“Camping in an open, volcanic setting”
Overview Butte Lake Group Campground (elevation 6,100 feet) is located in the northeastern section of Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. It is fairly remote and within walking distance of Butte Lake, which is popular for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. Several hiking and backpacking trails are located nearby. The facility is 45 minutes from the main park road.Recreation Outdoor enthusiasts stay at Butte Lake Campground for its many recreation opportunities. The lake is popular for trout fishing, as well as non-motorized boating. Within the facility, hikers and backpackers will find the trailhead for the Cinder Cone Trail, one of the most popular trails in the park that ascends a nearby volcanic dome. The Painted Dunes, Snag Lake and Bathtub Lake areas are also nearby.Facilities Butte Lake Group Campground is located at the north end of Loop B, adjacent to the main Butte Lake Campground. This facility is more remote than other campgrounds within the park and campers must travel on a six-mile gravel road to get here. For more information visit Campgrounds of Lassen Volcanic. A non-motorized boat launch is convenient for kayaks and canoes. Flush toilets and running water are turned on during summer; vault toilets are available outside of the peak season.Natural Features The campground has a pleasant atmosphere dominated by Ponderosa pines. It sits on soft volcanic soils, and several ponds dot the landscape. Butte Lake has a large black lava flow running into it that creates rocky shores and interesting areas for visitors in kayaks and canoes to explore. The national park is known for its volcanic history, as well as its diversity of plants and animals. It contains 300 active volcanic domes and many hydrothermal features, such as mud pots and steam vents. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades, and the second-most recent volcano to erupt in the lower 48 of the United States before Mount Saint Helens in 1980. Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 species of vertebrates, including birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The park is at the junction of the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin, thus providing many unique habitats. Nearby Attractions Visitors can explore Subway Cave, an underground tube created by lava flow, in the adjacent Lassen National Forest from late April through November. Free tours are offered every weekend during summer. Subway Cave, Lassen National Forest
Reviews of Butte Lake Campground
4 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on June 24, 2023AT&T 5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on July 20, 2022T-Mobile 5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on July 20, 2022Reviews
Very nice campsites that are large enough for most RVs. if you look at a site map you can see that many are pull through types. I managed to get my 31 foot class A situated with little trouble. As you would expect some sites are more level than others.
Be ready for a 6 mile drive with a fair amount of washboard and ruts. Not impossible if you take it slow. The road is pretty much chip rock.
Well worth the drive as the lake is perfect for paddling a kayak.
And there is an excellent, lengthy hike that takes you by the cinder cone. That also has a hiking trail to the top... pretty amazing. They have a "no pet" sign but I took my pooch just the same... no issues.
This will be dry camping with water available by the flush toilets. There are trees at all sites so solar will be spotty.
Note:
1) The group area can be noisy so check to see if it has been booked and by whom. And pick a spot away from that area.
2) No cell coverage
3) There is another camp area (free?) on the left next to a creek about 2 miles before the Butte Lake Campground. That area will take reasonable sized RVs (<33 feet).
Nightly Rate: $20.00
Days Stayed: 4
Site Number: -
We scouted here to see if camping would be feasible in our 32' class A. It's "doable" but I wouldn't want to drive 6 miles of the washboard. It's not worth it. Instead, camping at the near by Hat Creek Campground was great, took about 30 min to drive over. We hiked the near by cinder cone volcano, that was worth it. I don't think there's much to see with a paddle board, we paddled and the water was dirty and smelled fishy. I wouldn't swim here.
Two stars for access because at least it's a maintained gravel road. No cell coverage on ATT and TMobile. Some signal on top of the volcano.
Nightly Rate: $22.00
Days Stayed: 0
Site Number: 0
RV Length: 32 ft
RV Type: Class A
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T
T-Mobile
We had a really rough time with the camp host. They definitely were playing up their role to be the campground police. Be aware that dogs are no longer allowed on trails or the beach or allowed to swim in the lake here. The camp host had no problem walking the beach telling people to get their dogs off the beach and water. Cinder cone is a hard but awesome hike, with a great view at the end.
We won't be back due to the National park rules regarding pets. I prefer to let me dogs swim and have fun!
Nightly Rate: $22.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: E
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
The campground is at the end of a 6 mile dirt/gravel road which was very manageable. Our site, A 39 is a pull through site but two sites are on the same pull through. The other site was occupied and they were taking up more than half. We managed and had a great stay. Each site has a fire pit, table, and a bear box. No water, power or sewer at the site. The water had a non potable sign until the last day of our stay. There are flush toilets and vault toilets. The flush toilets do not have lights so get dark at night. Our fire pit had not been cleaned out for quite a while. The campground is in a stand of old Ponderosa Pine with the Dixie Fire scars all around. Butte Lake was full and very pretty. There is a lave flow near by and a wonderful hike up a cinder cone. It is challenging but well worth the effort.
Nightly Rate: -
Days Stayed: 4
Site Number: A 39
RV Length: 29 ft
RV Type: Travel Trailer
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
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Butte Lake Campground
Hours
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Check In
- 1:00 PM
- Max Stay
- 14
- Check Out
- 12:00 PM
- Max Length
- 35 ft
- Season End
- October
- Sites Count
- 81
- Season Start
- June
- Last Nightly Rate
- 22.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 20.0
- Equestrian Sites Count
- 1
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 32 ft
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Sites
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Laundry
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Propane
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Showers
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Big Rigs
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Boondock
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Firewood
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Fifty Amp
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Tent Sites
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Cabin Sites
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Full Hookup
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Dump Station
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Mobile Homes
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Public Water
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Pull Through
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Water Hookup
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Potable Water
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Age Restricted
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Rec Facilities
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Dispersed Sites
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Open Seasonally
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Permit Required
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Equestrian Sites
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Group Tent Sites
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Fulltime Residents
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Standard Tent Sites
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Equestrian Facilities
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Pull Through RV Sites
Campground, Restrooms
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