Hutchins
October 2026
About
Overview
Hutchins Group Campground is the perfect location for groups who want to explore the greater Bucks Lake area of the Plumas National Forest. This campground was severely impacted by the Dixie Fire in 2021. Timber salvage management has left the campground barren and hot so prepare by providing adequate shade for your stay.
American Land & Leisure are the concession operators working for PG&E to service the campgrounds, boat ramps and day use areas that are owned by the USDA Forest Service.
Recreation
The greater Bucks Lake area provides ample opportunities for fishing, boating, and canoeing. The boat ramp at Shady Point provides a boat dock to launch boats, showers, and day use picnicking. Hiking trails are only a short drive away with trailheads located in the Mill Creek Campground, Mill Creek Trailhead on the way to Bucks Summit, and at Bucks Summit where the PCT or Bucks Creek Loop trail are located.
Facilities
THIS CAMPGROUND CURRENTLY HAS NO WATER. Water is available at the nearby Sandy Point Day Use Area and Haskins Campground.
The campground offers three large group campsites for tent and RV camping. Each site has a limit of eight vehicles and 24 people.
Multiple tables and campfire rings with grills are provided, as well as vault toilets . A roving campground host is available intermittently to answer questions and provide additional information.
There are several boat ramps available around the perimeter of the 1,820-acre lake, including the closest one to Hutchins, at Sandy Point. A convenience store with gas, phone and propane is located within five miles of the campground.
Natural Features
At a 5,000-foot elevation, Hutchins campground provides a great jumping off point to explore the greater Bucks Lake area. Hot days, followed by cooler nights, provide the perfect atmosphere for camping. This campground would be a great place for star gazers night owls who really appreciate a wide open sky for night viewing.
Nearby Attractions
The campground is located within walking distance of Bucks Lake. Bucks Lake Wilderness borders the lake and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail System traverses the surrounding area. A wilderness permit is not required; however, it is advised that hikers and backpackers leave an itinerary at the trailhead or with campground host.
Amenities
Phone: 530-283-0555
Is HUTCHINS fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches HUTCHINS for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching HUTCHINS for cancellations is the paid part.