A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service group campground

Gurnsey Creek

Forest Service group campground in Lassen National Forest, Tehama County, California. About 4,700 feet.

Managed by
Forest Service Lassen National Forest
Elevation
About 4,700 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
2 2 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
60 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Tehama County

Overview

Gurnsey Creek Campground is located in the mountains of northern California. It offers access to a variety of nearby recreational opportunities, including hiking, fishing and picnicking.

Recreation

The area provides access to plentiful hiking trails, picnic spots and rainbow trout fishing.

Facilities

Gurnsey Group is located within Gurnsey Creek Campground. This unique site offers 2 reservable "loops". GS Loop # 1 is $56/night, includes 7 individual campsites (Site #s 31-37) and can accommodate 56 people. GS Loop #2 is $112/night, includes 13 sites (Site 38-51) and accommodates up to 112 people. Each site has its own fire ring, picnic table, and parking spur. Gurnsey Creek is a gorgeous campground sitting in a forest of tall evergreens near Highway 36. Drinking water and restrooms are available. No utility hookups are provided. A water-filling station is located at the campground entrance. Parking is limited within the campground. NOTE: THESE GROUP SITES ARE AVAILABLE BY RESERVATION ONLY.

Natural Features

The campground is nestled in a mixed conifer forest in the Lassen National Forest at an elevation of 4,700 feet. It is located next to Gurnsey Creek.

Nearby Attractions

The campground is located 14 miles west of the town of Chester and Lake Almanor, where boating, fishing, sailing and water skiing are popular activities.

The southwest entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park is about 14 miles north. The park is known for its active hissing fumaroles and boiling mud pots that continually shape and alter the landscape.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Gurnsey Creek

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.