NPS · Lassen Volcanic National Park · Mineral, CA

Juniper Lake Group

Juniper Lake Group Campground (elevation 6,800 feet) is a remote, rustic facility in the southeastern part of Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is on the eastern shore of Juniper Lake, a popular swimming spot, and offers a fantastic view of Lassen Peak, the largest volcano in the park, towering at 10,457 feet.

Reservable · Recreation.gov 2 sitesPets okFires okTents only

More like this: reservable in California · tent only in California · pets allowed in California · group sites in California

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of LAVO Fee Staff · Recreation.gov

2fires
active

Cy26 Elrd Underburn Drake Unit 7 & 9 Rx (prescribed burn) · 18 mi away

1 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Group tent areas

Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

2 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Entry	Surface	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires
A	Back-in	Gravel	Partial	15 / 3	Yes
B	Back-in	Gravel	Partial	15 / 3	Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Equipment	Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions

This is a tent-only facility with two group sites. It is connected to the rest of Juniper Lake Campground, which is all first-come, first-served. Access is via a 13-mile road (seven miles gravel, six miles roughly paved).

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Chester, 11 miles from the campground at 4,530 feet, station USC00041700 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 34 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 110 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From the Red Bluff (I.5), drive east on state HWY 36 approximately 70 miles to Chester. Turn left at fire station immediately after crossing Feather River Bridge (watch for National Park Service sign on right) continue approximately 13 miles follow signs to Juniper Lake Campground and Group Campsite Area.

Nearest town	Mineral, California
Coordinates	40.4511° N, 121.2958° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

Juniper Lake is popular for canoeing, kayaking and swimming; Motorized boating is not permitted.
Drinking water is not available.

Fire nearby

Prescribed
Cy26 Elrd Underburn Drake Unit 7 & 9 Rx
18 mi from the campground
Prescribed
Cy26 Elrd Understory Drake Unit 6 8 &10 Rx
18 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump station	Dump station ↗	15.1 mi
RV sales & service	Reliable RV ↗	35.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

7.8 mi
Silver Bowl Picnic ↗Day use
8 mi
Silver Beach Picnic Area ↗Day use

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

4.1 mi
Benner Creek Dispersed
0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
4.6 mi
Posey-Beauty Caribou
2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
4.6 mi
Hidden Lakes Caribou
2 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Lassen Volcanic Wilderness, which overlaps Lassen National Forest.

in
Lassen Volcanic Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · National Park Service · 79,061 acres
in
Lassen National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 1,488,712 acres
1.8 mi
Caribou Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 20,839 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

NPS · CA

Juniper Lake Stock Corral

Reservableunder 0.1 mi

NPS · CA

Warner Valley Campground

Reservable5.3 mi

FS · CA

Warner Creek Campground

First-come6.2 mi

FS · CA

Domingo Springs Campground

First-come6.8 mi

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

NPS · CA

Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins

Cabin rental15.006740498351169 mi

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Horseshoe Lake Ranger StationBuilding · Chester · 2.4 mi
Warner Valley Ranger StationBuilding · Chester · 4.7 mi
Twin Lakes Fire Tool CacheBuilding · Mineral · 5.5 mi

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, some of which are close to the campground. 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 in 1980. Lassen National Park boasts over 700 species of flowering plants and 250 species of vertebrates, 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.

Recreation

The main trailheads for Horseshoe Lake, Snag Lake and the interior of the park are within the facility. The Mount Harkness Trail ascends to a historic fire tower that is still in use.

Guidebooks for Lassen Volcanic National Park

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Hiking Lassen Volcanic National Park
Tracy Salcedo, 2014
Find at Bookshop.org
Monitoring the American Pika in the Pacific West Region: Crater Lake National Park, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Lava Beds National Monument: Standard Operating Procedures
National Park Service, 2013
Find at Bookshop.org
Your Guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park
Michael Oswald, 2012
Find at Bookshop.org
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Mike White, 2016
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Juniper Lake Group?

Sites at Juniper Lake Group are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Juniper Lake Group?

Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Juniper Lake Group have?

2 sites, including 2 group tent areas.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Juniper Lake Group?

Juniper Lake Group is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Juniper Lake Group?

Yes, pets are allowed at Juniper Lake Group. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Juniper Lake Group?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Juniper Lake Group?

The main trailheads for Horseshoe Lake, Snag Lake and the interior of the park are within the facility. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Juniper Lake Group?

Mineral, California.

Source: Getting there

What if Juniper Lake Group is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Juniper Lake Stock Corral (under 0.1 mi), Warner Valley Campground (5.3 mi), and Warner Creek Campground (6.2 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby

Which national park is Juniper Lake Group in?

Juniper Lake Group is a Lassen Volcanic National Park campground. Entrance fees, alerts, and hours are on Park Atlas.

Source: Lassen Volcanic National Park