Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-255303
When Medicine Lake Recreation Area reopens
Medicine Lake Recreation Area'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 – Sep 25, 2026 · of 58 monitored sites
Of the 600 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Sep 25, 2026): 14 open for online reservation · 43 reserved · 543 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 58 monitored sites, 16 can be reserved online and 42 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
97.7% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 14 of 600 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 25, 2026Not open online97.7%
Open site-nights14 / 600
Reserved (of online inventory)43 / 57
Weekday openings0
Weekend openings14
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 0 fall on weekdays and 14 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 14 of 600 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 58 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 |
|---|---|
| 012 | 1 |
| 019 | 1 |
| 020 | 1 |
| 024 | 1 |
| 026 | 1 |
The 5 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 dateFri · Sep 25
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 25; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
14 open site-nights across 14 sites at Medicine Lake Recreation Area, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 75 ft. 12 sites take 25 ft, 11 sites take 35 ft, 11 sites take 40 ft. 42 sites of 58 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
All 14 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 012 | 50 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 019 | 40 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 020 | 60 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 024 | 50 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 026 | 20 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 035 | Not recorded | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 037 | Not recorded | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 038 | 50 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 039 | 40 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 040 | 34 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 042 | 75 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 052 | 45 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 055 | Not recorded | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
| 056 | 75 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 25 |
About Medicine Lake Recreation Area
Overview
The popular Medicine Lake Recreation Area and adjacent Medicine Lake are located in the Medicine Lake Highlands in northeastern California. The Recreation Area is located in the Modoc National Forest at an elevation of 6,770 feet.
Recreation
The Medicine Lake Recreation Area offers camping, boating, fishing and swimming. The adjacent Day Use Areas accommodate boating with a concrete boat ramp and dock. Swimming is available in a designated swimming area next to the Picnic Area. Hiking and mountain biking are available on trails originating in the Recreation Area. The longest of these trails is the trail up Little Mt Hoffman.
Facilities
The Medicine Lake Recreation Area is comprised of five campgrounds; Medicine, A.H. Hogue, Hemlock, Headquarters, and Schonchin Springs Campgrounds. Nearby the campgrounds are Picnic Area and Boat Launch sites. Campsites vary between somewhat rugged with limited parking space to larger areas suitable for recreation vehicles. Facilities include vault toilets, water hydrants and garbage dumpsters. Campsites include a picnic table, fire ring and a barbeque grill. There are a total of 86 campsites throughout the five campgrounds. Fifteen of these sites are available for advanced reservations and located within the Medicine and A.H. Hogue Campgrounds. Schonchin Springs is the only campground without water.
Natural Features
Medicine Lake Recreation Area is nestled along Medicine Lake and mostly sheltered by mature lodgepole pine trees but can be windy at times. The Recreation Area lies adjacent to the Medicine Lake Lava Flow which is accessible by a short hike. The Glass Mtn. and Burnt Lava Flow Geologic Areas are located within a 15-minute drive.
Nearby Attractions
Nearby are a few other federal sites with interesting features. The Lava Beds National Monument is located within a half-hour drive and includes lava caves and tubes. The Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge is located within an hour's drive where many types of migratory waterfowl can be viewed.
58 monitored sites42 FCFS sitesRVs up to 75 ftNo hookups58 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 10
Getting there
From McCloud go east on US Hwy 89 south for 16 miles to Forest Service Road 15/Harris Spring Rd. Turn left on Road 15 and go 4.4 miles to Forest Service Road 49/Medicine Lake Road. Follow the signs 27.5 miles to Medicine Lake. From Tulelake take US Hwy 139 south for 21 miles to Forest Service Road 97. Turn right on Road 97 and go 24 miles turning right on Road 49. Drive 2 more miles turning left into the entrance of Medicine Lake Recreation Area. Follow the signs to your final campground destination.
Modoc National Forest, Tulelake, CA 96134530-667-2246 OR 530-667-8659
BoatingCampingHikingSwimming Site
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-255303 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-255303 · Medicine Lake Recreation Area · Tulelake CA12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Medicine Lake Recreation Area?
Reservations for Medicine Lake Recreation Area are made through Recreation.gov. 97.7% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation; 14 of 600 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 11:17 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 Medicine Lake Recreation Area?
Campsite Sniper detected 3 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Which sites at Medicine Lake Recreation Area fit a 35-foot RV?
11 of the 58 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 75 ft. 16 of those 58 sites have a recorded maximum length and 42 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Medicine Lake Recreation Area?
September 2026, with 14 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 600.
When is the next open date at Medicine Lake Recreation Area?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 25 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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Filter
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Watch
We run paced availability checks for Medicine Lake Recreation Area. 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.