Southwest Campground

Lassen Volcanic National Park — lakeside, hiking

Location: CA, CA

Price: From $10 per night

Price range: $10–$16 per night

Rating: 5 out of 5 (5 reviews)

Season: May through October

The Southwest Campground (elevation 6700FT.) is a first come first serve campground. It has 20 walk-in tent sites and 5 RV sites located in the parking lot adjacent to the campground. It is located within walking distance to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails, a variety of which can be accessed from the campground, including family-friendly hikes as well as those for more experienced hikersRestrooms with running water and flush toilets are av

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Dump Station

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

First-come, first-serve campground with 20 walk-in tent sites and 5 RV sites located within walking distance to Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. Over 150 miles of hiking trails accessible from the campground, ranging from family-friendly to experienced hiker routes.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, American Pika, Lodgepole Chipmunk, Western Tanager, Sooty Grouse, and Common Garter Snake documented in area

Insider tips for Southwest Campground: Book early — federal campground with high demand Car camping allowed in adjacent parking lot if campgrounds full for a fee Visitor center bathrooms available with water on site Walk-in tent sites on east side of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area

Skip Southwest Campground if: Need RV hookups — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs. Traveling outside May through October — seasonal operations only. Prefer reserved sites — first-come, first-serve only.

Best time to visit Southwest Campground: July — Peak season with optimal conditions for hiking and visitor center access. June — Water recently turned on for season, fewer crowds than peak summer.

Nearby campgrounds: Manzanita Lake (MINERAL, CA), Summit Lake South (MINERAL, CA), Warner Valley Campground (Chester, CA), Lost Creek Group (MINERAL, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Southwest Campground

Cell signal at Southwest Campground (CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

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›Southwest Campground
Southwest Campground — photo 1
Southwest Campground — photo 2
Southwest Campground — photo 3
Lassen Volcanic National Park — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Southwest Campground

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CA, CA★ 5 (5 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

The Southwest Campground (elevation 6700FT.) is a first come first serve campground. It has 20 walk-in tent sites and 5 RV sites located in the parking lot adjacent to the campground. It is located within walking distance to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails, a variety of which can be accessed from the campground, including family-friendly hikes as well as those for more experienced hikersRestrooms with running water and flush toilets are available 24/7 in the Visitor Center vestibule.

Best for:HikersFamiliesBackpackersSites: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
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDump Station
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Flush Toilets

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:✕ Need RV hookups — no hookups available, suitable only for self-contained RVs✕ Traveling outside May through October — seasonal operations only✕ Prefer reserved sites — first-come, first-serve only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground with high demand

Car camping allowed in adjacent parking lot if campgrounds full for a fee

Visitor center bathrooms available with water on site

Walk-in tent sites on east side of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area

Best: July

Peak season with optimal conditions for hiking and visitor center access

Best: June

Water recently turned on for season, fewer crowds than peak summer

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Mule Deer, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, American Pika, Lodgepole Chipmunk, Western Tanager, Sooty Grouse, and Common Garter Snake documented in area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
530-595-6120· Lassen Volcanic National Park
Getting there →

Walk-in tent campsites are located on the east side of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center parking area. Camping in self-contained vehicles, RVs, or trailers is permitted in the adjacent parking lot.

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 Volcanic National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Lassen Volcanic National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Southwest Campground cost per night?+
Southwest Campground costs $10–$16 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Southwest Campground open?+
Southwest Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Southwest Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Southwest Campground?+
Southwest Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Southwest Campground?+
Southwest Campground 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 Southwest Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Southwest Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Southwest Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Southwest Campground 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.

$10 /night★ 5 (5)
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 Southwest Campground cost per night?+
What season is Southwest Campground open?+
Does Southwest Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Manzanita Lake

MINERAL, CA

From $15/night

Summit Lake South

MINERAL, CA

From $15/night

Warner Valley Campground

Chester, CA

From $21/night

Lost Creek Group

MINERAL, CA

From $62/night

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