4.35117 reviewsPrice
$10 - $16/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
45 campsites
Season
April - October
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
Price
$10 - $16/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
45 campsites
Season
April - October
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
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1/4 mile north of Highway 44/89 junction, Old Station, CA
Trout anglers and Subway Cave explorers get the most from this place. Grab a creek-side site early on a weekday ($16/night, first-come only) and the highway fades behind the sound of the water. Lassen is 14 miles away if you want a full day out.
Highway 89 and logging truck noise bothers you at night, sites away from the creek get the worst of it. Theft reports are real enough that reviewers recommend chaining gear down, and trash bins regularly overflow from non-camper use.
Reference information about Cave Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Cave Campground opens Wednesday, April 26 for the summer season.</p><p>Cave Campground is right on Hat Creek and across the road from the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lassen/recarea/?recid=11435">Subway Cave</a>. All sites have fire rings and barbeques. Cave Campground offers Hat Creek fishing access with free day use parking.</p><p>Hat Creek offers some of the best fishing on the Lassen National Forest. There are plenty of day hiking trails and interpretive information that can be found at the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lassen/recarea/?recid=11430">Old Station Visitor Center</a>.</p>
The elevation is 4,300 ft. The campground, one of four in the Hat Creek Recreation Area, stretches between State Rt. 89 and Hat Creek in four unnamed loops and connecting spurs. The campsites "enjoy" either the sounds of Hat Creek or State Rt. 89. The campground is a good base camp for exploring not only nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park (14 miles southwest of campground), but also Subway Cave and Spattercone Trail. The campsites are tucked in among pine and cedar trees between piles of chunky porous volcanic rock. Privacy between campsites varies between fair and good.
Services provided late April through October 15 NOTE: Campsites 1 through 19 and 30 open all year; no potable water available after October 15
The parking aprons are paved. The waste station is available, for a fee, behind the visitor center at the intersection of St. rts. 44 and 89. NOTE: No directional signs are provided to indicate exact location.
In Old Station, CA, at the intersection of State Rts. 44 and 89, take Rt. 89 north 0.2 miles to campground on left.
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Summer brings the most reliable conditions and full services, with daytime highs in the mid-60s to mid-80s°F and cool nights dropping to the 40s–50s°F. This is peak season for fishing, hiking, and Subway Cave access. Weekdays stay quieter than weekends. Afternoon thunderstorms can roll in, and wildfire smoke becomes a concern later in summer. Winter sees snow and limited services. Spring weather shifts quickly between sun and storms.
Summer offers most reliable weather, full services and peak fishing/hiking opportunities.
Cave Campground offers basic but functional amenities, featuring 45 sites equipped with fire rings, picnic tables, and barbeque grills. Restrooms and potable water are available, with nine water spigots dispersed across the campground. However, it is important to note that flush toilets are only available seasonally, and during off-peak times, vault toilets are the sole option. User reviews are mixed; restrooms are described as 'cleanish,' and some noted issues like lack of lighting in women's bathrooms during their stay. Trash and recycling facilities are provided, but some users have reported them being overfilled due to external use by non-campers.
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