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2023

Spots in North Sierras

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  • Hat Creek dispersed
  • Lassen National Forest, Old Station CA
  • A mile or so north of Cave Campground is a gravel road (called Wander Lane on the Google map) and a bridge over Hat Creek. If you follow that road you will see a couple of good campsites.

  • Crags Campground
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park, Old Station CA
  • Very quiet, there is absolutely nothing special going on here - a welcome relief after the busy-ness of the park. Spacious, in the "giant ponderosas with no undergrowth" ecozone.

  • South Klamath Lake NWR
  • Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Tulelake CA
  • ring-necked pheasant many, many red tailed hawks, most intimate ever for me a coyote a noble 10-12 point mule deer buck, then later a whole herd of lesser mule deer northern harrier Northern Spoonbill, (I think) buffleheads and redheads Sandhill crane (couldn’t stop to get a good look ):

  • North Eagle Lake Campground
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Susanville CA
  • A real find! About a mile off Route 123, at the deserted top end of Eagle Lake. Its a beautiful scrub and pine forest looking out over the lake and the wide valley. Pretty close to Susanville.

  • Rocky Rest Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Downieville CA
  • on the South Fork of the Yuba River. very crowded in August. There is an excellent, deep pool in the river right here. The river is shallow and kinda boring at the next campground west - Indian Valley. Sites 6,7,8 are the best, right on the bluff overlooking the river. Best sites: 7 and 8 are on the river, 6 is best site and most private yet convenient to the bridge.

  • River Pines Resort
  • private business Graeagle CA
  • Nice little resort motel in the Reno getaway party town of Graeagle.

  • Summit Lake South Campground
  • Lassen National Park, Old Station CA
  • Lovely spot at 7,000'-ish on the south side of a little alpine lake. On the north side is Summit Lake North Campground which costs $2/night more. It has flush toilets and sinks with running water. It has the shambling, kinda charming disorganization I associate with National Park campgrounds. Sites are not very level, but there's a lake to swim in and you're in an awesome place!

  • Summit Lake North Campground
  • Lassen National Park, Old Station CA
  • Lovely spot at 7,000'-ish on the north side of a little alpine lake. On the south side is Summit Lake South Campground. This one is $2 more, but well worth it, a much nicer campground. B Loop is reservable, A Loop is first come first served. There's a lake to swim in or just admire and you're in an awesome place!

  • Hat Creek Campground
  • Lassen National Forest, Old Station CA
  • Finally stayed here, after driving by so many times! So far, I like Cave CG better, but it's quiet and big enough to find an uncrowded spot, and Hat Creek is perhaps even more awesome here!

  • Cedar Pass Campground
  • Modoc National Forest, Cedarville CA
  • Cool campground between Alturas and Cedarville that is now closed because of "dangerous trees". Update, it appers to be closed forever. I hope not, it was a nice place.

  • Lava Beds Campground
  • Lava Beds National Park, Tulelake CA
  • Really nice place, quiet and well maintained and a beautiful situation, on the side of a high hill overlooking a huge, arid valley. Wildlife refuges right down the hill.

  • Gurnsey Campground
  • Lassen National Forest, Chester CA
  • not too far from the south entrance to Lassen, looked ok.

  • Salmon Creek Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Sierra City CA
  • hyper-busy tonight, first night of the season, Memorial Day weekend. It would be restful and pleasant next to the happy little creek most nights I think. As a campground, this is nicer than Sardine up the hill. I walked up to Sardine Lake, which was a very pleasant hike, with some excellent sunset views ... if you don't mind walking along the highway. They raised the price again this year here too.

  • Merrill Campground
  • Lassen National Forest, Susanville CA
  • huge-ass campground on ever-diminishing Eagle Lake. Full of giant RVs with hookups and run by a concessionaire, so it is much more bureaucratic and rule-bound that most. Site 159 is pretty sweet, unobstructed lake view (150 yds away), open, but the tall pine behind (south of) me give it pretty good afternoon shade.

  • Hampshire Rocks Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Cisco CA
  • At the Rainbow Road exit off I-80. On the South Yuba River. Super nice place, even if the freeway is 200 yards away. If you're familiar with the Bay Area to Reno run on I-80, there's a place where it crosses some beautiful rapids. This is about ½ mile downstream from that.

  • Pit River Campground
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fall River Mills CA
  • On the Pit River, which is a pretty good sized river for Nor Cal in a drought. There are seven campsites and a picnic area next to the river. It's almost exactly 2 steep miles of paved road from 299 to the campground. We are in a HOT spell, 111° in Redding, 100° in the shade right here at my campsite, and I am not digging it. Some of my neighbors give off an aggressive prison vibe, others are creepily too friendly. I guess there are normal neighbors also, but I haven't noticed them.

  • Sardine Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Sierra City CA
  • busy but pretty quiet, very scenic. nature trail. a short hike past the swimming pond to a great sunset over non-swimming Sardine Lake, shining off the Sierra Buttes to the left.

  • Gold Lake Campground
  • Plumas National Forest, Graeagle CA
  • In the Lakes District between Graeagle and Bassett. The other campgrounds on this road are $20-24, but this one is $10. It has no water, and is pretty rough around the edges, but it's on the lake and pretty sweet. The boat launch area is in the campground. There are a few select campsites right on the lake, but they are close together and crowded with big rigs, so I elect to go down the road a bit. By rule all sites are on the away from the lake side of the road; but the lake is still very close. I did not check it out, but I think there is a trail all the way to the Gold Lake Highway, and maybe even all the way around the lake.

  • Sierra Hot Springs
  • private business Sierraville CA
  • Camping is just the edge of the forest behind the lodge. Next to a very pretty cow pasture at the edge of the huge Sierra Valley. Nice lodge to hang out in, wifi and kitchen, free to campers. The Hot Springs has also taken over the hotel in town. There is also a breakfast place and aMexican restaurant in town, both pricy but good!

  • Ponderosa Flat
  • PG&E, Chester CA
  • Here three days, for a Labor Day party with friends. Sites 7 and 9 are the PERFECT sites, roomy and shaded, and adjoining the lake. Everybody else has to walk around the edges of us to get to the lake. Pretty excellent place to hang out for the three day weekend. The only drag for me is that $25 is pretty steep for little ole me to hang out in the van. For me and six of my friends, whole different story!

  • Ramhorn Springs
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Ravendale CA
  • A washboardy, dusty couple of miles off 395. I clocked it at 2.7 miles. Very cool little spot once you get here ... in a lonely, boring kind of way.