Camping at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Looking for more information about Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Check out my Lassen Volcanic National Park Guide. Don’t miss the many great hikes Lassen has to offer, including Kings Creek Falls, Terrace, Cliff, and Shadow Lakes, and Bumpass Hell.

AMENITIES

• Flush toilets
• Drinkable water, with spigots placed regularly throughout the campground
• No electricity or water hookups
• Coin-Op showers available at the camp store (when we were there, one of the women’s showers worked even without coins; try turning on the water first before inserting coins)
• Coin-Op laundromat available at the camp store (please note that some machines may be out of order or have difficulty accepting coins – see the staff in the store if you have any issues)
• Camp store selling ice, firewood, soft serve, coffee, light breakfast and lunch options, snacks, and souvenirs
• Gas pump next to the camp store (it’s pricey, and there are other gas stations not too far outside the park entrance)
• Dead wood can be gathered for firewood – please check first to verify if fires are allowed during your visit
• Camp host and ranger on duty
• Bear lockers are located at every campsite – please store all food and scented items in the lockers

ABOUT THE SITES

• Manzanita Lake offers 179 campsites, plus 5 group sites and 20 camping cabins.
• Regular campsites cost $26 per night. The cost drops to $15 when the water is off, generally around mid-October. Group sites cost $72 per night. Cabins start at $76 per night, and are conveniently located between Manzanita Lake and the camp store.
• The campground is open with full services from approximately mid-June through mid-October. It may open earlier in the spring and stay open later in the fall, but water and some services may be unavailable. Check the Lassen Volcanic National Park website for current info.
• Many sites are large, with room to spread out, but this varies. Pine trees are the main vegetation, providing shade, but no natural privacy barrier between sites.
• No sites are located on Manzanita Lake or have lake views, but the lake is a short walk from the campsites.
• Sites in the A loop are closest to Manzanita Lake, the camp host, and the camp store. We really appreciated being able to walk to these places from our site. Those staying in other loops may find it easier to drive, but I encourage walking if you are able.
• Our site, #A19, had a shorter driveway than most (not good for large RVs), but ample room to set up camp and hang our hammocks, with space nearby for the kids to run and ride their bikes.
• The grounds and restrooms were kept clean, but some amenities, including some campsite picnic tables and drinking fountains, were starting to crumble. Some sites had newer tables, so hopefully the others have now been replaced as well.

FUN STUFF

• Go for a swim or paddle in Manzanita Lake. When the weather is clear and warm, this is a wonderful option! Note that no motorized boats of any kind are allowed on lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park. In summer, you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, and more right on the lake. Please also be aware that sometimes water access may be restricted. When we were there, no swimming or inflatables of any kind were allowed in the water because a female river otter was aggressively protecting her pups. This is natural behavior, so be respectful and keep both yourselves and the otters safe by following any posted guidelines during your visit.
• Take a hike around Manzanita Lake. An easy, 1.5 mile trail loops around the lake. Along the hike, you’ll be treated to amazing views of Lassen Peak (weather permitting), which is especially beautiful in the early morning light.
• Enjoy soft serve ice cream cones from the camp store. Mmm! There’s no better reward after a full day of hiking! The store also has pretty good coffee, and offers a small selection of made-to-order breakfast and lunch items.

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• Lassen Volcanic National Park offers countless opportunities for hiking and exploration! It’s why you’re camping at Manzanita Lake, right?
• Kings Creek Falls, Bumpass Hell, and Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes are three of the many gorgeous hikes from which to choose.
• Summit Lake, just down the road from Manzanita Lake Campground, is a great place to swim or paddle.
• The Loomis Museum is a five minute drive up the road from Manzanita Lake Campground. This small museum features historical photos and contemporary park information, along with a well-curated souvenir shop.
• The Lily Pond Nature Trail, located just across the road from the Loomis Museum, offers a flat, half mile nature walk. Pick up a pamphlet from the museum for a self-guided tour.
• Subway Cave is only a 14-mile drive north of Lassen Volcanic National Park’s northwest entrance, and gives you the chance to explore an underground lava tube.
• Burney Falls is a 45-minute drive north of the park. In addition to a stunning waterfall, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park also offers camping, hiking, and access to the lovely Lake Britton.

THE VERDICT

Manzanita Lake Campground is a great option for those who want to take their time exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park. Being able to set up camp and stay for four days in the middle of a two week road trip was a real treat. Sure, Manzanita Lake may lack some of the charm found at smaller campgrounds. But sites are spacious, and amenities like showers and laundry were a real godsend. If you prefer a smaller campground, check out Summit Lake, located further south along Lassen Peak Highway. Be aware that there are no showers at Summit Lake, although you can drive to Manzanita Lake if you need one.

Our site, #A19, was in a good location – close to the lake, and not far from water, restrooms, and garbage bins. As it was half surrounded by open space, our boys had plenty of room to play. Our picnic table was a bit worse for the wear, but I noticed that many sites had new ones. Hopefully, this trend will continue. Not far from our site, a large group camped for a few nights, and their noise traveled easily to other campsites. Thankfully, they were quiet by 10pm, so it didn’t become a big issue. Other campers in our loop were quiet, and many only stayed for one or two nights. While the campground is large, each loop is self-contained, which keeps it from feeling too big and busy.

I only wish we could have experienced Manzanita Lake in its glory, without the wildfire smoke. Unfortunately, smoky skies have become an all-too-common reality in the West during late summer. We were lucky to visit prior to the truly terrible fires that ravaged California in September. One reason I chose our site was its proximity to the lake, where I had visions of kayaking and swimming. As it turned out, the lake was closed to all swimming and soft-sided boats due to aggressive behavior from a mother river otter protecting her young. I don’t know how common this is, but be aware the lake may be unexpectedly off limits.

Even with limited lake access, Manzanita Lake Campground was an ideal home base for visiting the western region of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Plus, the soft serve ice cream at the camp store is hard to beat!

You know what excited me the most about our arrival at Manzanita Lake Campground? Showers! For the past seven nights, we had had no access to showers. Thankfully, no one else had to put up with being near us, so I don’t think we offended too many noses. But even though camp showers are notoriously sketchy, we were more than ready for whatever Manzanita Lake had to offer.

After setting up camp, we headed to the camp store to check out our options. As with most camp showers, the ones at Manzanita Lake are coin operated, so our first goal was to obtain the requisite quarters. Fortunately, the camp store has a large stash of quarters on hand, to be expected, I’m sure, when you’re constantly collecting change from the showers and laundromat. For six quarters, you get three minutes of shower time, with no guarantee of hot water. Extra quarters can be inserted to extend the life of your shower as needed. The price seemed a bit steep, considering the possibility of no hot water, but we would take what we could get.

The showers were cramped, and I admit that using them during the coronavirus pandemic made me nervous. In any event, camp showers with kids are tricky. It’s nice to double up — it saves a little money, but more importantly, you can ensure your kids actually get clean.

This was a bigger concern with 4-year-old T. I had flashbacks to our trip to the Grand Canyon when he was only one, his screams echoing throughout the Camper Services Building as I attempted to wash him in the tiny shower cubicle. Afterwards, still dripping wet and holding my distraught child, another woman accused me with a look of horror, “How could you? He is little!” I can only assume she either had no children of her own, or had long since forgotten just how loud an angry one-year-old can be when getting a good washing.

I’m happy to note that showering with four-year-old T was much, much easier. He still doesn’t like showers, but at least no tears were involved. I’m also pleased to note that we were able to shower for free! Yes, you read that right – a free camp shower! The water was hot, too. We were tipped off by a woman who had just taken one of her own.

“Just try turning on the water,” she recommended. “It works without any coins!”

She wasn’t kidding. In fact, a staff member told me the same thing later in our stay, while we waited to shower a second time.

“You know one of the showers in the women’s is broken? You can use it for free! Management hasn’t fixed it, so I tell everyone they should use it. It’s just the women’s, but I think you deserve it more than the men!” she enthusiastically told me.

So T and I enjoyed another free shower, with seemingly unlimited hot water. Score! Michael and J were a bit bummed, however. As the staff member said, this anomaly was only available in the women’s shower room.

Aside from the showers, the prospect of clean laundry was also exciting. If you have ever camped with young children, you know they have a talent for attracting dirt and mud from the moment they step outside the tent. After a week on the road, it felt wonderful to pull a load of warm, sweet-smelling clothes from the dryer.

One word of warning: several of the washers and dryers at Manzanita Lake had difficulty accepting coins. Thankfully, this was another known issue, and the camp store, without any hassle, offered me quarters to replace the ones I’d lost. All in all, my experience with the staff at Manzanita Lake was very positive. Thank you, Manzanita Lake staffers, for all you do!

Now, on to the campground itself. It was great to have so much open space around our site, not to mention trees from which we could hang both hammocks. Sites at Manzanita Lake don’t offer as much privacy as many other Northwest campgrounds, but with ample space between sites, it didn’t feel at all crowded. In the A loop alone, there are several restrooms, including accessible ones, numerous water spigots, and garbage bins placed regularly around the loop.

The only real disappointment was the smoke, but some things are beyond our control. I find this is especially important to remember when traveling. How you handle an unexpected setback can make or break your trip. In this case, the smoke meant we spent less time around Manzanita Lake, and more time in other areas of the park where the air was clearer.

It also meant we couldn’t experience Lassen’s famous “dark skies” at night. With smoke clouding the heavens, no stars were visible. I was thankful for our recent stay at Farewell Bend Campground. There, the Milky Way dazzled our citified eyes. Without the smoke, Lassen, too, gives visitors the chance to marvel at the constellations. But even with the stars hidden from view, we enjoyed our nightly campfire among the pines.

On our last morning, I walked down to the lakeshore. While smoke still clung to the horizon, the sky above was a pale periwinkle blue, mirrored in the exquisitely still water. Someday, I may have the chance to return, to see Manzanita Lake in a different light. But even if I don’t, this last look will live on as a reminder of nature’s boundless beauty, always there for us, if we only take a moment to notice.