Crater Lake, Lassen National Forest

In brief:
This campground sits on the edge of a tiny water filled caldera in a quiet section of Lassen National Forest.

Open:
June-October (weather permitting)

Stay limit:
None

Elevation:
6,800 feet

Fees:
$14

Campground details:
17 sites for tents, trailers, and RVs.

Facilities:
All sites have fire rings and picnic tables. No hookups or dump station.

Activities:
Fishing and non-motorized boating

Accessibility:
No designated handicapped sites, and the vault toilets are not wheelchair accessible.

Reservation info:
None accepted; first come/first served

Gas, food, and supplies:
Arriving from the south, get supplies in Susanville. From the west, Shingleville has a few small supermarkets and gas, and you can buy firewood and ice at the small store in Old Station.

Rules:
Fires are permitted, in established rings only. Dogs are permitted, on leash only.

Special cautions:
None

The Official Story:
Lassen National Forest
Eagle Lake Ranger District
477-050 Eagle Lake Road Susanville, CA 96130
530-257-4188
Lassen National Forest

Map Choices:
AAA's Northern California Section map
Lassen National Forest map
Lassen Quads: Harvey Mountain and Pine Creek Valley

Guidebooks:
Best in Tent Camping: Northern California

Getting there:
From Redding in Shasta County, drive 40 miles east on CA44 to the junction with CA89. Continue south on CA44 about 20 miles, then turn left onto Forest Road 32N08. Follow this gravel road 7 miles to the campground at the end of the road.

Crater Lake doesn't permit motor boats and is accessed by a gravel road, so big RVs and loud boats go elsewhere in Lassen National Forest. This is a great campground for relaxed weekends, since other than the lake, there's not much to do here. A few old logging roads are still passable as trails, and you can walk up one for a view down to the lake and west to Lassen Peak, but there are no established trails. Bring a canoe or little inflatable boat to enjoy easy paddling on the crystal clear water -- the lake is so small is takes only minutes to reach the opposite shore. Fishing is popular here, and if you like your water cold, swim away.

There are only 17 sites here, oriented in a loop mixed through a forest of pines and aspens. The inner portion of the loop slopes sharply downhill but levels out near the lake, so there are only a few inner sites. The most popular sites are 7, 8, and 9, right on the lake, however, you'll not have much privacy at those sites. The sites on the outer edge of the loop slope uphill, and 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 offer little real estate for flat tent spots. Our favorites were 13, 14, and 15, uphill from the lake, but well-screened with vegetation, and large, with plenty of space for tent pitching.

When we camped here in late August, the campground was aflutter with butterflies, and there were hundreds of tortoiseshell and other colorful butterflies sipping water from the mud at the shoreline. Unfortunately, in addition to the pretty butterflies, the campground was overrun with yellowjackets. These determined buzzing wasps swooped in during meals, so we tried to keep food covered as much as possible. Good sanitation will also keep the legions of chipmunks at bay, although we actually found their antics enjoyable. Keep a washcloth or rag on hand to wash the dust from your feet as well.

We found Crater Lake an extremely quiet campground at night. You will likely hear the whistle of trains running more than 5 miles away, along CA44.

There are no services in the immediate area, so stock up at Susanville or Shingletown on the way to the campground. Other choices for camping nearby include Rocky Knoll and Silver Bowl (a few miles west of CA44), and the big, developed campgrounds around Eagle Lake.