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Christie Campground is located in the Eagle Lake Recreation Area of the Lassen National Forest. This recreation area has five campgrounds, three designated day use areas and a marina on the south shore of Eagle Lake. All these recreation facilities are connected by a 5.2 mile paved hiking/bike trail. The Osprey Overlook, another day use area in the recreation area, can be hiked or driven to for a scenic view of the southern end of Eagle Lake and the surrounding forest basin.
The Lassen National Forest offers a variety of lakes, streams and wilderness areas for recreational opportunities. The forest offers miles of trails that are used for hiking, mountain biking, off-highway vehicle riding and in the winter months, snowmobiling.
Fishing for the Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout, a California Heritage Trout, is the primary recreational activity on Eagle Lake, but the 3rd largest natural lake in California (22,000 acres), provides for plenty of room for swimming, kayaking, skiing and all other boating activities by motor or sail. There are no 2-cycle restrictions for outboard boat motors or PWCs.
Of the five campgrounds in the recreation area, Christie Campground is located the greatest distance from the marina and boat ramp, about five miles or a 10-minute drive. Due to its location, this campground is the least used and occupied in the recreation area. This distinction has developed a very loyal customer base of RV, trailer and tent campers who want a quiet, spacious, camping experience in this beautiful landscape.
Christie Campground's location offers OHV riders almost direct access to the Forest Service riding trails and roads and is preferred by kayak and personal pontoon fishing enthusiasts.
Each site is equipped with a paved parking spur, table and campfire ring/grill. Almost half of the sites feature a pull-through parking spur and nine of these sites are large enough that they have been designated as group sites.
An RV Dump Station Facility is conveniently located about two miles away with a $5 dump fee.
Forty-seven sites, #1-#25, #27-#30, and #32-#49 are designated reservation sites, the other 22 sites are walk-in sites, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The paved bike path begins in this campground. The Eagle Lake Marina store with gas, propane, fishing and camping supplies, rental boats, shower and laundry facilities and the South Shore Grill with hot food prepared to your order, and boat launch is located five miles from the campground.
Eagle Lake is located where the Sierras meet the Cascades at the southwestern end of the lake, and the Modoc Plateau of the Great Basin at the northeastern end. This unique location offers diverse landscapes, geology, wildlife and vegetation.
Christie Campground is located in a mature conifer forest of pines and firs, on the southwestern shoreline of Eagle Lake, at an elevation of 5,100 feet.
The Lassen National Forest has many other recreational opportunities and the Lassen Volcanic National Park is an easy day's drive to and from Eagle Lake Recreational Area.
From Susanville, California, take Highway 36 west for 2 miles to County Road A-1. Turn north and continue 14 miles to the Eagle Lake Recreation Area. Continue past Gallatin Road, the first highway you will come to in the lake basin, and follow the signs to Christie Campground. Located on County Road A-1, 2 miles north of Merrill Campground.
Gorgeous campground. Pretty well maintained. Not busy mid-week in summer. Buggy the further you get from the lake. Cold running water and flush toilets.
Group sites on the sides go back deep and the drinking water is cold. 5 miles to the lake and for 30 bucks for a group site isn't bad. I believe it's 10 a night for the single. The host do circle and slowdown to make sure your leaving, but like 3-4 hours before checkout.
Great campground with fire pits, flushable toilets and easy flat bike trails that are also good for running. Easy access to the lake but not great swimming access from nearby. There are showers at the Marina which is about 5 miles away and cost $2.5 for five minutes. For swimming go to Gallatin Beach.
I was here in August and there were no mosquitoes.
Even during high danger fire season we were allowed to have camp fires.
The campground host was friendly but absent to enforce quiet hours. Nearby campers were large and loud groups that stayed up until 3am.
Here's the field report on Christie Campground. Reserved space on Recreation.gov. We got there on a Sunday and it was pretty busy but soon had most of the loop to ourselves. Most of the spaces had reasonable spacing between neighbors. Potable water spigots around the loop and adequate flush toilets. Saw quite a few folks paddling inflatables and kayaks in the lake. Lots of birdwatching to be had, Stellar Jays, a western tanager, white pelicans, and a couple of eagles on Eagle Lake, and more. There is a great five-mile paved bike path to the marina and beyond that goes through the much larger and more developed Merrill Campground.
Flush toilets, cold (yummy!) running water, either reserved or first come campsites... What's not to love?! Onsite hosts were friendly and helpful. Fires are allowed in firepits, and the hosts do have some firewood if you didn't bring any. Map is accurate and easy to read, and posted large at the entrance. (OK, there is no on-site shower, but it's a VERY short walk to the lake...)
The paths are well marked, some are paved and easy to walk or ride a bike on, and there is a path(or dirt road if you want to drive) from the campground to the picnic area just south.
Quiet hours are 10pm-8am and most folks are cognizant courteous.
