Almanor

Lassen National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: CHESTER, CA, CA

Price: From $15 per night

Price range: $15–$100 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (42 reviews)

Season: May through October

Almanor Campground is a large family-friendly facility for individuals and large groups alike. It provides direct access to beautiful Lake Almanor and a variety of recreational opportunities in the area.The 28,000-acre lake provides ample boating, swimming, water skiing and sailing opportunities. A boat ramp can be found next to the north campground.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): strong signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas. Best carrier: T-Mobile. Verizon 4G: 100%. AT&T 4G: 100%. T-Mobile 4G: 100%.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/almanor to be notified when sites open up.

Direct access to Lake Almanor's 28,000 acres with a boat ramp on-site and nearby sandy/rocky beach. Affordable at $15/night with diverse water sports including boating, swimming, water skiing, and fishing.

Wildlife alert: Bald Eagles observed in the area; Gray Wolves documented within 8km—be aware of wildlife while camping and store food properly.

Insider tips for Almanor: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 26 sites and high demand Bring a self-contained RV or tent; most sites have no hookups despite electric hookups being listed as an amenity Fish in the lake or nearby streams; this is noted as a popular activity with good opportunity

Skip Almanor if: You need RV hookups—no hookups at most sites. You're visiting November through April—campground is closed seasonally.

Best time to visit Almanor: May through October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only; current forecast shows sunny conditions with mild temps near 84°F.

Nearby campgrounds: Greenville Campground (Lake Almanor, CA), Queen Lily Campground (Plumas) (Belden, CA), North Fork Campground (Plumas) (Belden, CA), Gansner Bar Campground (Ca) (Belden, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Almanor

Cell signal at Almanor (CHESTER, CA): strong overall signal based on FCC broadband data. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Almanor
Almanor — photo 1
Almanor — photo 2
Almanor — photo 3
See all photos
Lassen National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Almanor

Share:
CHESTER, CA, CA★ 4.4 (42 reviews)From $15/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Almanor Campground is a large family-friendly facility for individuals and large groups alike. It provides direct access to beautiful Lake Almanor and a variety of recreational opportunities in the area.The 28,000-acre lake provides ample boating, swimming, water skiing and sailing opportunities. A boat ramp can be found next to the north campground.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV70 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups—no hookups at most sites✕ You're visiting November through April—campground is closed seasonally

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 26 sites and high demand

Bring a self-contained RV or tent; most sites have no hookups despite electric hookups being listed as an amenity

Fish in the lake or nearby streams; this is noted as a popular activity with good opportunity

Best: May through October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only; current forecast shows sunny conditions with mild temps near 84°F

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G + 5G · 100%
Verizon
4G · 100%
AT&T
4G · 100%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal. Best carrier: T-Mobile.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Bald Eagles observed in the area; Gray Wolves documented within 8km—be aware of wildlife while camping and store food properly.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-258-2141· Lassen National Forest
Getting there →

From Chester, take Highway 36 west to Highway 89 South. Turn left on Highway 89 and continue south about 6 miles, to Almanor Drive West (not to be confused with Almanor West development and Almanor West Drive). Turn left on Almanor Drive West (directly across from the Almanor Group Camp and rest area) and continue approximately 1 mile to Almanor South Campground. For the Almanor Group camp. From Chester, take Highway 89 South. Turn left on Highway 89 and continue about 6 miles to Almanor Drive w

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Lassen National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Lassen National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Almanor cost per night?+
Almanor costs $15–$100 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What season is Almanor open?+
Almanor is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Almanor have hookups?+
No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What is the maximum RV length at Almanor?+
Almanor can accommodate RVs up to 70 feet.
How do I make reservations at Almanor?+
Almanor is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Almanor?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Almanor is rated strong. Best carrier: T-Mobile. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Almanor open, and what are check-in times?+
Almanor is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$15 /night★ 4.4 (42)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Almanor cost per night?+
What season is Almanor open?+
Does Almanor have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Greenville Campground

Lake Almanor, CA

From $25/night

Queen Lily Campground (Plumas)

Belden, CA

From $31/night

North Fork Campground (Plumas)

Belden, CA

From $35/night

Gansner Bar Campground (Ca)

Belden, CA

From $31/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$15–100 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability