Best Tent Camping near Douglas City, CA

We camped in a tent, but most others were in RVs. It was very rowdy and loud at night but the campgrounds are in a good location next to Shasta Lake.

My husband and I were desperate to add a couple days on to the end of our scheduled vacation to the Dunsmuir, CA area as we didn't have to be home until Sunday, but had to check out of the Railroad Park RV Resort on Friday, and there were zero campsites available in Siskiyou County.
We stumbled on the Douglas City Campground using a great brochure/map we got at the Whiskeytown Information Center.
We have a 25' pull-behind trailer, so our boondocking options were very limited as most in that area that we could find were set for tenters or very small rv's.
The incline down to the campground at Douglas City is very steep - maybe a 12% grade, and we didn't have a clue what sort of place we would end up at. Wow, were we pleasantly surprised! A small, cozy campground with host, right on the Trinity River, for $10/night! We grabbed the one pull-through site, but many are easily backed into, and all are nicely paved and mostly level. There are some cute tent sites as well. The days were very hot - probably 100° - and there are no hook-ups so we siesta'd in the afternoons. The river is gorgeous, cold, clean, and refreshing. The Trinity River is popular for rafters so we had fun waving at rafts full of happy people floating by. The night temps dropped nicely after the sun went down behind the mountain, so we were able to cool off. We watched a bat aerial show in the evenings, and listened to the many bird calls as well. The moon and stars were well visible as their is no light pollution in that area.
I would have given the campground 5 stars except - they have two lovely looking bathroom/shower buildings that are locked up tight with notices that they are closed due to Covid-19, but they supplied the campground with 2 portapotties instead. (??!) I took a star away for that lack of common sense. 😁 We are self-contained so it didn't affect us too much, but tenters would have more of an issue with it.
All in all - it was a wonderful stay, and we will definitely stay again. 2 take-aways - the river is filled with iron lyrite/fool's gold, and is really pretty when the glakes sparkle in the sun. Also, there is a decent amount of poison oak here and there, so beware. Leaves of 3, let it be!

So pretty. Did the normal tent camping which is nice at the upper campsites, got a paddle board and pretty much had the whole lake to ourselves

Bathrooms really nice. Sites big for tent camping. Creek is absolutely beautiful. Not great for swimming but good for a quick dip in the pools. It’s about a 1/4 mile hike down there.

Great little park. Lots of shade and green grass, good management, Clean restrooms and well kept grounds. Close to river and lakes for boating and fishing. There is a great area for tent camping or a place to dry camp with your RV just below the main RV park. There are targets set up for bow hunters in the pines below the park.

Our 35 foot fifth wheel easily navigated the space.

General: There are tent sites, partial hookups, and full hookup sites, as well as cabins and cabooses that can accommodate either couples or families. It was pouring when we were there, so we opted to stay in a caboose! There is also a dining car

Site Quality: The camping sites are nestled among the trees; some are pull-throughs and others are back-in (mostly the tent sites). Most of the sites appeared level, but not all of them (beware of Site 34). The pull-throughs in the center are less private (but I believe these are the ones with full hookups). The best sites in my opinion are the ones that back up to Little Castle Creek. Especially after a good rain, you can be lulled to sleep by the sound of the rushing creek! 

Bathhouse: Keypad entry so I was not able to see the inside (we stayed in a caboose and therefore did not have entry). There are showers and also a very nice laundry facility. 

Activities: There is a pool in season and also a hot tub that was open when we were there. It is covered but it was cold and rainy, so we didn’t try it out. There is a short hike at nearby Hedge Creek Falls and you are close to Mount Shasta. 

We stayed here 25 years ago in a caboose with our daughters, and it was nice to see the place has been kept up nicely. We would definitely return and stay in the campground next time (weather permitting).

The campground is pretty good, but I was shocked by the lack of camping etiqette from our fellow campers. In particular there was just a lot of noise- generators running loud and at all hours. Thankfully, the camp hostess was great and mostly got it under control.

Given how hot it gets up there I'd have liked there to be a little more shade. The sites on the perimeter of the campground are better than those in the center. While I generally like campsites close to the river, those set against the hill seem to provide a little more shade and privacy. The exception are the couple near the end of the loop where the campsites are closer to the river and set away from the road- best for those tent camping. 

It was a nice place, though a long 4.5 hour drive for us. We had spotty access with AT&T.

oh wow what a fantastic and gorgeous location. really well maintained when it comes to their bathrooms (flushing & sinks) and trash cans… but holy bear. around 4am a black bear (maybe 500lbs?) came through our site and pulled on the bear box and kept it moving to check neighboring sites (which were vacant) only to come back shortly later for a few sniffs. this would’ve been less scary had we been in an RV buuuut tent camping + bear is not the vibe guys. it definitely smelled us and knew exactly where we were & we’re incredibly fortunate but of course we were terrified. i’d definitely come back with different equipment and plenty of mace and really wish there were more signs about the likelihood of bears in this area at this time. there were a handful of signs but so small and easy to get lost amid all the other super valuable information.

The sites are varied here. You have tent sites and RV sites and all are spacious. I didn’t feel like I was on top of my neighbors at any point.  Each site did have a fire pit and picnic table though not all sites had near boxes. Mine did not so I kept all my stuff locked away in my car.

Lots of good options for hammock hanging. 

There are sites closer to the shoreline and others that are a bit more of a walking distance. Some are reserved sites but they also had some first come first serve. I drove up on a Friday afternoon and was able to find a great FF spot. 

When I went the water level was low as they drain Trinity Lake into Whsikey Town but it was still pretty. Plenty of kayakers, paddle boarders, and jet skiers on the lake. Not overly crowded though.

The good. Managers are there daily. Dumping trash and cleaning the pit toilet.

The bad. Managers are there daily being passive aggressive in reminding you they can kick you out, walking around looking in the same vehicles (even yours as you stand there) and writing down plate numbers. They like to remind you of the 14 day in 365 day limit for the region, not just here. They like to talk about their database and what will happen if you try to camp somewhere else and they love complaining about tent campers outside the parking lot. Also, no fires, ever.

That being said. Blm law enforcement they claim to have in their pocket reminds everyone that tent camping is allowed outside the parking lot.

It is clean though, the rivers is blah and turkey hunters might fire off next to you but walk the road. Plenty of trails, beautiful meadows, horseback riders seen regularly. Quiet at night usually to. If not tell the managers, they’ll get right on that lol.

I won’t go again but that’s not because of the CG.

Details: Law Enforcement does visit, they are nice Locals are a problem Be prepared for management complaints, not camper complaints Town is 20 minutes away Free stay with a weird 14 day regional rule, inquire with management

We stayed at the Railroad Park Resort near Dunsmuir, CA for 5 nights. It was fine, with a couple small issues.. The rest of the park might be wonderful - converted train cars and cabooses, cabins, and a small motel - but the rv portion sort of felt like the red-headed stepchild. I believe our fees were $280 for 5 nights. Full hook-ups, pull through site (many were back-in only) and zero privacy, although the rv park is in a pretty stand of very thinned trees at the far end of the RRP property. There is a teeny store with some basic supplies and snack foods, and ice and wood available for purchase, wifi advertised, as well as a swimming pool. The bathrooms are decent and include showers. We are a family that prefers a little more privacy away from the world, but this park was our only option as we didn't book until 3 weeks prior to our last minute trip to see family in Dunsmuir. Siskiyou County campgrounds are currently full to brimming, and people are lining up at 6am for the few fcfs sites at the FS campgrounds. Reservations are all booked out until the end of August at least.
We signed a list of rules when checking in to the RRPR, that include a strict "No marijuana use anywhere on RRP property", yet continually got wafting pot smoke from several other campsites. I complained once, and the young man at the store apologized and made a note about it. Also, the woman working in the store in the mornings and during the day was quite rude and snippy, and reiterated at least 4 times that campground guests were only to use the swimming pool down near the cabooses between 10am and 3pm - as if we weren't to meddle with their upscale guests in the train cars and cabins. It felt a bit awkward, but we did use the nice pool one day when we didn't go swimming in Lake Siskiyou.
Wifi was advertised and a log on with password provided, but we were unable to log on the entire time we were there.
There were many huge rv's including full sized busses that seemed to navigate the park just fine, and some tent sites around some of the edges.
All in all - it was not a fantastic experience, but was alright, and we met a few other wonderful campers which is always a neat experience.
Sorry - I didn't take any pictures, but there are some decent ones if Googled.

Pitched 2 tents on asphalt. 3 other cars here. Picnic tables and an outhouse. Saw/heard great horned owl, fox, then cows in the morning.

This campground has full hookups, a. WiFi that is good enough to stream and it’s not a parking lot, good for tents and rv’s

Drove by here looking for a place to pitch a tent. It looked like a nice campground, but we settled for one a little father down the road.