Campground · Lassen Volcanic National Park
Camp beside the lake, after six rough dirt-road miles.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lassen Volcanic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lassen Volcanic audio tourRecorded for this place
Mount Harkness: Meadow Views and a Lost Lookout“You're nearing the Mount Harkness trailhead, for a steep climb through forest to a meadow with Lassen Peak views. Allow about three hours for the three point eight mile round trip, gaining twelve hundred fifty feet.”
Plays as you drive up to Juniper Lake Campground in the Parkwolf Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Juniper Lake Campground is a small, primitive campground on the east shore of Juniper Lake at 6,792 feet. Its 18 sites include 15 individual campsites, two group sites, and one horse or stock site. It suits campers looking for a lakeside base with nearby trail access and who are comfortable with a remote drive and few services.
From Chester, head east on Highway 36, then follow Feather River Drive and the Juniper Lake signs. The route is about 13 miles; the final six miles are rough dirt, steep and rutted. Buses, motorhomes, and trailers are not advised. There are no services in the Juniper Lake area, so get supplies in Chester before the drive.
Individual campsites are first come, first served; group sites and the horse or stock site require reservations. Each individual site has parking, a picnic table, a fire grate, and a bearproof food locker. Seasonal vault toilets are available, but there is no drinking water, shower, or electric hookup. There are no designated ADA sites; most are relatively level and may be wheelchair accessible, and the vault toilets are accessible.
Wildlife
103 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
44 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
348 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
17 sightingsSandhill CraneMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
47 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsGreat EgretMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lassen Volcanic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingMount Harkness Trail3.8 mi · 3 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steep climb to a cinder cone atop an ancient shield volcano.
ModerateCrystal Lake Trail0.9 mi · 45 min · 0.3 mi awayA short, steep out-and-back to Crystal Lake below the cliffs
ModerateInspiration Point Trail1.5 mi · 1.1 hr · 1.3 mi awayA brief climb to a ridge above Juniper Lake
ModerateHorseshoe Lake Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 1.3 mi awayA short forest hike to a lakeshore beneath Lassen's skyline
ChallengingRainbow Lake Loop13.4 mi · 8.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA remote high-country loop among three tucked-away lakes
ModerateGrassy Creek Long Loop6.9 mi · 4 hr · 1.3 mi awayA ridge-and-creek circuit through Lassen’s quiet Juniper Lake forest.
ModerateGrassy Creek Short Loop5.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA 5.8-mile meadow loop with one faint cutoff to find.
ChallengingJuniper Lake, Cinder Cone and Red Cinders Loop22.3 mi · 11 hr · 1.3 mi awayRemote 22-mile loop linking lake country, crater views and red cinders.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayJuniper LakeA coarse-sand beach, cool swimming, and trailheads share one shore.Sight · 1.7 mi awayInspiration PointA short, steep climb earns a wide volcanic panorama.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayHorseshoe LakeA trout lake people have fished since 1936
Sight · 4.5 mi awaySnag LakeA backcountry lake born from Cinder Cone’s lava.
Sight · 4.7 mi awayTerminal GeyserA creekside steam vent at the end of a long hike.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
