Butte Lake Campground
The Quick Take
Butte Lake is the campground you choose when you want Lassen Volcanic without the Manzanita Lake circus. Tucked into the park's northeast corner at the end of a six-mile dirt road, it feels more like backcountry camping with the safety net of potable water and a real campsite. The trade-off is real: no flush toilets, no camp store, no cell service, and a 45-minute drive from the main park corridor. What you get in return is a volcanic shoreline that looks like it belongs on another planet, direct trailhead access to Cinder Cone — one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Cascades — and the kind of quiet that makes you realize how loud other campgrounds actually are. Choose Butte Lake if you are self-sufficient, carry your own firewood, and consider "remote" a feature rather than a bug.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 101 sites are reservable.
Book at Lassen Volcanic LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
No RVs. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
6 ADA-accessible campsites. Accessible restrooms available. Site A-6 is ADA. Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Rules to Know
- Fires:Do not cut, saw, or break any standing trees, dead or alive for firewood.
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am.
- Checkout:Checkout time is 12 pm.
- Stay Limit:Camping fees are not refundable and stays are limited to 14 days per year.
Pro Tips
Bring your own firewood — there is no camp store and you can only gather downed wood under four inches in diameter within thirty feet of the road, which gets picked clean by midsummer. Stock up in Old Station or Burney before you turn off Highway 44.
Hit Cinder Cone at sunrise before the wind picks up. The trail starts right from camp, and the loose volcanic cinder on the final ascent is dramatically easier in cool morning air. The panoramic view of the Painted Dunes from the rim is the single best vista in the park.
Pack a kayak or canoe if you have one — Butte Lake's volcanic shoreline is surreal to paddle, and the lake sees a fraction of the boat traffic that Manzanita gets. No motorized boats allowed, so the water stays glassy most mornings.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Map
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
From Highway 44, turn south on Butte Lake Road. A park sign on the south side of the highway marks the turn. Continue six miles on the dirt road to the end.
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