Lakes Basin
Lakes Basin is a national forest campground in California. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- California
- Coordinates
- 39.66667, -120.65778
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Birding, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Picnicking, Swimming Site
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- CAMPGROUND/CAMPSITE STATUS CALL (530) 832-1076
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Lakes Basin
Overview Lakes Basin Campground (6,445 feet) is situated in the ruins of an old lodge, Lakes Center Lodge, built in 1912 and removed in the late 1970's. Some of the old stonework still exists, including steps leading into a deep pool of Gray Eagle Creek. This campground is within easy reach of many trailheads. The campground also offers a tent only group campsite by reservation only. Recreation Gold Lakes Basin offers a variety of recreational activities including boating, fishing and hiking. A network of over 30 miles of maintained trails branch out across the area, and the Pacific Crest trail can be easily reached from the trail system. Many of the trails are open to hiking, biking and horseback riding, including the 1-mile Grassy Lakes Trail, accessible from the campground. At nearby Gold Lake, where a boat ramp is provided, visitors enjoy convenient access to boating and fishing. Once on the water, anglers won't have any trouble trolling for brown and rainbow trout and Mackinaws in the cool, clear waters. Facilities The single loop campground offers family campsites and one group tent-only site. One double-family site is also available. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. All sites have fire rings with grills and picnic tables. Sites are as listed. SITE NUMBER, SITE LENGTH, SHADE, MAXIMUM VEHICLES, ALLOWABLE EQUIPMENT SIte #001 GROUP FULL #2 Site Lenght-42', Shade-SUN, Max Vehicles-2, Equipment-RV, TENT, TRAILER, VAN #4 Site Length-
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Pass Creek · 13 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- AmeriGas · 23 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 282 designated routes (460 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Lake 4X4 Campground | National forest campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Cottonwood Group Camp | National forest group campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Gold Lake 4x4 Campground | Private campground | 0.5 mi | — | — |
| Cottonwood Springs Family Cg. | National forest campground | 1.2 mi | — | — |
| Gold Lake Campground | Private campground | 1.2 mi | — | — |
| Salmon Lakes | National forest camping area | 1.3 mi | — | — |
Open Lakes Basin in DryRig
Save it offline, check your rig's clearance on the drive in, and see what's nearby on the map.
Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.