USFS · National forest · California

Modoc National Forest

Modoc National Forest is a 1,654,392-acre (6,695 km2) U.S. national forest in Northeastern California.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.0 million acresUSFSCA24 campgrounds within 10 mi46 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
1fire
active
Adin Airport Rx (prescribed burn) · 27 mi from the center
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateCalifornia
Size2.0 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0509, region 05
Center point41.5659, -120.8902
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

20 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 4 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Ash Creek Campground
First-comeCA
FS · Inside
Blue Lake Campground Group Site
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
East Creek Campground
First-comeCA
FS · Inside
Emerson Campground
First-comeCA
FS · Inside
Howard's Gulch Campground
First-comeCA
NPS · Inside
Indian Well Campground
Reservable45 sites
NPS · Inside
Indian Well Campground
First-comeCA
FS · Inside
Jane's Reservoir Campground
First-comeCA
Show 4 more

12 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 46

The Forest Service lists 46 recreation sites in this forest, among them 21 campgrounds, 6 boat launchs, 5 paddling accesss, 3 day hikings. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 46

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Adin Airport Rx

    27 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · Adjacent
Lava Beds National Monument
National Monument · 3 mi
Tule Lake National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 16 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Modoc National Forest?

2.0 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Modoc National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Modoc National Forest in?

California.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Modoc National Forest?

20 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Ash Creek Campground, Blue Lake Campground Group Site and East Creek Campground. 24 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Modoc National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 46 recreation sites here, including 21 campground campgrounds, 6 boating - motorizeds and 5 boating - non-motorizeds. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Modoc National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.566, -120.890. Lava Beds National Monument is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Modoc National Forest right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Adin Airport Rx at 27 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Modoc National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Modoc National Forest?

Lava Beds National Monument (adjacent) and Tule Lake National Monument (3 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Modoc National Forest?

16 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Carpenter and Paint Shop and Jess Valley Schoolhouse.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Modoc National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.