Lassen NP and surrounding national forest

[Brujo]

Looking for suggestions. I've never been, taking the wife and son (11). Since it is a NP I'm going to assume no wilderness camping unless you do some backpacking off trail. I will be car camping, so that is not an option.

Suggestions on the less crowded campsites or even better some National forest area near the park where we can camp with out the neighbors would even be better. I have 4wd so road conditions are not an issue, generally the worse the road the better the camping anyway. Any where on a stream or lake would be the bomb.

Any suggestions on must do tourist activities as this is my first time would be appreciated. As would suggestions on streams to fish, hints on hunting for mushrooms (I'll be there in mid Aug. so boletes from summer storms may be an option), and looking for rocks, quarts points and agate/jasper particularly.

No need to give away secret spots but general areas would be great. We are going to hit Peterson Mountain on the east side on the way home to look for crystals.

I'd be happy to return the favor and give some info on places I know well which would be the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Sierras between Yosemite and the Golden trout wilderness and the southern California desert particularly around Mojave NP, Jtree, and Anza Borrego.

Thanks in advance

[Falstaff]

I've only been there once, so I dont have any good campgraound advice but
here's a must see list from our trip:

1.Bumpass Hell (easy hike)
2. Broke off Mtn. (3.5 mile each way) moderately difficult incredible view
3. Cinder Cone (difficult, think climbing a 2,000' loose sand dune)
4. And the drive up to glass mountain was worth it, the obsidian field was interesting.
5. Long drive, but moderately interesting for a day trip is to go see/hike in the Lava Tube National park (its almost to the Oregon border!) I think about 1.5 hours north of lassen NP. Wear a helmet/gloves when in the caves...or bleed.
6. Longer hike would be Mt Lassen Summit-plan all day- compares to a Half Dome hike.

Lassen is rarely crowded, in fact its the least visited NP in the whole country- there as great article in the Stockton record recently about Lassen NP. I went with my daughters 6th grade class (her GATE school doesnt have regular science camp funding so the 6th grade teacher mounts his own science camp expedition every year so we had a fantastic and knowledgeable guide for a week. feeding 30 kids every day was a freaking nightmare though)

[sierra m37]

Burney Falls is a must see and very refreshing on a hot day. To the east of Redding IIRC.

[56huck]

Manzanita lake campground off 44 is a good family campground with short hikes, and frequent ranger led activities

[Brujo]

Thank you all!

[echo1]

If you go to Burney, Hat Creek has killer Trout fishing, world famous. East side of Lassen has many camp areas. Then there's the Ishy Wilerness, very steep and hot, lots of rattlin snakes in the summer. PAX

[BluNorthern]

Be sure to check the fishing regs for Manzanita and Hat Creek. I know Hat Creek has some sections where you can keep fish, use worms, power bait, etc and other sections that are barbless and generally catch and release. Fishing has been slow on Hat with the heat, at least in my experience. Quite a few decent campgrounds East of the park.