Campground · Lassen Volcanic National Park
High-country camping with Summit Lake and hikes close at hand.
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
Summit Lake: Choose the North Shore“Summit Lake is ahead, an easy place to break the drive with a picnic or a swim.”
Plays as you drive up to Summit Lake North 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
Summit Lake North Campground is a seasonal, 46-site campground on the north shore of Summit Lake, around 6,700 feet high in Lassen Volcanic's central section. Its A and B loops are distinct from the South Campground's C, D and E loops. It is a practical base for staying near the lake and the park's central hikes, on Lassen Peak Highway near the park's midpoint. A short path along the lake's east shore connects the two campground areas, and swimming is generally better from the north shore than from the grassy south shore.
Reserve the North Campground specifically and check the operating season for your year; snow and weather shape this short high-country season.
The campground has picnic tables, fire rings and food-storage lockers. Potable water and flush or vault toilets are seasonal. There are no showers, electrical hookups, camp store or food service, so bring meals and other supplies. Summit Lake is within walking distance, and hikes begin nearby, including Cluster Lakes Loop from the Summit Lake Ranger Station. A separate north-shore picnic area has day-use parking, tables and a swimming area.
Shade and privacy vary between sites, and mosquitoes can be a nuisance during the camping season. Campers also often mention quiet nights and starry skies.
Years of widened campsites and informal paths damaged the forest understory. After hazard trees were removed in 2019, park staff and American Conservation Experience crews planted about 125 pounds of seed and 4,000 plants in 2020. Keep tents and gear on the woodchip pads and use designated routes; that helps protect the recovering forest floor.
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
EasySummit Lake Loop0.8 mi · 30 min · At the trailheadA short lake loop with Lassen Peak across the water.
ModerateEcho Lake Trail4.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA meadow boardwalk, Lassen Peak views and a blue-green lake.
ChallengingCluster Lakes Loop11.9 mi · 7 hr · 0.3 mi awayEight lakes, volcanic views, and a stretch that demands route finding.ModerateUpper and Lower Twin Lakes Trail8.8 mi · 4.8 hr · 0.3 mi awayA ridge climb links Echo Lake with two forested Twin Lakes
ChallengingGrassy Swale Loop13.4 mi · 9 hr · 0.3 mi awayA long high-country loop through Grassy Swale and the Twin Lakes.
ChallengingSummit Lake, Corral Meadow and Bench Lake Loop10.1 mi · 5.5 hr · 0.4 mi awayA long, high-country loop links Corral Meadow, Kings Creek and Bench Lake.
ModerateSummit Lake South to Kings Creek Trail Connector1.7 mi · 1.3 hr · 0.4 mi awayA meadow connector descends from Summit Lake South to Kings Creek.
ModerateNobles Emigrant Trail: Hat Lake to Butte Lake13 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA historic forest traverse opens onto Cinder Cone’s volcanic landscape.
Sight · 0.1 mi awaySummit LakeA lake break with better swimming on the north shore.
Campground · 0.3 mi awaySummit Lake South CampgroundA short lake walk and dark skies define this tent campground.
Sight · 0.3 mi awaySummit Lake Ranger StationA 1926 log cabin at the start of the Echo Lake hike.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayParadise MeadowsA stream threads a high meadow beneath a rocky glacial bowl.
Scenic pullout · 2.4 mi awayHat Creek ViewpointA former lake is becoming meadow, still fed by spring water.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayKings Creek FallsThe creekside stone steps are half the payoff.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayDevastated AreaA short accessible loop through Lassen’s 1915 eruption story.
Scenic pullout · 3.4 mi awayKings Creek Meadow ViewpointA winding creek crosses a seasonal meadow beneath Lassen Peak.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
