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Black Butte Lake

Black Butte Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on Stony Creek west of Orland, formed in 1963 when Black Butte Dam was finished. The Corps lists two campgrounds, Buckhorn and Orland Buttes, each with a boat ramp complex and showers. Fishing, sailing, water skiing and camping are the main uses the Corps names. Checked October 29, 2026 on the operator’s own pages.

From Chico: about 55 min (typical, without traffic)

1963Formed
4,460 acresSurface area
40 milesShoreline
93Buckhorn sites
Black Butte Lake

Plan It in Three Lines

  • Get thereFrom Chico: about 55 min, typical, without traffic. Address: 19225 Newville Road, Orland, CA 95963.
  • WhenHours: none printed here. Buckhorn is open year-round; Orland Buttes is open April 1 through the second Monday in September.
  • CostCampsites: $18 to $200 per night at Buckhorn and $20 to $130 per night at Orland Buttes.

Key Facts

  • Black Butte Lake was formed in 1963 with the completion of Black Butte Dam on Stony Creek.[2]
  • The lake's surface area is 4,460 acres when water levels are high, with 40 miles of shoreline.[2]
  • Buckhorn has 93 campsites, including a group campground and five walk-in sites, and is open year-round.[2]
  • Buckhorn has showers, a modern boat ramp complex, two playgrounds and an exercise area; no sites have electric or water hookups.[2]
  • Orland Buttes has 35 campsites and a group campground that fits 50, with showers and a boat ramp complex.[3]
  • Orland Buttes is open seasonally from April 1 through the second Monday in September.[3]
  • The Corps lists 13 miles of fitness trails at Buckhorn for hiking, running and biking.[2]
  • An 18-hole disc golf course is across from the Orland Buttes Campground.[2]
  • Horseback riders can use horse trails at Grizzly Flat and Burris Creek.[2]
  • Listed campground prices are $18 to $200 per night at Buckhorn and $20 to $130 per night at Orland Buttes.[1]
  • The maximum stay is 14 nights in a rolling 30 days.[2]
  • The lake is known for warm-water fishing, including crappie, channel catfish and largemouth and smallmouth bass.[2]

Areas Inside Black Butte Lake

  • Buckhorn Recreation Area

    93 campsites, showers, boat ramp complex, two playgrounds; reached by County Road 200/Newville Road and Buckhorn Road.[2]

  • Orland Buttes Recreation Area

    35 campsites, a group campground for 50, a boat ramp complex and an 18-hole disc golf course; reached by Newville Road and County Road 206.[3]

  • Black Butte Dam

    Completed in 1963 on Stony Creek, forming the lake.[2]

Plan Your Visit

WhatAs the operator states it
Run byU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District
Address19225 Newville Road, Orland, CA 95963
Drive from ChicoAbout 55 min, typical, without traffic (Google Maps, plus 10 minutes, rounded)
SeasonBuckhorn is open year-round; Orland Buttes is open April 1 through the second Monday in September.[3]
FeesCampsites: $18 to $200 per night at Buckhorn and $20 to $130 per night at Orland Buttes.[1]
CampingTwo Corps campgrounds: Buckhorn (93 sites) and Orland Buttes (35 sites plus a group campground); no hookups.[2]
BoatingBoat ramp complexes at Buckhorn and Orland Buttes.[2]
ReservationsCampsites are reserved through Recreation.gov; maximum stay 14 nights in a rolling 30 days.[2]
Phone(530) 865-4781[1]
Official pageU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District

Not confirmedThe official pages we read do not publish hours, dogs, restrooms, accessibility for this place.

Costs

Campsites: $18 to $200 per night at Buckhorn and $20 to $130 per night at Orland Buttes.

Several different rates, so they stay in the operator’s own words.

Map of Black Butte Lake

The pin uses the coordinates the operator prints. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Directions

Around Black Butte Lake

10 mi20 mi30 miN123456
  1. Orland and Willows: 9.1 miles southeast
  2. Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park: 22.9 miles east
  3. Red Bluff and Corning: 25.3 miles north
  4. Red Bluff Recreation Area: 25.4 miles north
  5. Gateway Science Museum: 26.8 miles east
  6. Chico State Campus: 26.8 miles east

The yellow dot is this place. Rings are spaced so close places do not pile up, and a numbered badge may sit slightly off its true spot (a thin line ends at the true spot). Distances are straight-line miles worked out from the map points each page prints; they are not drive times or walking routes.

What We Could Not Verify

These items were not on an official page we could open on October 29, 2026, or two official pages disagree. Check with the operator before you rely on them.

  • Not confirmedDay-use and boat launch fee amounts
  • Not confirmedWhether campgrounds or recreation areas are open for the current season (news reports of 2025 staffing closures could not be checked on a Corps page)
  • Not confirmedDogs and swimming rules
  • Not confirmedHours of the day-use areas
  • Not confirmedConflict: Distance to Red Bluff: the Buckhorn listing says 30 minutes south of Red Bluff; the Orland Buttes listing says 30 miles south of Red Bluff.
  • Not confirmedConflict: Distance west on Newville Road: the gateway page says 8 miles to the lake; the Buckhorn listing says 12 miles to the Buckhorn turn.

More in Orland & Glenn County

All of Orland & Glenn CountyOrland and WillowsSacramento National Wildlife RefugeAll Places

Coming Up in Orland & Glenn County

8 events are on our calendar for Orland & Glenn County in the next 45 days. 2 are listed as free by the organizer; 2 are marked Not confirmed because we could not confirm them on the organizer’s page yet. This list rebuilds itself every day at midnight, Pacific time.

October 2026

  • Country Pumpkins: October Farm Season

    Runs Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026

    10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

    Country Pumpkins, Orland

    Price: Free admission; corn maze $5, haunted maze $15

    Open daily in October with pumpkins, a petting zoo, hay pyramid and slide, and a daytime corn maze (last entry 5:30 PM). The Haunted Maze runs 7 to 10 PM on select nights, last night Friday, October 30; the farm is closed Halloween.

    Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Source for Country Pumpkins: October Farm Season (opens in a new tab)

November 2026

December 2026

Sources: each card links to the organizer’s own page and shows the date we checked it. This list shows the next 45 days; see every upcoming event.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you camp at Black Butte Lake?

Yes. The Corps runs Buckhorn (93 sites, open year-round) and Orland Buttes (35 sites, open April 1 through the second Monday in September). Reserve on Recreation.gov.[2]

How do I get to Black Butte Lake?

From I-5 take the Orland/Highway 32 exit and go west about 8 miles on Road 200/Newville Road.[1]

What fish are in Black Butte Lake?

The Corps names crappie, channel catfish, and largemouth and smallmouth bass.[2]

Sources

  1. Black Butte Lake (Recreation.gov gateway, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Recreation.gov / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read October 29, 2026.
  2. BUCKHORN campground listing (Recreation.gov data, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Recreation.gov / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read October 29, 2026.
  3. ORLAND BUTTES campground listing (Recreation.gov data, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Recreation.gov / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read October 29, 2026.

Cite this page: “Black Butte Lake.” It’s Chico, checked October 29, 2026. https://itschico.com/orland-glenn/black-butte-lake/

Coming Up Here

No dated event at Black Butte Lake is on our calendar right now. We list a date only after reading it on the organizer’s own page, so an empty list means not listed yet, not that nothing is happening. See every upcoming event.

On The Map

7 places named on this page are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.