Manzanita Lake Group Campground

Manzanita Lake can still be pretty cold at the beginning of the camping season. There is often still snow part of the way up trails in the spring/early summer. You are still able to hike just be prepared with waterproof shoes!

This was the only campground in Lassen that was open at the time of our visit. It is a perfectly serviceable campsite in a pretty spectacular location and provided a nice home base for many hikes. The sites are not very private, but they are spaced far enough apart so even though you can see your neighbors they don't feel too close for comfort.

This is one of my go-to campgrounds! If you can get there by Friday night, Loop D for tents only is THE BEST. It's fairly peaceful for it being a campground, especially if you can get a site facing the woods. Lake Manzanita is pretty great since you can fly fish, hike around the lake (about 3ish miles all flat) and you can rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards. Staying at this site has a lot of creature comforts but is also an easy drive to the Lassen Peak Trailhead and Bumpass Hell. I'm a big fan of the soft serve ice cream at the camp store :)

This campground seemed a little too "developed" for our taste, so we chose Summit Lake instead. At Manzanita there was a store, showers, a deli, and even a laundry facility! But I heard from some hikers that Loop D is tents only and was pretty peaceful. Hmm...

There is an entry fee to get into the park if you don't have an annual pass. Camping is about $24 a night for all spaces. The four campgrounds are fairly large and they only accept reservations in at least one of them. Bring your own wood or a good hatchet.

You can rent Kayaks at the lake or bring your own. Well worth the time to get out and explore. There is a nice trail around the lake if water isn't your thing.