USDA Forest Service · California
Howard's Gulch Campground
USDA Forest Service · California, United States
- Cost
- Overnight Use: Single Site: $15 per night Additional Vehicle Fee: $5 per vehicle per night
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 4,705 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- HOWARDS GULCH C G (NFSR 42N14) · asphalt · moderate degree of user comfort
- Nearest town
- Alturas, 24 miles
About
US Forest Service campground. Set back off the highway in a tree lined gulch this campground is a very quiet and pleasant place to spend the weekend or your entire vacation. A shorthiking trail is available for nature viewingas this is one of the several Basin and Range Birding Trail stops within the Modoc National Forest. A recent dedication of the Highway 139 Auto Tour and Howard's Gulch Interpretive Sites brings an added benifit to this area. The Auto Tour is just south of the campground on the Howard's Gulch Frontage Road. Open season: Facilities open as weather permits; usually mid-May to late October.. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 25° | 10° | 52° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 43° | 26° | -10° | 61° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 46° | 28° | 17° | 74° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 55° | 32° | 21° | 73° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 67° | 42° | 29° | 85° | 2 of 11 |
| June | 76° | 49° | 35° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 89° | 60° | 43° | 100° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 88° | 59° | 49° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 78° | 50° | 41° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 38° | 27° | 79° | 6 of 10 |
| November | 51° | 31° | 12° | 63° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 41° | 25° | -1° | 56° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Cottonwood Flat · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi
- Reservoir F Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
- Lower Rush Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 14 mi
- Upper Rush Creek · USDA Forest Service · 14 mi
- Reservoir C Campground · USDA Forest Service · 16 mi
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.