Lassen National Forest dispersed camping rules

Allowed with restrictions

Camping in undeveloped locations is limited to 14 days at a time and 30 days total per calendar year. Camping outside developed recreation areas is banned in the Lake Almanor Overnight Use Closure Area.

Where it is not allowed

• Lake Almanor Overnight Use Closure Area: camping is allowed only in developed recreation areas (Order 06-26-04, 2026-06-26 to 2028-06-26).
• Black Rock Campground is listed as a primitive dispersed campground with 6 sites, but it is currently closed.

14 days per stay; no more than 30 days total per calendar year in undeveloped locations

Applies to: Forest-wide: developed campgrounds and undeveloped locations

Fires prohibited · Fire order 06-26-05

In effect August 10, 2026 to December 1, 2026

Fires, campfires and stove fires are banned forest-wide. People with a California Campfire Permit may still use gas or pressurized-fuel stoves and lanterns, and may have fires in the Exhibit A Fire Safe sites and in Wilderness. Smoking, fireworks, welding and running engines off NFS roads or trails are also banned.

Alerts and orders

Campfire permit

A free California Campfire Permit is required for campfires and stoves in the wildernesses and at the Fire Safe sites. Get one in Chester, in Susanville, or at permit.preventwildfiresca.org. During the current fire order, the permit allows only gas or pressurized-fuel stoves and lanterns outside those sites and Wilderness.

Wilderness permits

Thousand Lakes Wilderness: no wilderness permit required. Not stated for Caribou or Ishi.

Fees

Varies by site. Examples: Alder Creek $10 per night; Bogard no fees; Thousand Lakes Wilderness no fee.

• Caribou and Ishi Wildernesses: vehicles, bicycles and mechanized equipment are banned, and a California Campfire Permit is required for campfires and cook stoves.
• Wildernesses: pack out your trash. Thousand Lakes asks visitors to follow Leave No Trace.
• Thousand Lakes Wilderness: a campfire permit is required for stoves and lanterns.
• Campground open dates are approximate. Campgrounds open and close by season.

Until 2026-12-01, the fire order bans running internal combustion engines except on National Forest System roads or trails. No general off-road travel rule is stated.

• Forest Road Closure – Ponderosa Way area (Order 06-26-01)Current

  2026-03-20 to 2028-03-31

  Motor vehicles are banned on 13 listed NFS roads, including Ponderosa Way (28N29) from Shelton Ridge south to Campbellville. Affected sites include Black Rock Campground and the Deer Creek trailheads.

• Lake Almanor Area Camping Restriction (Order 06-26-04)Current

  2026-06-26 to 2028-06-26

  In the Lake Almanor Overnight Use Closure Area, camping is allowed only in developed recreation areas.

• Lake Almanor Recreation Trail Restriction (Order 06-26-03)Current

  2026-06-26 to 2028-06-26

  Motor vehicles, e-bikes and saddle, pack or draft animals are banned on the trail except at designated crossings.

• South Antelope Bridge on Ponderosa WayCurrent

  Alert start 2026-02-02; end N/A

  The bridge is damaged and unsafe to cross. Barricades are on both sides.

• Closed campgrounds (Almanor RD)Current

  Alder Creek, Battle Creek and Black Rock campgrounds are listed as closed.

• Hat Creek Ranger District visitor services closureExpired

  2026-04-25 to 2026-05-10

  Visitor services at the Hat Creek district office were temporarily closed.

• Burned areas: much of the Caribou Wilderness burned in the Dixie Fire, and burned-area hazards may last for years.
• Wilderness trails are not maintained; use them at your own discretion. The summer use period is roughly June 15 to October 15.
• Most of the Ishi Wilderness is a State Game Refuge where hunting is not permitted.

Gaps and conflicts in the official pages when they were checked.

• No document gives a general forest-wide dispersed camping policy. The only source is a truncated alert summary of the stay-limit order, and its full text, order number and dates were not supplied.
• The stay-limit order also limits group size (number of individuals), but the limit is not stated.
• The boundary of the Lake Almanor Overnight Use Closure Area (Exhibits A/B) is not described in the text.
• The documents do not say whether a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) applies or give general off-road travel rules.
• Wilderness permit requirements for Caribou and Ishi are not stated.
• The fire order's Exhibit B map of Wilderness Areas was not supplied.
• No permits or maps page URL was among the supplied documents.
• The South Antelope Bridge alert has not been updated since 2026-03-19; repair status is unknown.
• Fees for most campgrounds are not stated.

Is dispersed camping allowed in Lassen National Forest?

Allowed with restrictions. Camping in undeveloped locations is limited to 14 days at a time and 30 days total per calendar year. Camping outside developed recreation areas is banned in the Lake Almanor Overnight Use Closure Area.

How long can you camp in Lassen National Forest?

The stay limit is 14 days per stay; no more than 30 days total per calendar year in undeveloped locations.

Are campfires allowed in Lassen National Forest?

Fires, campfires and stove fires are banned forest-wide. People with a California Campfire Permit may still use gas or pressurized-fuel stoves and lanterns, and may have fires in the Exhibit A Fire Safe sites and in Wilderness. Smoking, fireworks, welding and running engines off NFS roads or trails are also banned. This was the order in effect when the area was checked on September 24, 2026; confirm on the alerts page before you go.

Do you need a permit to camp in Lassen National Forest?

A free California Campfire Permit is required for campfires and stoves in the wildernesses and at the Fire Safe sites. Get one in Chester, in Susanville, or at permit.preventwildfiresca.org. During the current fire order, the permit allows only gas or pressurized-fuel stoves and lanterns outside those sites and Wilderness. Thousand Lakes Wilderness: no wilderness permit required. Not stated for Caribou or Ishi. Varies by site. Examples: Alder Creek $10 per night; Bogard no fees; Thousand Lakes Wilderness no fee.