Merrill Campground - Eagle Lake

Short update with more to come during the week.

Arrived yesterday (Tuesday) around noon after a 2.5 hour drive from the house.

Mike & Mary are still traveling with us enjoying a few places we lie along the eastern Sierra's and Eagle Lake is right at the top of our list.

Very nice weather when we arrived and had time to setup, have a bit to eat and have cocktails before the thunderstorms w/lightening and heavy rain arrived in the early evening. Drying out now but more of the same expected then tapering off tomorrow wfall like temps but sunny.

Will have more soon and we are here until Sunday.

Little bit about Merrill CG and Eagle Lake;

Overview

Merrill 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 of 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.

Natural Features:

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.

Merrill Campground is located in a mature conifer forest of pines and firs on the southern shoreline of Eagle Lake, at an elevation of 5,100 feet.

Recreation:

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.

Facilities:

Merrill Campground is a unique US Forest Service facility. Totally rebuilt in the early 2000s, it is the prototypical RV park in a Forest Service campground. With 57 full hook-up sites, 64 partial hook-up sites and 51 standard, no hook-up sites, Merrill offers whatever type of site you prefer. Partial hook-up sites have water and electric, no sewer. All electric hook-up sites have a 50, a 30 and two 20 amp outlets provided.

All site camping/parking spurs are at least 45 feet, but most are 55 to 75 feet in length, and are essentially double wide. Each site is equipped with a table and a campfire ring with grill. The campground has flush toilets, potable water points, grey water dumps, limited WIFI and firewood is available for purchase. An RV Dump Station Facility is conveniently located just outside the campground with a $5 dump fee.

Forty-five sites, #15-#42 and #57-#75, are designated walk-in sites, the other 125 are reservation sites.

The paved bike path runs through the 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 are located 2.5 miles from the campground.

Merrill Campground - Eagle Lake

Short update with more to come during the week.

Arrived yesterday around 1pm after a 2.5 hour drive from the house.

Weather is just gorgeous with day time temps in the high 80's to low 90's forcasted this week. Last night sleeping temps down to 46...perfect.

***8-11-2016 - Couple pics of the pups swimming this afternoon. Rib Eyes on the grill tonight and then home tomorrow.

                                                              Bailey loves the water.

Baxter would try and swim to the other shore if not leashed.

***8-11-2016 - Couple pics from this morning....more later after we take the pups swimming.

Below are a couple of pics after we setup;

Little bit about Merrill CG and Eagle Lake;

Overview

Merrill 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 of 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.

Natural Features:

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.

Merrill Campground is located in a mature conifer forest of pines and firs on the southern shoreline of Eagle Lake, at an elevation of 5,100 feet.

Recreation:

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.

Facilities:

Merrill Campground is a unique US Forest Service facility. Totally rebuilt in the early 2000s, it is the prototypical RV park in a Forest Service campground. With 57 full hook-up sites, 64 partial hook-up sites and 51 standard, no hook-up sites, Merrill offers whatever type of site you prefer. Partial hook-up sites have water and electric, no sewer. All electric hook-up sites have a 50, a 30 and two 20 amp outlets provided.

All site camping/parking spurs are at least 45 feet, but most are 55 to 75 feet in length, and are essentially double wide. Each site is equipped with a table and a campfire ring with grill. The campground has flush toilets, potable water points, grey water dumps, limited WIFI and firewood is available for purchase. An RV Dump Station Facility is conveniently located just outside the campground with a $5 dump fee.

Forty-five sites, #15-#42 and #57-#75, are designated walk-in sites, the other 125 are reservation sites.

The paved bike path runs through the 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 are located 2.5 miles from the campground.

Eagle Lake - Merrill Campground

On the road again!

Arrived at Merrill Campground Wednesday around noon after a 2:30 drive from Reno. Located on the South end of Eagle Lake this campground still is one of our favorites.

Weather is mostly sunny with mid 70's during the day and mid 40's at night making for great sleeping.

More photos posted in previous entries/visits.

Monday morning we leave early for Canyonville, OR as we head to the Oregon coast.

More later....

Merrill Campground - Eagle Lake, CA

Lots of smoke from the forest fire about 50 miles N. of Weed so...

Yesterday morning, Monday, we moved from the Mt. Shasta area to one of our most favorite places...Merrill Campground on Eagle Lake just North of Susanville, Ca.

The CG was full over the Labor Day holiday but the camp host at Merrill, who we talked to on Sunday, said there would be a mass exodus of campers Monday...and there was.

We were able to get into the site we were hoping for (satelite friendly) and will be here probably for 2 weeks.

Pups get to go swimming today which they always enjoy here.

Eagle Lake - Merrill Campground

Flew back to Reno from Green Bay last Friday after spending time with family and friends at our granddaughter Ella's funeral. Miss her dearly and our thoughts of her will be with us forever. Prayers for parents, daughter Kimi and Ed.

Sunday we pulled up to Eagle Lake 14 miles north of Susanville to one of our favorite places to relax...Eagle Lake - Merrill Campground. We have many photos to view from previous visits. With kids back in school the park is pretty much open with except for some 'old folks' like us.

We head back to Reno Friday where we'll do a few local area short trips before heading to Casa Grande, AZ in mid November for the winter.

Eagle Lake, CA

We wanted to start this leg in our journey to the Pacific NW with a stop at one of our most favorite places to camp...Eagle Lake.

The south shore of Eagle Lake, and Merrill Campground, is approximately 16 miles north of Susanville and 105 miles north of Reno, NV.

Eagle Lake is located at the juncture of four major geologic provinces. To the west and south is the Sierra Nevadas, a giant mountain range formed by tectonic uplifting along the edge of the continental plate. To the west and north are the Cascade Mountains, which run through California, Oregon, and Washington, and up into Canada. This mountain range is volcanic in origin, but is also a result of a clash between the Pacific and continental plates. Eagle Lake is located within the Great Basin and the semi-arid lands to it’s east are known as the Modoc Plateau. Long ago the area was inhabited by many different groups of Native Americans, including the Hat Creek, Mountain Maidu, Valley Maidu, Paiute, and Pit River, all of whom hunted and fished at Eagle Lake.

Eagle Lake was created by the melting of glaciers during the last ice age and is the second largest natural lake in California. It covers more than 22,000 acres and has over 100 miles of shoreline. The lake sits in a closed drainage basin with no outlet and only limited surface water flowing into it.

Merrill is the largest campground on Eagle Lake with 173 sites and is only two miles from the Marina and Gallatin Beach. It was renovated in 2005 and now offers full and partial hook-ups, grey water dump areas and longer, wider parking spurs. We can accommodate anyone’s needs. The new sites will hold the largest of RV’s to tents and everything in between. This is a great family campground with easy access to the rest of Eagle Lake Recreation Area via the paved hiking and biking trail.

Eagle Lake, CA.

Eagle Lake, as we've mentioned before, is one of our favorites.

This time we stayed a week arriving August 21 and returning to Reno on the 28th.

Great time to escape the heavy smoke in Reno from the Rim Fire burning over the hill in Yosemite. We had beautiful clear blue skies with temps during the day in the mid 70's and near 40 at night...great sleeping weather.

The smoke finally did arrive the day before we left for home.

Did not take many pics, but Betty did find some pelicans, as we've taken many photos in the past...here are few links to past photos;

June 2012

July 2012

The south shore of Eagle Lake, and Merrill Campground, is approximately 16 miles north of Susanville and 105 miles north of Reno, NV.

Eagle Lake is located at the juncture of four major geologic provinces. To the west and south is the Sierra Nevadas, a giant mountain range formed by tectonic uplifting along the edge of the continental plate. To the west and north are the Cascade Mountains, which run through California, Oregon, and Washington, and up into Canada. This mountain range is volcanic in origin, but is also a result of a clash between the Pacific and continental plates. Eagle Lake is located within the Great Basin and the semi-arid lands to it’s east are known as the Modoc Plateau. Long ago the area was inhabited by many different groups of Native Americans, including the Hat Creek, Mountain Maidu, Valley Maidu, Paiute, and Pit River, all of whom hunted and fished at Eagle Lake.

Eagle Lake was created by the melting of glaciers during the last ice age and is the second largest natural lake in California. It covers more than 22,000 acres and has over 100 miles of shoreline. The lake sits in a closed drainage basin with no outlet and only limited surface water flowing into it.

Merrill is the largest campground on Eagle Lake with 173 sites and is only two miles from the Marina and Gallatin Beach. It was renovated in 2005 and now offers full and partial hook-ups, grey water dump areas and longer, wider parking spurs. We can accommodate anyone’s needs. The new sites will hold the largest of RV’s to tents and everything in between. This is a great family campground with easy access to the rest of Eagle Lake Recreation Area via the paved hiking and biking trail.

We'll be doing more 'local' camping in the next few months before heading South, not sure where yet, for the winter.

Stay tuned.....

We leave Sunday for one of our favorite places to camp and that is Merrill Campground at Eagle Lake, CA North of Susanville CA.

But before we head out we want to share a great time out we had last night here in Reno. Had a fun and tasty time at ZOZO'S Ristorante's WINE TASTING AND MENU SAMPLING.

You can 'sample' all the photos we took to share by clicking here.

We'll have a new post when we get to Eagle Lake Sunday. We get back home Friday.