The Shasta-Trinity National Forest runs the campgrounds around Shasta Lake north of Redding: on the Sacramento Arm near Interstate 5, up the McCloud Arm, and boat-in camps as far as the Pit Arm. Most sites are $28–30 a night, several campgrounds stay open into fall or all year, and the lake level decides which boat ramps you can use.
Shasta Lake campgrounds at a glance
| Campground | Arm | Sites | Max vehicle | Fee | Season | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antlers | Sacramento | 58 | 55 ft | $28–30 single, $58–60 double | Loop 1 Mar 1–Oct 31; Loops 2–3 May 10–Sept 12 | Recreation.gov |
| Lakeshore East | Sacramento | 25 | 45 ft | $28–30 single, $58–60 double, yurt $95–100 | Year-round | Recreation.gov; walk-ins year-round |
| Hirz Bay | — | 47 | 50 ft | $28–30 single, $56–60 double | Year-round | Recreation.gov |
| Bailey Cove | McCloud | 7 | 45 ft | $28–30 single, $56–60 double | Closed (road closure) through Dec 31, 2026; reservations May 13–Sept 15 | Recreation.gov |
| Ellery Creek | McCloud | 19 | 40 ft | $28–30 | Apr 1–Sept 12 | Recreation.gov |
| McCloud Bridge | McCloud | 14 | About 35 ft | $28–30 single, $56–60 double | Apr 1–Oct 31 | First come, first served |
| Arbuckle Flat | Pit (boat-in) | — | — | Free | — | Boat access only |
| Beehive Point | Shoreline area | — | — | $17 | — | — |
| Chirpchatter | East of the lake | — | — | Free | Year-round | — |
The Forest Service pages list single sites at $28; Recreation.gov prices them at $30 (doubles at $60 and the yurts at $100), so expect the higher figure when you book online. None of these campgrounds has hookups or a dump station.
A single site covers 1 vehicle and 8 people; a double, 2 vehicles and 12 people. Extra vehicles, if they fit, are $12 a night. Interagency Senior and Access pass holders get 50% off.
Sacramento Arm (near I-5)
Antlers Campground
Best for: easy access from the freeway and big rigs. About 22 miles north of Redding (I-5 exit 702), on a bluff above the upper Sacramento Arm. Sites sit under oak and pine on flat ground, each with a paved spur, table, bear boxes and fire ring; some are near the shore, but direct access to the water is very difficult. The Antlers boat ramp and an amphitheater with summer programs are nearby. Loop 1 is open March 1 to October 31, Loops 2 and 3 May 10 to September 12. Recreation.gov lists 58 sites and spurs up to 55 feet.
Lakeshore East
Best for: yurts. Close to the Antlers and Sugarloaf boat ramps, with paved sites, picnic tables and raised fire rings, a campground host in reservation season, and two yurts at $95 a night. Listed as open year-round.
McCloud Arm and around the lake
Hirz Bay
Open year-round, near the Hirz Bay boat ramp and the Hirz Bay Trail, with paved spurs, bear boxes and fire rings, an overflow parking area and two nearby group campgrounds. Recreation.gov lists 47 sites.
Bailey Cove
A forested campground by the Bailey Cove boat ramp (I-5 exit 695), popular early in the season when the lake is full. Each site has a tent pad, table, raised fire ring and bear boxes, with brick pavers for accessibility. Recreation.gov lists 7 sites. Reservations run May 13 to September 15. A Forest Service order closes Bailey Cove Road and the campground road from September 4 through December 31, 2026, so the campground, day-use area, boat ramp and trail are closed until then.
Ellery Creek and McCloud Bridge
- Ellery Creek: a forested campground on the McCloud Arm, April 1 to September 12. When the lake is within about 50 feet of full, you can moor a boat on the shore within sight of camp.
- McCloud Bridge: 14 first-come sites on the McCloud Arm, on an old ranch site among fruit trees, next to the McCloud Bridge day-use area, with easy lake access; April 1 to October 31.
Small, boat-in and backcountry camps
- Upper Jones Valley: 8 small sites (trailers up to about 16 feet), used only as needed by the concessionaire and listed as closed by the Forest Service.
- Arbuckle Flat: one of four boat-access-only campgrounds on the lake, far up the Pit Arm; picnic tables and vault toilets, no piped water, free; pack it in and pack it out. A campfire permit is required for campfires and open-flame devices at dispersed sites.
- Chirpchatter: free, open all year, east of the lake on the rough dirt Fenders Ferry road, a base for OHV trips with no lake access.
Shoreline and dispersed camping
The Forest Service says visitors can camp along the shore of Shasta Lake, with several hundred miles open to shoreline camping; some areas, such as bald eagle nesting sites, are restricted. A campfire permit is required for a campfire or stove at a dispersed site.
- Beehive Point is a shoreline camping area with no tables or fire rings: $17 a night, campfire permit required.
- A forest-wide order in effect through September 30, 2027 limits camping outside developed campgrounds to 15 days in any 30-day period and 30 days in any 12 months (7 days a year in some designated areas near Mount Shasta). Stays in developed campgrounds are capped at 30 days in any 12 months.
Boating and the lake level
- Ramps open and close with the lake: Antlers has four lanes until the lake is drawn down 75 feet, when the Sugarloaf low-water ramp opens; Bailey Cove works until 50 feet down.
- Clean, drain and dry every boat to keep invasive mussels out: a mussel prohibition is in force.
- Public boat ramps charge $18 per vehicle per day; season passes are sold by the concessionaire, Shasta Recreation Company (530-275-8113).
Private RV parks, resorts and cabins
Off I-5 around Lakehead, private resorts on and near the lake add full hookups, cabins and boat slips. Rates are as listed on each operator's own site; confirm the current year before you book.
- Holiday Harbor Resort & Marina (Shasta Caverns Road): 27 tree-shaded full-hookup RV sites, hot showers, laundry, a store and private docking. 2026 rates were $85 a night in summer (May 21 to September 8) and $65 in spring and fall (season April 1 to October 31), for 2 people; boat moorage and pets extra. No campfires. Book by phone.
- Shasta Lake RV Resort & Campground (Lakeshore Drive, Lakehead): 50 shaded full-hookup sites, 19 tent sites, cabins and boat slips, with a pool, hot showers, laundry and Wi-Fi.
- Antlers Resort & Marina (Antlers Road, Lakehead): full-hookup and water/electric RV sites on back-in gravel pads, tent sites, and lakeside cabins from studios to three bedrooms, with a one-week minimum June 7 to August 9 (3 nights otherwise). Leashed pets welcome at the campground.
- Sugarloaf Cottages Resort (Lakehead): one-bedroom cottages for up to 6, two-bedroom townhouses for up to 8 and three-bedroom cottages for up to 12, rented mostly by the week (Saturday to Saturday) between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with a 2-night minimum the rest of the year; boat moorage is included with each cabin, and one pet is $15 a night.
Before you go
- Check the lake level before you plan on launching a boat: several ramps close as the lake drops.
- Store food in the bear boxes provided at the campgrounds.
- Fireworks are always prohibited on the forest.
For more of Northern California, see Redwood National Park camping and our California camping guide.
