This is my 2nd time visiting this lake and its well stocked and very clean. One can see the fishes…read morejumping and swimming from afar. Also, the surrounding bars and restaurants have been very welcoming and have great tasting food. Even an excellent craft brewery is here.

Beautiful Lake love to go water skiing on it and enjoying my family would recommend this lake all…read morethe time to enjoy water skiing tubing Sea- dooing all the above too bad they didn't have parasailing, but I think they did at one point and it didn't go off very well

Beautiful lake. Bountiful fishing opportunities. No cost to launch you boat…read more Primitive bathrooms available within walking distance everywhere. Always supplied with toilet paper. The town of Chester is about 10 miles away if you need a store for something. The campgrounds are close together. Which we don't really like. Each has a fire ring and grill to cook on. Tons of wood to scrounge for a fire but you'll need a burn permit which are free and good for the entire year. Be sure to secure your food as those cute but pesky chipmunks and squirrels will help themselves. We came before the season was open and it was wonderfully quite.

What a great forest service campground. We were at the South Campground at site #10 and we had a…read moregood amount of space between us and our neighbor. It wasn't too far from the restrooms and trash either. The drinking water was just across from us and compared to a state park or national park campground, it was pretty quiet. There is a paved hiking trail to Lake Almanor just across the entrance from the South Campground. On an early morning, I took a jog with my 1-year-old while the others were still snoozing and the weather was just perfect at 8:30 AM. Although I found that even for early July, it can get a bit cold in the early morning (1 AM-8 AM) in the tent. So pack extra blankets. There are no showers here, so you will have to find them somewhere else. Overall, this is a great spot to camp if you plan to go to Mount Lassen National Park or surrounding areas. There is a lot of space for the whole family at your campsite.

Lake Helen is a simple quick-stop feature as you venture along the 30 mile Lassen Volcanic Parkway…read more The reason why I'd like to mention Lake Helen is because of how beautiful and COLORFUL I found this place to be! Wow....I was pretty stunned by the mixture of the still melting snow with what seemed like turquoise blue waters....and this was the status when I visited back in the middle of July! There's really not much to Lake Helen other than stopping, getting out of your car and taking scenic photographs of the area with this stunning lake as the focal point. During my visit to Lassen National Park, it was one of the first few attractions I came upon as I navigated the parkway from the main, southwest entrance all the way up towards the Manzanita Lake Camping Area. In estimation....I'd say it was located about 5 - 10 miles going along Lassen Parkway. It can't be missed from the road. I saw plenty of cars parked with visitors playing by the snow and capturing photos of this picturesque surrounding. I certainly took a few moments to appreciate the landscape. Although Lassen NP has a rugged and brownish exterior from the high elevations and chilly winter setting,....this Lake Helen was a wonderful reprieve from the mostly out of bloom and dull terrain I found the park to be. Although there's not much to Lake Helen other than observing the wonderful blue coloring of the waters mixed with the snowy ice melting....it was still quite a fascinating revelation to witness such an unheralded and strikingly colorful roadside attraction.

really lovely, clear blue-green lake to look at, walk around and/or have a picnic. on the day we…read morevisited, the weather was perfect....mid-upper 70s, sunny, breezy, and we saw visitors doing all 3 and just enjoying this little gem in lassen nat'l park. hubby and i took the time to admire this lake, snap a few pics, then walk around the lake, mainly b/c i was curious how long it would take to walk around and how many miles it was....answer? 24 minutes and 0.79 miles! normally, i'd be able to walk this distance in under 20 minutes, but given how bumpy the walking path was, it took a bit longer and i had to slowly step over a few of the rocky passages. there's plenty of spots for people to sit and sunbathe or have a snack. there are also a few picnic benches higher up from the lake, and we saw a family bring their camping stove and cook lunch there. lots of free parking all along the rim of the lake as well as separate men's & women's restrooms and trash/recycling receptacles. i'll definitely plan on a longer visit the next time i'm here and perhaps bring my portable stove to make myself a feast and enjoy this lovely lake!

A diamond in the rough for Sierra lakes. If you want to get away from tons of people, you'll love…read morethis place. Purchase rental cabin from Bucks Marina or Bucks Lake Shore Lodge. Also, Lake Shore lodge has a full bar and restaurant with outstanding food and drinks. Get the tree smacker for the full effect....LOL Enjoy this lake, it's one of kind. I've been going there since 1967...It's the real deal for a mountain experience!!!!! Cools down at night, so you sleep great....Hank D. Sr.

wonderful place! wonderful staff and wonderful people! Bucks Lake is a must visit if you have not…read morebeen yet what a wonderful secret/ destination spot!

Beautiful recreational lane to Paddle boat or kayak in the morning…read more Freezing cold water! Bathrooms at the visit center are not great

This is one of my favorite spots around lassen county. Great spots to hike and beautiful lakes. You…read morehave to come check it out, it's a beauty you must see for yourself. I went swimming here during summer and the dogs as well. Very cold water, but what do you expect in higher elevations with wind! So worth the drive and hike.

If your idea of a good time is to stroll through the forest past pretty lake after pretty lake and…read moreto see no other people, head up to the Caribou Wilderness on the eastern edge of Lassen Volcanic National Park near Chester. Hubby and I recently spent an October Saturday there, hiking a seven mile loop from the Hay Meadow trailhead. Reaching the trailhead itself is something of an adventure, requiring a twelve mile drive on forest service roads. Fortunately, most of the route is paved and in decent condition; the last couple of miles are gravel, and if it's rained could be a problem. We crawled down the last bumpy downhill stretch in our sedan to see a large gravel lot with nary a car in it. There is a restroom, but it was locked. Hay Meadow on the southern edge of the wilderness, where the trail starts, is large and picturesque; I imagine that it is gorgeous in mid-summer with the wildflowers. We hiked in a counterclockwise direction, taking the Indian Meadow, Hidden Lakes, Posey-Beauty, and Cone-Hay Meadows trails. There's an early climb of some few hundred feet, but after that nothing taxing. Much of the hike is relatively flat, and the range in elevation is from 6500 to 7000 feet. About 1.5 miles in you start to see what you came for: the lakes. The essence of this hike is the pleasure of woods and lakes. And plenty of lakes there are. In our seven miles, we passed at least 15 lakes, and that doesn't count the small ponds. The largest was Long Lake, about mid-way through the hike, and the most beautiful was Evelyn Lake, set among rocky ledges, on the return trip. The Caribou Wilderness is typically open mid-June to mid-October. There is no entrance fee nor backpacking fee. While there are no campgrounds near Hay Meadow, there are two campgrounds at the Caribou Lake entrance on the east side of the wilderness. Mosquitoes can be bad in June and July, but we didn't see any in October.

Strenuous hike involving sand…read more Exposure in intense heat Bring lots of water Sturdy hiking shoes Go early before the heat kills you in the summer time $30 entrance fee into park Park at lake Butte

It was so beautiful and peaceful, the trails were clean and the walk was a breeze. I enjoyed thw…read moresurroundings and I loved the fresh brisk air.

Such an amazing little piece of earth. I've been going here since I can remember, for the last 30…read moreyears or so, and the best part about it is that it has never changed. Maybe the only thing that's changed is the window of time that the lake is full in the Summer, but that's a small trade off. Ray, the camp host, is a kind and wonderfully hospitable man. He cares for the campers to have a fun and safe time. Each site is beautiful in its own way. All the waterfront sites are gorgeous. Love this place!!

A little wait but it was worth it. Nice area and of course you can look at the lake. One…read morerecommendation is mark a spot with signs that lets customers know where to park.

Great camp ground, access to the water, staff super friendly and awesome burgers. Why 3 stars?…read moreThere is a very young girls that works at the food truck and wears very short, shorts so it's eye level is very uncomfortable plus the manager she just sits there talking to the staff about personal stuff And the girl was asking the cook (male) what did he do time for? In front of customers. We are there a few days in a row and we couldn't believe "this is normal".

I've stayed here a few times and will come back. I've had some great experiences here but also a…read morefew hiccups. Best things- the campground is huge. Lots of paved roads for kids to ride bikes. I ran in the campground and did a full two miles without looping back at all. There is also a big long paved biking trail through the forest. I don't know how long. Long. Like 8 miles. The campsites aren't crowded. I love the trees. Wasps. One two of our trips at least 3 people from our party were stung. They are def around the mud pond Worst things: they keep sites open even if there is an osprey nest above it crapping all over your personal stuff and just look at the concrete photos. The third time we went here no one was in the water because of the heat wave made the water temp higher and increased bird poop bacteria or something so that kinda sucked. Kids had fun playing in the woods though.

Shout out to Jackie and Kyle, Rocky Point Campground managers. Went above and beyond to help us…read morewith reservations. Both are super friendly and helpful. They're both invested in giving campers a great experience. Thanks, so much!