MENDOCINO CO., 9/25/25 – A Mendocino National Forest campground destroyed in a major wildfire will reopen Friday, officials said.
Hammerhorn Campground, in unincorporated northeastern Mendocino County, was destroyed during the 2020 August Complex fires.
A mid-August lightning storm that year ignited 38 wildfires across six counties, primarily burning in Mendocino National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fires merged and were contained in November. One person was killed, 935 structures were destroyed and more than 1 million acres burned.
The August Complex was the largest wildfire in California history, Cal Fire said.
The campground, adjacent to 5-acre Hammerhorn Lake, suffered extensive damage, including the loss of nine campsites and bathrooms.
The lake’s fishing pier and a hiking trail around the lake were also destroyed.
The Forest Service partnered with two nonprofits to rebuild: the California Deer Association, a Sacramento-based hunting and conservation group, and Patriot Restoration Ops, which trains veterans in forest restoration.
Volunteers worked with Forest Service staff to mitigate safety hazards, remove fallen trees, and install new fire rings, barriers and picnic tables.
Crews are still working on a new bathroom, painting gates and landscaping. Additional projects may include restoring a pipeline to the lake and removing stacked logs left from the initial cleanup, the agency said.
Hammerhorn Campground is open through early November. More information is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/mendocino.