Best RV Parks & Resorts near French Gulch, CA

En route Phone GPS was not reliable, luckily they have a big sign. Check in was ok, family run business and the office was a mess. Small store carries some essentials. You have to drive through several long term older Travel trailers that look like they have been there for years. I camped at site 28, which was actually a group site. It was great to have a large unoccupied area to one side, but the other side had an unoccupied long term TT that stunk like rotten fish. It was so bad we never put out our patio rug, or cooked outside. Across the way was a clean small pool which was very nice. We enjoyed riding our bikes around the loop, and walking down to the Trinity River. There are 2 river spots from the campground. Both are scenic, only one is safe to enter the water and that spot had a very small river rock spot to set up a couple chairs. If you are tent camping or in a smaller RV, their are some better sites that are further away from the permanent old Travel Trailers closet to the entrance. If you are there over a weekend they do have a very large outdoor laser tag area. They technically do have a free Wi Fi, however it is very weak, almost nonexistent. Verizon had no cell coverage.

We stayed here for 4 weeks while traveling for work in Redding, so I think our review is well qualified. We're traveling in a 40ft RV for reference though they do also have tent spaces. 

First off, I'm surprised to be the first one to review this campground on the Dyrt, since it has a lot of informative reviews on Google. We looked at a handful of other campgrounds prior to staying here. Covid and wild fires did have an effect on the other campgrounds that were open, but of those that were,  I think this was one of the best. 

It has all the amenities one could expect from a typical RV park, full hookups, wifi, cable, showers, laundry, etc. There's a cell tower on the way in to the campground. You can expect two to three bars of LTE from both AT&T and Verizon (we use both) . The staff is very friendly and helpful. I can't say enough about their exceptional attitudes. The spaces are all in the woods with mostly shade, though there are some that get more sunlight than others. The RV spaces are large and offer more privacy than most campgrounds. It tended to fill up on the weekends (sometimes completely) but was fairly quiet during weekdays with only a handful of people. Quiet and peaceful during the week. About thirty minutes to downtown Redding. Small gas station within walking distance, and a small grocery store in driving distance. 1.5 miles off the highway. Big rigs welcome. The website shows pictures of all the individual sites, quite helpful.

It was a mostly positive experience, but we'll mention two negatives. The bathrooms  sometimes got pretty dirty on the busy weekends and ran out of supplies at times. Hard to say if the pandemic was causing short staff or not though. The other issue is the bears. Its wasn't an issue of them bothering us, we only physically saw them one time in four weeks. They got into the trash pretty regularly though. It was very evident in the morning when the cans would be knocked over and rummaged through.  It could be easily solved with some bear-proof trash cans. Not really a big deal and it didn't have any effect on our stay. 

We'll definitely be coming back next time we're in the area. Checkout the reviews on Google for more perspective.

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).

Some info to keep in mind when visiting...

Year-round campground. Dry camping only. Has showers (nice hot water), and flush toilets. Showers are designed to accept tokens but this season not needed.

Each site has a parking space, picnic table and fire pit. Some have older stone fireplaces (but most of these need repair). Nicely maintained. Staff is helpful and knowledgeable.

This is an older campground , originally built by CC in 1930s. Oldest camping area is right next to I-5 (which was not there when the campground was built!). But there are newer camping sites farther away from I-5. Sites 39-63 are the farthest from the freeway noise.

Most campsites have parking for one vehicle. Some will accept two vehicles like a truck and trailer. But, there are no sites for large RVs, or large trucks and 5th wheels and/or large pull behind RVs. Max length is 27' and only a couple of spaces that handle those.

Campground and day use are mainly for people who like walking and hiking. Many hiking trail options. And a "vista point" that shows Mt. Shasta, Castle Crags and the Eddies (outstanding view, ADA accessible). No playground for kids. Though there is a second campground on the Sacramento River that is first come/first serve (13 sites) that allows fishing and river access for swimming.

Both campgrounds have camp hosts on site for most active months. (May-Sept.)

Reservations can be made online at reservecalifornia.com during the most active camping months May-Oct. Rest of the time first come/first serve. But, at any time, there are usually open sites. Feel free to call and check if sites available-even on short notice.

Very popular campground for folks from OR and WA who are passing through going north or south on I-5. And there is a PCT campsite specifically made for those folks.

Nearest town is Dunsmuir, CA about 5 miles north of the campground. Has nice city park (for kids). And, shops, grocery store, restaurants, etc.  Gas station/convenience store is 1/4 mile from park entrance.

Come and see us and let's enjoy being outdoor again!

We stayed there long term after Paradise Camp Fire. Many spaces had their own private grassy areas, which management took care of. We had pottd plants and yrd art and potted veggies. .y site didn't have a cemented space but there was an old picnic table and it was small gravel so easy to get trailer leveled. Allowed to put up a dog containment fence, outdoor screened room on the awning and a small storage shed. We also started a community veggie garden where residents could plot their own veggies. Many spaces are spacious and ours backed up into a wooded area. Our neutered cat loved to roam the woods at night. Pool is refreshing but there are a lot of kiddos, so don't expect quiet "no splashing" moments unless it's a dinner time. Bathroom/showers/pool area are clean, grounds are green and colorful with flowers, there's a club house used for parties and management puts on Christmas and Halloween events. There's a newly built sunshaded playground for the kids, ultimate course on grounds and a small boat ramp nearby to Sac River for fishing access. I wouldn't launch my kayaks or paddleboards due to under currents, but that's just me. I prefer Whiskeytown and Shasta Lake for kayaking/paddle boarding. Overall, I had a wonderful year staying there. Rules aren't so rigid that it makes it uncomfortable. Basic common sense and common RV etticate are expected, like picking up after your pooch, don't let you barker bark too long without duct taping (just kidding) doing something about it, keep area clean and not junked out and just chill out.