Camping suggestions. Crater Lake, Or & Lake Tahoe, Ca

[1000lbs]

I'm in the process of planning the return ride home to the desert from Portland.  After staring at various squiggly lines, I'm looking at an inland route to visit these two areas on the way home.  We have the camping gear with us, so we figured we might as well use it.  Any inside info would be appiciated.  We have a dog with us and showers would be a big plus.  Thanks.

[Andrew]

Just north of Crater Lake is a resort at Diamond Lake, Along the lake is a campground (Forest service) with Hot water showers, if you go into the resort they have a nice restaurant as well. It used to be my day #1 stop on summer vacation bike rides.

[napper]

I visited both places on my summer '09 bike trip .  

Crater Lake was magnificent.  There were a lot of visitors there and lodging/food at the lake was pricey.  I don't remember there being any camping at the lake; I met my dad there and we stayed in a cabin.  

Tahoe is beautiful but crowded as hell.  Due to that fact, I don't see the need to go back there.  I just passed through last summer but my kids and I camped right on the lake during a car trip we took in the summer of 2005.  If I remember correctly, we camped at the Emerald Bay Campground http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=506.  The campground backed right up to a beach on the lake.  It was pretty and felt "away from it all," considering all the traffic and people just out on the highway.

Have a great trip.

[onedollarjuana]

If you don't mind "rustic" camping, it is legal to camp just about anywhere in our National Forests.  There are a few rules, mostly common sense, and California requires a (free) permit to have an open flame, e.g. campfire, camp stove, etc., but you don't have to pay any fees, chance full campgrounds, deal with noisy RVs, etc.

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/map/finder.shtml