem to have been there for some time, every one was very friendly. The camp site had electric and water nearby with a fire grill.
LegendAnother great campsite within the gorgeous (and uncrowded) Lassen Volcanic National Park, this one is on the northern shore of a Summit Lake, a blue, pristine lake near 7000 feet. There are two camping loops with tent sites and small RV trailer sports available. No hook-ups, but flush toilets and sinks nearby.
Sites can be further inland near the forest with a parking lot that separates you from the lakeshore. In the summer, the lake is great for swimming.
There is another campsite on the southern side of the lake that is very similar, but we prefer the north campground in that the sites are closer to the lake itself. Numerous hikes are available within the area.
ScoutI decided to go on a last minute solo trip and called this places for a one night reservation. Next time I definitely want to stay longer. It’s a great family spot and there were lots of dogs and kids running around. The tent camping spots are far enough from people and you don’t feel like you’re on top of each other. You can choose if you want to glamp or camp here, so it’s also a good place if you have friends that don’t like dirt but want to be around pine trees.
One thing I will warn is google maps did tell me to turn too early and I was wondering around a neighborhood for a little bit. You turn right off of 44 to get to the site.
Traveler
We absolutely loved our 3 days here tent camping in a grass covered site. We lucked out as there was a cancellation for the group site just minutes before we checked in. And we jumped at the chance to spread out! I will say we looked all over at each site and there were dirt sites in the pines that would have been nice too but once you have camped in the grass nothing else compares! Barefoot and clean! Amazing. The staff! Awesome! Very helpful and fun. Bathrooms and showers were clean and everything worked. Their little section of Hat Creek is beautiful. I didn't catch a thing but at least I wasn't working! I haven't covered it all but you get the idea! Get out there and get your social distancing on folks!!
Cheers!
Legend
The falls sell the place. They are beautiful. The PCT trail goes right by on the opposite bank. Great fishing upstream from the falls. Great fun at Lake Britton.
BUT this is one busy crowded campground. It is large (many sites) has cabins, a visitor center and a store. So for me a tent camper this can feel like a freeway. So go in the off season - spring and fall. All the camping areas are not open then, but there are no crowds.
For tents some of the sites are open and not very private - meant for RVs. But you can hunt down a decent tent site. They have all the amenities here.
Beyond the falls and beyond the lake there is lots of hiking here. Hiking up the stream is magical. There are fall colors to enjoy, especially around Lake Britton. You can even strick out for the subway cave or Lassen or Mcloud from this central location.
Scout
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.
Scout
Found the camp and sites easily right off the highway across from the Subway Cave. Visited for the night with my oldest son’s Boy Scout troop, troop 16. Tent sites were flat and free of major debris and rocks. Fire ring was put to good use. The Camp Host, Gary was very friendly and introduced himself and offered to help in any way he could. We also enjoyed a very entertaining magic show by one of the camps frequent guest, Clancy. Flush toilets were clean and well stocked, minus hand soap or sanitizer. It was an easy walk from the site to the subway cave lava tube, which was the destination for the quick trip, is not to be missed. We neglected to bring fishing poles by observed many anglers returning with trout for their camp fires. Park Rangers we’re friendly and inviting.
Will return again!
Guide
Why we booked: Came to see Lassen NP. Manzanita Lake Campground canceled on us, and we needed a spot with plenty of FCFS availability.
Campground: Basic USFS campground. Heavily wooded with pine and sequoias, sites relatively spacious, vault toilets and threaded water spigots throughout. We were able to fill our tank by connecting a couple of hoses. Some spots for okay solar—we were getting 200W of a possible 400 after picking a sunny campsite in the summer. Being on a 55mph road, you do get road noise that dies down at night. Probably makes this a better campground for RVs than tent camping. Combining Verizon and T-Mobile with our router and booster let my wife and I work on video calls with few problems.
Quirks: Huge stacks of free firewood due to work done since a huge fire swept through the area a couple of years ago.
Site: Ours was one of a handful that can fit bigger rigs. Most folks should be able to get in here just fine—but if you're bigger, be good at backing.
Nearby: The southwest Lassen NP entrance is about 20 minutes away. The town of Chester is 20 minutes the other way, with propane and diesel and some decent food.
Value: Perfect!
Ranger
We have stayed on the lake before but at “dusty campground”, this time wanting to spend our trip in a little bit more of a civilized campground. The roads were paved unlike dusty but the campgrounds were just as dusty as dusty campground. Be prepared for everything to be covered from head to toe. We went July 12-14th and I wouldn’t swim in the lake, blue/green foam on the shoreline. Most of the campsites are more like RV sites with no flat ground for a tent. I wish I would’ve known that. There’s vault toilets around with toilet paper and 1 big bathroom with showers that is open 8am-9pm and runs on “tokens” that you have to buy with $1 bills only, no quarters accepted. Just a heads up. The campground was really pretty but I wouldn’t suggest for tent camping, for RV’s or car camping it’s nice. The bathrooms all smelt really good and were for the most part clean, the shower trash cans were overflowing with feminine products and wasn’t changed the whole time we stayed, so I’m not sure how often the bathrooms get cleaned. The camp host was friendly and offered people wood. Seems like the kind of place that you can do about whatever you’d like, music was blasting till 10pm when quiet hours started, that’s okay we just played our music too but those that are looking for a “relaxing camping trip” also shouldn’t come here.
RangerI 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.
LegendGeneral: 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).
Ranger
We stayed here after a long day of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The trail goes right through the "resort" town. The place is very eclectic, full of antique, unusual and thrift store kinds of stuff. You can stay at the motel, cabins, RV or tent sites. There's a restaurant, bar, and country store. The prices at the store are exorbitant, ($5 for 4 ramen packs). The bathrooms were dirty and so was the shower. The laundry machines outside the bathrooms were broken. The waitresses we had for dinner and breakfast were rude. We spent a lot of money at the store, restaurant and bar and as soon as bikers and locals showed up we stopped getting any kind of service. You can ask the staff for password for the wifi but the wifi is extremely slow and cell service is almost nil. Camping was weird. We had to ask three people before we got directed to where to camp at. One person suggested if we paid the bartender $20 we could get a campsite. Another one told us the campground was full with a family reunion. We were finally directed to free camp sites behind the school house. It wasn't a reunion, unless Grandma is really hip and likes rave music. But the baby there did not like it and cried all night. We were next to the "festival". The rave music played until 7 am. The bartender in the morning told us that they have music festivals like that all summer long. Even being free this place was not worth the stop. Caribou Crossing up the road was kinder and had amenities that worked.
Ranger
This spot wasn’t on The Dyrt, but it was on my map & signs pointed the way. Off 172, 3 miles via easy dirt road, then down to Mill Creek. When I arrived, a CDC/CalFire crew was finishing up. Camps raked & wood rounds stacked, ready for summer. A few vault toilets, but no ‘papers’ have been delivered yet. In fact there no signage at all yet (envelopes, fee info, etc). Mill Creek was bank-to-bank & blown out, so no fishing/swimming. No cell (Verizon) A beautiful & secluded spot. Had the place to myself.
Scout
Go to this camp for the quiet. Hiking is good going up or down Mill Creek. Fly fishing good and rarely more than one other camp used.
Nestled in the scenic beauty of Northern California, Mill Creek offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mill Creek, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mill Creek, CA is Southwest Walk-in Campground — Lassen Volcanic National Park with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Mill Creek, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 44 tent camping locations near Mill Creek, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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