Camping
Car campers have their choice of eight park campgrounds with over 400 sites. Reservations for Manzanita Lake, Summit Lake, and Butte Lake campgrounds are available through the National Recreation Reservation Service (tel. 877/444-6777; www.recreation.gov). Sites do fill up on weekends, so if you don't have a reservation, your best bet is to get to the park early Friday to secure a first-come, first-served spot. There are no RV hookups at the park, but you'll find them at nearby private campgrounds, as well as Lassen Mineral Lodge.
By far the most "civilized" campground in the park is at Manzanita Lake, where you'll find flush toilets and a camper store. There is also the Crags Campground, about 5 miles away, which is much more basic, with vault toilets. Farther into the park along the main park road is the Summit Lake Campgrounds, on the north and south ends of Summit Lake, where you'll find flush toilets in the north campground and vault toilets in the south campground. It's a pretty spot, often frequented by deer, and is a launching point for some excellent day hikes. In the southern end of the park is Southwest Campground, a walk-in camp directly adjacent to the southwest entrance parking lot and the park's only year-round campground.
The remote entrances to Lassen have their own campgrounds: Warner Valley, Butte Lake, and Juniper Lake campgrounds. All are reached on dirt roads, and Warner Valley and Juniper Lake are not recommended for trailers. All campgrounds except Juniper Lake have potable water in the summer.
Backcountry camping is allowed in much of the park, and traffic is light. Ask about closed areas when you get your free wilderness permit, which is issued at the visitor stations and required for anyone spending the night in the backcountry. Fires and dogs are prohibited in the backcountry.
If park campgrounds are full, myriad campgrounds are available in surrounding Lassen National Forest, so you'll find a site somewhere. For information, contact the Forest Supervisor's Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130 (tel. 530/257-2151; www.fs.fed.us/r5/lassen).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
