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451 reviews
Summit Lake South is a scenic and well-kept campground with decent privacy and easy access to nearby lakes and trails. Many campers appreciated the tranquility and cleanliness, enjoying amenities like potable water and flat camping spots. However, some noted issues with campsite spacing, uneven parking, and noise from nearby campers, while others mentioned the impact of the recent fire on the area's natural beauty.
Based on guest feedback
4.2
Based on 451 reviews
Showing 451 reviews
January 18, 2020 Stayed at: C11, Loop: Loop C
Close to hiking trails and next to a pristine alpine lake, Summit Lake South or North is the central place to camp in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Halfway between Manzanita Lake and Lassen Peak, Summit Lake offers a wide variety of sites for RV's and tent alike. A bonus is Loop D which is exclusively First Come - First Served.
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January 16, 2020 Stayed at: D03, Loop: Loop D
lots of walk every day nice views wonderful hiking to cold boiling lake
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January 16, 2020 Stayed at: D03, Loop: Loop D
lots of walk every day nice views wonderful hiking to cold boiling lake
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January 15, 2020 Stayed at: D13, Loop: Loop D
Mt. Lassen, Summit Lake South is clean, quiet and beautiful! Because it has fewer improvements (pit toilets, no electricity, and smaller vehicles - and some tent-only areas), it makes for a fantastic outdoor experience. The campsites are well-positioned to provide a certain level of privacy, but close to lake and trails leading to Kings Creek, Warner Valley and Bumpas Hell. All accessible without having to drive to the trailhead. We especially love going swimming (or floating) on Summit Lake after a good hike, in the late afternoon. It's cool, but after a few minutes you feel fine and the views are amazing as you look up at the trees and peaks. It's also significantly less noisy or crowded (compared to the North Campground and picnic area).
Nights are also fantastic for stargazing, and my kids and I like to lie down on the campsite road (around 11pm, when there are no cars) where you still feel some warmth, and look up at the stars and Milky Way. Stunning!
As a comparison - we have camped at Manzanita, which has more amenities (a camp store, firewood, fuel, etc.), but it's a lot more congested with people, cars, campers, trailers, etc. So, it all depends on what you want! Enjoy.
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January 15, 2020 Stayed at: D05, Loop: Loop D
We found three day hikes that weren't crowded, but they didn't go to the famous spots either. One day we saw a bear happily munching manzanita berries and paying no attention to us, one of the highlights of our trip. About the campground - I really liked the woodchips that have been placed in the campsites. It made the area seem much cleaner. It would be nice if campers didn't go out on the trails and pick up green wood - it's so smoky! We really appreciated being well separated from the RVs - we walked through that area on a day hike and it was noisy over there. There was a large area for tents that wasn't reservable near our campsite. I wish it had all been reservable.
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January 15, 2020 Stayed at: D13, Loop: Loop D
Mt. Lassen, Summit Lake South is clean, quiet and beautiful! Because it has fewer improvements (pit toilets, no electricity, and smaller vehicles - and some tent-only areas), it makes for a fantastic outdoor experience. The campsites are well-positioned to provide a certain level of privacy, but close to lake and trails leading to Kings Creek, Warner Valley and Bumpas Hell. All accessible without having to drive to the trailhead. We especially love going swimming (or floating) on Summit Lake after a good hike, in the late afternoon. It's cool, but after a few minutes you feel fine and the views are amazing as you look up at the trees and peaks. It's also significantly less noisy or crowded (compared to the North Campground and picnic area).
Nights are also fantastic for stargazing, and my kids and I like to lie down on the campsite road (around 11pm, when there are no cars) where you still feel some warmth, and look up at the stars and Milky Way. Stunning!
As a comparison - we have camped at Manzanita, which has more amenities (a camp store, firewood, fuel, etc.), but it's a lot more congested with people, cars, campers, trailers, etc. So, it all depends on what you want! Enjoy.
Helpful
January 15, 2020 Stayed at: D05, Loop: Loop D
We found three day hikes that weren't crowded, but they didn't go to the famous spots either. One day we saw a bear happily munching manzanita berries and paying no attention to us, one of the highlights of our trip. About the campground - I really liked the woodchips that have been placed in the campsites. It made the area seem much cleaner. It would be nice if campers didn't go out on the trails and pick up green wood - it's so smoky! We really appreciated being well separated from the RVs - we walked through that area on a day hike and it was noisy over there. There was a large area for tents that wasn't reservable near our campsite. I wish it had all been reservable.
Helpful
January 13, 2020 Stayed at: D02, Loop: Loop D
We reserved two campsites at Summit Lake South for the last night of a 5-day Boy Scout backpacking trip through Lassen Volcanic National Park. I was very impressed at how clean and well-arranged the campsites were here. Our overnight stay was terrific! Summit Lake is a beautiful setting in the heart of the park. Oh, and the backpacking in this park is fantastic--such a wonderful variety of natural beauty, without the crowds of Yosemite.
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January 13, 2020 Stayed at: D02, Loop: Loop D
We reserved two campsites at Summit Lake South for the last night of a 5-day Boy Scout backpacking trip through Lassen Volcanic National Park. I was very impressed at how clean and well-arranged the campsites were here. Our overnight stay was terrific! Summit Lake is a beautiful setting in the heart of the park. Oh, and the backpacking in this park is fantastic--such a wonderful variety of natural beauty, without the crowds of Yosemite.
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January 10, 2020 Stayed at: C10, Loop: Loop C
Gorgeous site in a beautiful location.
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Lassen Volcanic Np P.O.Box 100, Mineral, CA 96063 United States
Elevation: 2,042 ft
From Redding, California take State Highway 44 east approximately 48 mi to the Manzanita Lake entrance of the park. The campground is 14 mi south of the entrance on the main park road.
The closest entrance is: Southwest Entrance Station
Approximate drive: 8.4 mi · 14 min
Last updated: November 3, 2026
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Population: 133
Nearby city: Redding, CA
Approx. 51 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 4,902 ft
Mineral, CA
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