Where Passion Meets Wide Open Opportunity
Visiting the Outdoor lifestyles of Northern California will leaving you craving more. More Outdoor Activity… More Wide Open space… More rugged untamed land… More geological wonder.. The mountains and lakes and trails of Plumas and Lassen Counties are filled with all the elements that make our door adventure addictive.
Travel north of Reno or Truckee California and the landscape begins to change. The granite walls of the Sierra Nevada start to submerge under a rugged volcanic shell that is continually being carved, shaped and vented as nature wages war against the planet. It is here that explorers and outdoor enthusiasts find a vast landscape of rugged trails, waterfalls, mountain lakes and Volcanic events that will entice you to come again, and again for adventure.
More than three-quarters of Plumas County’s 2,618 square miles is national forest land. The Plumas National Forest encompasses the majority of that, while the Lassen National Forest takes in part of the northern end of the county and the Tahoe National Forest touches into the south and east.
The Plumas National Forest occupies 1.2 million acres of scenic mountain lands in the northern edge of the Sierra Nevada, just south of the Cascade range. Known for its high alpine lakes and thousands of miles of clear-running streams, the forest sits at the top of the watershed that supplies water to many California citizens.
Plumas County
Destinations in Plumas County that need to be explored.
- Lakes Basin Recreational Area
- Bucks Lake Wilderness – the 24,000-acre Bucks Lake Wilderness near Bucks Lake has a broad diversity of plant life, trees and landscape features. Ranging from 2,000 to 7,017 feet in elevation, Bucks Lake Wilderness includes gentle slopes, steep canyons and sheer cliffs. Most of it is rugged with human access difficult. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the area, and Lassen Peak is visible on clear days, 40 miles to the north.
- Lake Almanor
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Lake Davis
- Greagle/Johnsonville
Plumas County boasts hundreds of public campsites and privately owned RV campgrounds. Many of them in alpine lake and forested, streamside settings. There are Forest Service campgrounds, PG&E campgrounds, and California State Park campgrounds. The links below will take you directly to campground and RV park listings throughout Plumas County.
Places to Camp by Area
Hiking/Backpacking in Plumas county will let you experience the magnificence of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges along an extensive system of hiking trails. Here’s a look at some of the most accessible ones:
- Pacific Crest Trail – Travel up to 80 miles of the PCT while in Plumas County. With elevations ranging from 2,400 to 7,000 feet. The Plumas County section can be accessed six miles west of Chester, at Belden in the Feather River Canyon, at Bucks Summit on Bucks Lake Road, off Big Creek Road near Bucks Lake, along the Quincy/La Porte Road, and in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. The communities of Chester and Quincy both welcome PCT hikers.
- Almanor Basin offers a myriad of hiking opportunities, including the paved Lake Almanor Recreation Trail that follows the west shore of the lake. The Almanor area also is close to some magnificent hikes within Lassen Volcanic National Park and the nearby Caribou Wilderness Area.
- Feather River Canyon affords hikers the opportunity to hike near one of the most beautiful waterways in the state, as well as to marvel at many of man’s engineering feats.
- Bucks Lake Wilderness Area, one trail follows the lake while another takes hikers to remote mountain lakes higher up. Bucks Lake Trailhead map.
- Indian Valley area has self-guided nature walks pleasant for families and seniors, including the Round Valley Lake Nature Walk near Greenville and the short hike to spectacular Indian Falls. Indian Falls is about nine miles south of Greenville on Highway 89. It is worth a quick stop to walk to the fall.
Lakes Basin Recreation Area in the southeastern part of the county near Graeagle has hundreds of great hiking trails, including a loop trail that leads past nine mountain lakes.
Ambitious hikers can climb to the top of the Sierra Buttes, Mt. Elwell or Eureka Peak, while others may prefer a less strenuous stroll to Madora Lake, located within Plumas Eureka State Park. Click on the map for full-size version.- Lake Davis Recreation Area, north of Portola has a 5.1 mile hiking trail along the east shore of the lake that accesses the campgrounds, and another four miles was added last year.
Fishing Season:
Lakes are open to fishing year round and the stream season usually opens on the last weekend of April and closes in the middle of November. Some streams, such as tributaries to Lake Almanor and Bucks Lake, are not open until the end of May and close at the end of September. Some waters like Yellow Creek have special barbless catch and release provisions. Check the current Department of Fish and Game regulations pamphlet for specific dates and limits.
Lake Almanor is the largest lake in Plumas County. Fishing is generally good year-round, but fall and winter can be outstanding. The Almanor Fishing Association is a great resource for more information on fishing Lake Almanor.
Butt Valley Reservoir is noted for huge rainbows and browns of trophy trout status. Butt Valley is at its best with flies, jigs and small lures in the inlet when the powerhouse is running.
Round Valley Lake near Greenville is a small lake with big bass. This is a great place for children to fish from shore for bluebills. An annual free Children’s Fishing Derby sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service is held here each September. Call (530) 283-0555 for more information.
Bucks Lake in central Plumas is a good all around lake that is especially noted for trophy size (over 16 pound) Mackinaw trout, although the current lake record is over 30 pounds. Fall fly-fishing for rainbow, brown and brook trout is often spectacular in middle to late afternoon.
Little Grass Valley Reservoir is good for rainbow and brown trout, and Antelope Lake is popular for trout, catfish and bass fishing.
Lake Davis and Frenchman Lake are excellent trophy rainbow waters. Fly fishing from the west shorelines, either wading or using float tubes, is good both spring and fall. Both of these lakes are popular for ice fishing during the wintertime.
Stream and Fly Fishing:
Whether you’re a fly fisherman or prefer to use lures and bait, you’ll find plenty of good action and surprisingly large trout in some very small creeks. The most common aquatic insects of the Feather River are several species of mayflies, caddis flies and stone flies. There are others, of course, as well as terrestrials (ants/grasshoppers). Exploring a stream, you may see trout rising to an active hatch of insects.
Lassen County
Destinations in Lassen County that need to be explored.
- Eagle Lake
- Biz Johnson National Recreational Trail – Following the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific railroad, the trail winds 25.4 miles from Susanville, California to Mason Station. For the first 16 miles, the trail follows the Susan River. As it winds through the rugged Susan River Canyon, the trail crosses the river 12 times on bridges and trestles and passes through two tunnels.
- Juniper Lake – Lassen volcanic National Park
- Cinder Cone Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Mountain Meadows reservoir
- Caribou Wilderness – The Caribou Wilderness is located in the Lassen National Forest just north of the Almanor Basin. This is a gentle, rolling forested plateau dotted with mountain lakes, cratered peaks and cinder cones, evidence of Caribou’s volcanic past. Hiking here is generally easy.
Camping in Lassen County has many options, but most of the best camping has a lake invloved.
Eagle Lake Camping:
MERRILL CAMPGROUND-Merrill is the largest campground on Eagle Lake with 173 sites and is only two miles from the Marina and Gallatin Beach. It was renovated in 2005 and now offers full and partial hook-ups, grey water dump areas and longer, wider parking spurs
- Aspen Campground – Aspen is our smallest campground and walking distance to the Marina and Gallatin Beach. This tent-only area offers a unique camping experience. Though small, the campground has the most diverse landscape – from pines to Aspen trees and many sites are dappled with beautiful rock outcroppings
- Christie Campground – Christie Campground boasts 69 spacious RV & tent friendly sites and marks the end of the Eagle Lake Recreation Area paved hiking and biking trail. It is just five miles from the Marina and right next door to the Christie Day Use Area, which offers picnic tables and grills right on the lakeshore
- Eagle Campground – Eagle Campground’s 50 sites are only ½ mile from the Marina and waterfront, making it popular with fishermen and families alike. Eagle offers a variety of spacious and shaded sites to suit anyone’s needs. Nine of the sites are recommended for tents only due to the limited parking space, but the rest of the sites will accommodate both RVs and tents.
- West Eagle Campground – West Eagle has two large group sites rated for 75 to 100 people. Both sites have private restrooms and beach access (where you are welcome to moor your boats for no fee). Each site has plenty of picnic tables, large fire rings, and grills. RVs and tent campers alike are welcome and the Marina and boat launch area are only ¾ of a mile down the road. This is the perfect setting for family reunions, church camps, or work place getaways.
Lassen Volcanic National Park Camping –
- Juniper Lake
- Butte Lake
Hiking/Backpacking
Plumas-Eureka State Park
Plumas Eureka State Park offers interpretive events, such as campfire programs, nature walks, and history tours, during the summer season. Hiking, fishing, picnicking, and other similar outdoor activities are quite popular with visitors. During their Living History Days events during the summer, volunteers dress in period costumes and lead you through what it was like to live in the community of Johnsville, one of the original towns that sprang up around the mines. The park is also home to the Johnsville Museum, which is open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m, featuring exhibits on natural history, hard rock mining, local history, and more.
Lakes Basin Area
There are nearly 50 small glacial lakes and streams featuring Gold Lake, Salmon Lake, Long Lake, and Sardine Lake, which are considered some of the primary lakes of the area.
