Best RV Parks & Resorts near Modoc National Forest, CA

This campground is situated on the north shore of Lake Britton, CA. directly across the lake from the McArthur-Burney Falls campground. It offers 30 campsites, many with a view of the lake, and has coin-operated showers and vault toilets available in the campground. A camp supervisor/host is on site. All camp sites have fire rings and picnic tables but no food lockers. For boaters there is lake access and room for anchoring at the shore. The fishing here is a short walk to the shore and there is a small swimming area as well. There are no RV hookups present.

This is undoubtedly the quietest campground we have ever visited.  Not just because there were few campers, but its location so far from any highway or city.  I would also like to give kudos to the the fire crews who saved this area from the fire last year.  The visitor center and campground are an island of green in the middle of a charcoal land. 

I would categorize it as a tent and teardrop campground.  There are some sites where larger RVs can park, maybe around 25', but most campground spaces will only hold the car.  They have a lot parallel RV parking and that requires you sign up for two spaces, one for your trailer, the other for your car.  The lower campground, A, is more open, great if you have solar.  The upper campground, B, has more spaces and some for larger RVs.  

The drinking water faucets are irregularly dispersed and few.  You cannot hook up to them to fill your RV, so be sure to bring some 5 gallon containers to haul water to your RV.  There are flush toilets and sinks with cold water, no showers.  Bring all your supplies, as the nearest town is about a 40 minute drive.  There are very solid metal fire rings and picnic tables.  The closest dump station is in Tule Lake, but is excellent, with water and good drain positioning - and its free.

We had excellent Verizon service and were able to surf the internet, load and download pictures without using any booster.  I was also pleased to get a staff member directly when I called for information.  There is a lot to see at this park and I highly recommend it.

PS The helmet they sell ($8) saved my head many a time during cave exploring.

Had a wonderful visit. No hookups. So only dry rv camping. Hike around the lake and even made my own trails.

• Forested with ponderosa pine.
• 22 RV sites, 10 rustic cabins, 8 tents, group site
• shower house
• Full hookups *playground structure
• Our friends and we had the place to ourselves. (Antelope fire very close, but smoke had dissipated after 3 hours of rain)
• All pull through sites big enough to keep toad hooked up
• The owner said their main season is hunting season which starts the end of September. We overnighted here the 9/12/21. Very pleasant.

Good campsite nestled in the trees. Approximately 10 tent sites, 20 RV, and 15 cabins. RV are full hookup. Showers, laundry and friendly staff. Easy, close drive to Lava Beds National park

Howards Gulch Campground • Modoc National Forest • $12

Northern California • Basin & Range Birding Trail 15 Northeastern location

Just past a hundred miles of farmfield coming from the North we enter the Modoc National Forest, and turn left against our GPS’ wishes into Howard’s Gulch Campground (Forest Service). Pay attention to the signs. It's analog but it's right. It’s a small, primitive camp in Northern California with 12 sites. Two which are walk in only and none which are for large RV’s. The fee is $12 which is significantly more than the next campground down the road which is free, but the consistency of the Forest Service sites makes it worth it. 

The trees are tall and red, and according to a conveniently placed sign, coniferous. There are also signs indicating common birds of the area and their habitats, along with a 1.5 mile trail built by the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and the California Department of Corrections. The trail has been dedicated “for your hiking pleasure…” This campground is also part of the Basin & Range Birding Trail system of Northern California and Southern Oregon.

Like all forest service campgrounds there is a fire pit and a picnic table in each site. Most of the sites are spaced relatively privately, but since you’re in the middle of nowhere you’ll probably be sharing the camp with one, maybe two other campers. In addition, some sites have a stand alone charcoal grilling set-ups.

Trails like this one lead right from camp. Bring your binoculars.

There are plenty of water taps. At least five, but since it isn’t potable there isn’t really much benefit. Since the water is being “treated with chemicals” I wouldn’t even recommend boiling it for use leaving it for the dousing of fires, but the camp is under no-burn restrictions. Rightfully so, considering the summer California has had so far.

Toilets are standard vaults, but there are three of them for 12 sites. Two of which are recent new builds. Being low in the gulch you’re surrounded by walls on three sides to the outer side of the camp loop. The inner loop still backs up to a cliff wall for an unusually located tall mound...and OHMYGOD MY WIFE JUST CHOPPED HER THUMB! SHIT! SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!

...

The reason to camp here is…you’re on your way somewhere else most likely. Coming from Oregon to Yosemite or Tahoe or vice versa. But if you do you won’t be disappointed and if you like birds you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The nearest town is at least 20+ miles if you need anything so come prepared. My Wife's thumb is fine by the way. Despite a serious scare at the time. She field dressed it like a boss using our first aid kit (which we've since upgraded). She'll have a reminder scar, but her badass level went up like a million points. I give Howard’s Gulch 3 Tent Stakes of Awesomeness for being a solid campground with nice sites and trails leaving right from camp but not much else going on. Also, there is no indication of who Howard is. I certainly didn't meet him.

Pro-Tip #1: Prepare for summer heat. You aren’t at elevation here.

Pro-Tip #2: Bring binoculars.

Pro-Tip #3: Bring water and anything else you might need. No place near by to get anything.

This well-maintained campground is within the national monument and steps from the visitors center. We were there offseason (October), so there were only 3 other campsites taken. SItes A6 and A7 definitely have the best views. There are no hookups for RVs, but there is a water spigot at most sites, along with picnic tables and fire pits. The bathroom was super clean. The $10 camping fee is half priced if you have an annual national park pass. Staying at this campground makes it easy and possible to stay late exploring the lava tubes and getting right back to it in the morning. There’s also a hiking path that leaves right from the campground that takes you to more caves to explore (Three Sisters).

These are the ancestral lands of the Modoc people who were forcibly removed by settlers. The museum and park has excellent education and information about the horrific battle between the Modoc people and the white settlers.

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.

The Falls are spectacular and easy to access. The campground is not my style--there is a general store, lots of RV camping and ground workers circling in golf carts. They pulled up at our site as it neared check out time and asked if we were almost done. But with that said, it's clean, family friendly, very comfy camping...if that's your thing.

Large campground, back sites back into wooded away so sites are unofficially almost 2x as big, some new bathrooms & showers, smoothly paved roads, moderate strenuous hiking access to nearby lake, mini cabins, tent or RV camping, the Falls are spectacular but water is VERY cold. Fairly steep hike down to Falls, not very handicap friendly but there are a few overlooks, nice camp store where you can get cell service. Really loved camping here for 5 days. Lace tubes about 20min drive. Don't miss!

Where camped here just after they opened in April, 2021.  The daytime visitors made for a large crowded parking lot and line at the entrance station, but so far on 8 campers in the 64 sites that were open.

It is a wonderfully shaded park (i.e. no solar) and the sites are nicely separated.  However it is an older park and our 18 foot trailer was too large for many of the sites.  There were no pull throughs and any trailer over 25 feet is going to have a problem.  Otherwise, for the most part the pads were paved and flat.

They had solid picnic tables, aging stone fireplaces, but nice, newer heavy metal fire rings.  Wood was available for purchase.  There is no electric on site and the water faucets (not threaded) were scattered around the site.  No dish water dump or cleaning station, but there was an RV dump station.  They flush toilets with hot and cold water sinks as well as the showers (2 tokens for $1 = 4min) are excellent.

This is a cell dead zone.  Absolutely no Verizon service until you drove back to Burney.

We really enjoyed the different hikes that were available, being around 2 miles more or less in length.  The falls are the usual tourist zoo, but very beautiful.  Once you get out on the trails, you don't see many people.

This is one of my favorite campsites in California. There all the falls, which are beautiful, the lake for swimming and water sports and lots of hiking trails. The campsites are dry sites (no hookups), but they have updated bathrooms and showers. They also have cabin for rent, but you have to bring your own bedding. The visitors center is awesome and they always have programs going on for kids and adults alike. Both the falls and lake Britten is within walking distance. Even if I am not camping, I stop here to visit when going through CA.

15$ per night. Big spaces. Trail to a gorgeous swimming hole. Water is very cold though. Rope swing. Lots of kids at swimming hole!  No hookups. Very close to McCloud Falls. Great hiking. Epic views

Had a great stay here with our family! HOT in the summer but perfect for off season camping.

Nice campground though it can be very crowded. If you have kids it's perfect, close to the lake with a beach area, and activities are offered by the park staff. You can hike or drive to the lake, and of the waterfall, which is easily accessible, is simply beautiful. Watch for black swifts by day, and big eared bats at night by the waterfall. Last time I went, there was an Osprey nest at the falls. The park has a nice visitor center and small store. Sites have a picnic table, food locker, fire ring, there are showers, flush toilets and water. The sites are nice sized and mostly level.

A suggestion if you want to skip the crowds - I've gone in the off season when a smaller section of the campground is open. It is cold at night – but you could hear the waterfall all night – best sleep ever! In the evening I had the waterfall all to myself (bring a bottle of wine)! I saw only two other people there in the morning. There are also cabins that looked nice.

Check out McCloud falls while in the area, it's a nice hike to three different falls. Note, the PCT goes through here if that is of interest to you.