Lassen Volcanic National Park - Manzanita Lake

We had a 3 night reservation in mid-October. We decided to cancel our reservation a few days before the free cancellation date due to the government shut down. We didn’t know whether the campground will be open and there was no update on the website. We also found out that they turn off the water in the campground starting mid-October. We stayed in another private RV campground that was 15 minutes away. We visited the campground when we were there, and it would have been nice to stay inside the park since it is a long drive to get to the trails. Manzanita Lake is beautiful.

Large and well-kept campground, good base for exploring Lassen Park. Just heads up that some sites are quite close to one another with no privacy, so try to book early to get a more private spot. Also recommend walking the trail around the lake for some unreal views!

My wife and I stayed there, October 16th and 17th During the government shut down. When we got to the gate, there was no way to pay so we proceeded to the campground. Went through loop B and found a site and set up and didn’t go over to see the camp host because we didn’t know she was there. I had planned on going and Finding a way to pay after being set up by means of the iron ranger or other means. About an hour after getting there and set up the Camp host knocked on our door and I came out to greet her. She immediately was nasty and calling me a thief and a squatter and that she was going to call the Ranger. I tried to explain our situation and she didn’t want to hear my explanation at all. The rudest camp host I have ever dealt with. I actually said “ you could be nice” and she said no no no and stormed away. My wife went back to her to try to explain the situation and she also yelled at my wife so we walked away. The Ranger came by about 30 minutes later and I explained the situation and he gave us a warning and said that there have been squatters Lately since the shutdown and I said I had no intention of not paying for our campsite. The worst absolute experience ever at a national park. This camp host ruined it.

Simple but beautiful campground. Use Recreation.gov to reserve a site. If you dont have reservation you still need to log into. The site to claim a spot. Fortunately there is wifi at the visitor center (not at the park store). Keep in mind that there is no water available. Need to bring your own. Also, no cell service but campground is sparsely tree covered. We were able to use Starlink just fine at our site. Lots of hiking nearby including a beautiful trail right from camp.

Great campsite with clean bathrooms. They do have showers you can use for $5 per person. Nice camp-store as well with necessities, local Lassen wine bottles, and some hot food.