Best Tent Camping near Modoc National Forest

This campsite is nestled in the forest away from the highway. It has cabins, RV, and tent camping available. There is a new playground for children. When you stay, a free shower is included. The bathrooms are regular flushing toilets with showers in the room and outlets if you need to blowdry your hair. The attendant on the grounds is very nice and friendly. We arrived late (9pm) and she was able to assist us with getting settled. There is a small shop next to the office. You can also book your lot reservation online. I'll include a picture of the map of the area. For those tent camping, bring a tarp for your tent to sit on. It's a dirt, rock, and pine needles area. In the morning, you'll hear song birds.

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!

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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.

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.

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.

I 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.

You’ll be getting dirt out of your clothes for a week. It’s more like volcanic ash or clay ash… it’s super sticky and it’s very sunny during the day in the summer. There’s no flat spots for a tent. There’s a lake access which seemed nice, people were swimming. The road isn’t paved so every time someone drove by there would be a massive dirt cloud covering your tent and chairs, food, drinks… the bathroom was really dirty and there was no garbage cans. So expect to pack out everything home. The lake is beautiful and the campsite would be awesome if they paved the road and fixed up the bathroom. I’d recommend if you have a trailer or a small RV!