Connectivity
- T-Mobile5GGood coverageVerified by 1 camper · Jun 8, 2026
- VerizonLTESome coverageVerified by 4 campers · Oct 18, 2026
Community-reported service can change with terrain, weather, congestion, and carrier coverage.
Campground
Buckhorn
Black Butte Lake, California
About this campground
Buckhorn Recreation Area is at Black Butte Lake, situated at the northern end of the Sacramento valley, 100 miles north of Sacramento, CA and 30 minutes south of Red Bluff, CA.
Buckhorn has 93 campsites, including a group campground and five walk-in sites.
Black Butte Lake was formed in 1963 with the completion of the Black Butte Dam on Stony Creek.
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 39.812097° N
- Longitude
- 122.366839° W
Know before you arrive
Access, sites & campground features
Official facility and campsite inventory, supplemented by clearly marked community reports when the official listing does not publish the detail.
Access
- Drive-in
- Walk-in
- Boat-inCommunity report
Site types
- Tent sites
- RV / trailer sites
- Standard campsites
- Group sites
Features
For campers
- Toilets
- Showers
- Drinking water
- Fires
- Alcohol allowedCommunity report
- Phone serviceCommunity report
- Trash serviceCommunity report
- Pets allowedDogs are allowed in developed Army Corps recreation areas when penned, caged, on a leash no longer than six feet, or otherwise physically restrained. Pets are excluded from swimming beaches, sanitary facilities, playgrounds, and other posted areas.
- Reservable
For vehicles
- Sanitary dump
- Water hookups
- Sewer hookups
- Electric hookups
- Pull-through sites
- Big rig friendlyPublished vehicle length up to 150 ft
- Back-in sitesCommunity report
Official campground guide
Plan with the full campground details
Facility information, site rules, booking windows, and published rates. Source snapshot checked Oct 18, 2026.
Overview
Buckhorn Recreation Area is at Black Butte Lake, situated at the northern end of the Sacramento valley, 100 miles north of Sacramento, CA and 30 minutes south of Red Bluff, CA.
The lake is a popular meeting place for water sports and outdoor enthusiasts, so bring family and friends for an incredibly scenic getaway.
Facilities
Buckhorn has 93 campsites, including a group campground and five walk-in sites. Conveniences include showers, a modern boat ramp complex, two playgrounds, an exercise area, and shoreline access. No sites have electric or water hookups. The area is open year-round.
Recreation
Find excitement with wake boarding and sailing or explore the shoreline's 13 miles of fitness trails for hiking, running and biking.
Black Butte is renowned for its warm-water fishing, including catches such as crappie, channel catfish, and large and smallmouth bass.
Natural Features
Black Butte Lake was formed in 1963 with the completion of the Black Butte Dam on Stony Creek.
The lake's surface area measures 4,460 acres when water levels are high. Black basalt buttes and blue oak woodland hug the lake's 40 miles of shoreline.
Nearby Attractions
A 18 hole disc golf course can be accessed across from the Orland Buttes Campground. Horeseback riders can make use of the horse trails at Grizzly Flat and Burris Creek. Drive east to visit the Mendocino National Forest.
Activities & amenities
What Recreation.gov or the campground’s official source specifically lists.
Available activities
- Swimming SiteSwimming
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Camping
- Boating
- Biking
Amenities and facility features
- Toilets
- Showers
- Potable water
- Dump station
- Water hookups
- Sewer hookups
Recreation sites
Published inventory grouped by site type. Individual sites can have stricter limits.
Standard Non-Electric
87 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Car, Caravan/Camper Van, Fifth Wheel, Pickup Camper, Pop Up, RV, Small Tent, Tent, Trailer, Vehicle
- Maximum people
- 8
- Maximum vehicles
- 4
- Maximum vehicle length
- 150 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Walk To
5 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 8
- Maximum vehicles
- 4
- Maximum vehicle length
- 0 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Group Standard Non-Electric
1 site- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- RV, Tent, Trailer
- Maximum people
- 80
- Maximum vehicles
- 40
- Maximum vehicle length
- 60 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 12:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Site rules, inventory & rates
Facility rules, inventory procedures, and price seasons published by the official source.
Site rules
- Allow Mid Stay Modification
- 1
- Max Changes
- 3 change(s) per reservation
- Max Concurrent Stay
- 2 campsite(s) held
- Max Stay
- 14 nights
- Military Discount
- 1
- Minimum stay
- 1 consecutive nights
- Holiday-weekend minimum
- 0 days
- Reservation cutoff
- 0 Not Reservable
- Maximum published occupancy
- 80 people per site
- Maximum published vehicles
- 40 vehicles per site
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 1:00 PM, 12:00 PM
- Food storage
- Buckhorn's official facility record checked 2026-10-16 does not publish a food-storage method; confirm the posted rule with Black Butte Lake.
- Fire and stove use
- The current official campground record does not publish a campground-specific fire or stove rule. Check current posted restrictions before using any flame.
- Pets
- Dogs are allowed in developed Army Corps recreation areas when penned, caged, on a leash no longer than six feet, or otherwise physically restrained. Pets are excluded from swimming beaches, sanitary facilities, playgrounds, and other posted areas.
Inventory window
Recreation.gov publishes a rolling booking window. The dates below are the official snapshot captured for this catalog build.
- Currently bookable through
- Apr 18, 2027
- Next release
- Oct 19, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT
- Next book-through date
- Apr 19, 2027
- Group sites bookable through
- Oct 18, 2027
Published seasons & rates
| Season | Site type | Nightly rate | Additional person | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026 | Walk To | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2027 – Sep 30, 2027 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2027 – Sep 30, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2027 – Sep 30, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2027 – Sep 30, 2027 | Walk To | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2028 – Mar 31, 2028 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2028 – Mar 31, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2028 – Mar 31, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonJan 1, 2028 – Mar 31, 2028 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2028 – Sep 30, 2028 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2028 – Sep 30, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2028 – Sep 30, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 1, 2028 – Sep 30, 2028 | Walk To | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2028 – Dec 31, 2028 | Group Standard Non-Electric | $200 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2028 – Dec 31, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $20 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2028 – Dec 31, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $18 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonOct 1, 2028 – Dec 31, 2028 | Walk To | $18 | — | — |
Important facility notices
Read these with current closure and fire notices before departure.
- Limited Sanitation Facilities Due to ongoing sanitation infrastructure issues, flushing toilets and showers will not be available. Portable restrooms and handwashing stations will be in place to support public health and safety. These facilities will be located near existing restroom areas. Potable water and dump stations will remain available for visitor use.
- Vehicle Pass Info: Each campsite allows up to 4 vehicles* (up to 40 vehicles for group use area). Please print your reservation or write your reservation # and the reserved camper’s last name, and place it on the dashboard of each vehicle while in the recreation area. (*Please note: 4 vehicles may not fit within each campsite’s parking area.)
- Please adhere to all road signs. Traffic for sites 1 through 22 is one way in, one way out. All vehicles must face with the flow of traffic in case of an emergency.
- There are no electric/water/sewer hookups. A dump station and water filling station is available.
- No fireworks allowed
- No off-road vehicles
- Entrance gates close at 10 pm from April 1 through Sept. 30th. Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am.
- Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.
Getting there & contact
Official directions
From Interstate 5, take the Black Butte Lake exit at Orland, CA. Travel west on County Road 200/Newville Road for 12 miles. Turn left on Buckhorn Road and enter the Buckhorn Recreation area.
Facility contact
530-865-4781