Openings · last 7 days
3
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 3 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-232248
When Hat Creek reopens
Hat Creek's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
3
Openings · last 90 days
3
Only 3 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 10, 2026 · of 12 monitored sites
Of the 276 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 10, 2026): 39 open for online reservation · 23 reserved · 214 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 12 monitored sites, 3 can be reserved online and 9 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
85.9% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 39 of 276 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 10, 2026Not open online85.9%
Open site-nights39 / 276
Reserved (of online inventory)23 / 62
Weekday openings21
Weekend openings18
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 21 fall on weekdays and 18 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026October holds the most room. 25 of 120 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 3 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| GS1 | 14 |
| GS3 | 14 |
| GS2 | 11 |
The 3 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 22; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
39 open site-nights across 3 sites at Hat Creek, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 6 2-night, 5 3-night, 3 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site GS1.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 40 ft. 3 sites take 25 ft, 3 sites take 35 ft, 3 sites take 40 ft.
All 3 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS1 | 40 ft | None | 14 | 8 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +2 more |
| GS3 | 40 ft | None | 14 | 14 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +2 more |
| GS2 | 40 ft | None | 11 | 7 nights | Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 |
About Hat Creek
Overview
Hat Creek is one of six campgrounds available in the Hat Creek Recreation Area, home to some of the area's best trout fishing. Scenic hiking trails and an active volcanic area can easily be accessed from the facility.
Recreation
Hat Creek is popular for its trophy trout fishing. The cold waters of the creek allow for a refreshing play on hot summer days. Other popular activities in the area include wildlife viewing, hunting, backpacking, hiking and caving.
A variety of day hikes are available in the area, including the Spatter Cones Nature Trail, which is located just across the highway from the campground. The 1.5-mile loop trail provides hikers with a unique opportunity to explore craters, cones and crevices, as well as other geologic features left by the Hat Creek Lava Flow.
Nearby, visitors can take a self-guided tour of Subway Cave. The trail is less than a half-mile long and explores the underground world of a lava tube. Visitors are encouraged to bring flashlights for hiking through the cave.
Facilities
Hat Creek offers three group campsites that can accommodate up to 50 people each. Individual sites are also available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Picnic tables and campfire rings with grills are provided, as are accessible flush and vault toilets, utility sinks and drinking water. The RV dump-station is located 1.5 miles north of the campground behind the Old Station Visitors Center.
Natural Features
The campground is situated next to Hat Creek in a mixed conifer forest at an elevation of about 4,390 feet. Pine needles, grasses and volcanic rocks cover the forest floor. Sites are widely spaced for privacy.
Nearby Attractions
The campground is located about a mile west of the town of Old Station, and 12 miles east of the northwest entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park, where active, hissing fumaroles and boiling mud pots are continually shaping the landscape.
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail can be accessed near the Spatter Cones Nature Trailhead.
12 monitored sites9 FCFS sitesRVs up to 40 ftNo hookups3 shadedMax party 50
Getting there
From Highways 44 and 89, go through Old Station and continue 1.5 miles west to the campground.
Lassen National Forest, Fall River Mills, CA 96028530-336-5521
CampingFishing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-232248 · facility
Photo gallery
Roll CS-232248 · Hat Creek · Fall River Mills CA5 frames · facility
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Hat Creek?
Reservations for Hat Creek are made through Recreation.gov. 85.9% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation; 39 of 276 remain open. Campsite Sniper has also detected 3 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Hat Creek?
Campsite Sniper detected 3 site-date openings at Hat Creek in the last 7 days, 3 over 30 days and 3 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Hat Creek?
5 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site GS1. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Hat Creek fit a 35-foot RV?
3 of the 3 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 40 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Hat Creek?
October 2026, with 25 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 120.
When is the next open date at Hat Creek?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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Watch
We run paced availability checks for Hat Creek. One watch covers every matching online-reservable site.
Get the ping
When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.
Alerts monitor online-reservable inventory only; first-come, first-served sites are not included.