Connectivity
No community carrier report is currently published for this campground.
Community-reported service can change with terrain, weather, congestion, and carrier coverage.
Campground
SUMMIT LAKE SOUTH
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
About this campground
Summit Lake South Campground (elevation 6,700 ft.) is conveniently located on the main road of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
This facility has vault toilets, drinking water, campfire rings, picnic tables and a more secluded tent-only loop.
Be bear aware; food and scented products must be stored in the bear lockers provided at each campsite Pets are not allowed on park trails and must be on a 6-ft.
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 40.490278° N
- Longitude
- 121.423611° 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-inCommunity report
Site types
- Tent sites
- RV / trailer sites
- Standard campsites
Features
For campers
- Toilets
- Drinking water
- Picnic table
- FiresSubject to current restrictions
- Alcohol allowedCommunity report
- Firewood availableCommunity report
- Trash serviceCommunity report
- Reservable
For vehicles
- Pull-through sites
- Big rig friendlyPublished vehicle length up to 59 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
Summit Lake South Campground (elevation 6,700 ft.) is conveniently located on the main road of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The campground is within walking distance of the small but scenic Summit Lake and eight miles from the 10,457-ft. Lassen Peak, the largest volcano in the park.
Hikers will find one of the park's major trails only 1/4-mile away from the campground and many more within a close proximity. Summit Lake South is on the opposite side of the lake from Summit Lake North Campground.
Facilities
This facility has vault toilets, drinking water, campfire rings, picnic tables and a more secluded tent-only loop. There are no flush toilets. For more information visit Campgrounds of Lassen Volcanic .
Recreation
The campground is a hub for hiking and backpacking trails within the park. Campers can access many of the park's 150 miles of hiking trails from the Summit Lake area. The Cluster Lakes loop trail--a major trailhead into the park's interior that bypasses several alpine lakes and is popular among birders--is located a short walk away at the Summit Lake Ranger Station. This is the closest campground to the Lassen Peak Trail and within 10 miles of the hydrothermal area, Bumpass Hell. Educational programs are presented at an amphitheater within the facility.
Natural Features
The national park is known for its volcanic history, as well as its diversity of plants and animals. It contains 300 active volcanic domes and many hydrothermal features, such as mud pots and steam vents. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades, and the second-most recent volcano to erupt in the lower 48 of the United States before Mount Saint Helens.
Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 native species including birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The park is at the junction of the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin, thus providing many unique habitats.
Nearby Attractions
Not separately publishedRecreation.gov does not publish a separate nearby attractions section for this campground.
Activities & amenities
What Recreation.gov or the campground’s official source specifically lists.
Available activities
- Swimming SiteSwimming
- Day Use AreaAmphitheater
- Visitor CenterComfort Station
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Camping
- Historic & Cultural SiteMuseum
Amenities and facility features
- Toilets
- Potable water
- Picnic tables
- Site fire ring or grateSubject to current restrictions
- Comfort Station
- Drinking Water
- Fee Station
- Vault Toilets
Recreation sites
Published inventory grouped by site type. Individual sites can have stricter limits.
Tent Only Non-Electric
32 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 2
- Maximum vehicle length
- 59 ft
- Check-in
- 1:00 PM
- Check-out
- 12:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Standard Non-Electric
13 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- RV, Tent, Trailer
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 2
- Maximum vehicle length
- 30 ft
- Check-in
- 1:00 PM
- Check-out
- 12:00 PM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Management
3 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 2
- Maximum vehicle length
- 27 ft
- Check-in
- 1:00 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
- Max Concurrent Stay
- 2 campsite(s) held
- Maximum stay
- 7 nights
- Minimum stay
- 1 consecutive nights
- Reservation cutoff
- 0 days before arrival
- Maximum published occupancy
- 6 people per site
- Maximum published vehicles
- 2 vehicles per site
- Check-in
- 1:00 PM
- Check-out
- 12:00 PM
- Food storage
- SUMMIT LAKE SOUTH's official facility record states: Be bear aware; food and scented products must be stored in the bear lockers provided at each campsite Pets are not allowed on park trails and must be on a 6-ft.
- Fire and stove use
- SUMMIT LAKE SOUTH's official facility record states: This facility has vault toilets, drinking water, campfire rings, picnic tables and a more secluded tent-only loop.
- Pets
- SUMMIT LAKE SOUTH's official facility record does not publish a campground-specific pet allowance; verify the current Lassen Volcanic National Park pet boundary before arrival.
Inventory window
Recreation.gov publishes a rolling booking window. The dates below are the official snapshot captured for this catalog build.
- Currently bookable through
- Sep 21, 2026
- Next release
- Dec 26, 2026, 7:00 AM PST
- Next book-through date
- Jun 26, 2027
- Group sites bookable through
- Sep 21, 2027
Published seasons & rates
| Season | Site type | Nightly rate | Additional person | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2026 – Sep 7, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2026 – Sep 7, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2026 – Sep 21, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2026 – Sep 21, 2026 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2027 – Sep 7, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2027 – Sep 7, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2027 – Sep 21, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2027 – Sep 21, 2027 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2028 – Sep 7, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonJun 26, 2028 – Sep 7, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $22 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2028 – Sep 21, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
| Non-Peak SeasonSep 8, 2028 – Sep 21, 2028 | Tent Only Non-Electric | $15 | — | — |
Important facility notices
Read these with current closure and fire notices before departure.
- Be bear aware; food and scented products must be stored in the bear lockers provided at each campsite
- Pets are not allowed on park trails and must be on a 6-ft. leash
- There are no electricity, water or sewer hook-ups
- An entrance fee of $30 per vehicle is required. We highly recommend visitors purchase the park's digital 1-7 day entrance fee or the parks annual pass throught recreation.gov prior to visiting park.
- Campers must have a valid entrance permit/pass before camping
- 50 percent discount on camping fees applies only to lifetime pass holders and senior annual pass holders
- Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.
- Campsites are limited to 3 tents, 6 people, and 2 vehicles (including RV) per site.
- Please have a printed copy of your reservation with you.
Getting there & contact
Official directions
From Redding, California take State Highway 44 east approximately 48 miles to the Manzanita Lake entrance of the park. The campground is 14 miles south of the entrance on the main park road.
Facility contact
530 595-6121