Are you planning a tent camping trip to Junction City? We've got you covered. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
This tent-only campground is located in the southeast corner of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 13.5 miles west of Redding, California, and three and a half hours north of Sacramento. Clear Creek flows past the campground, making it a popular spot for fly fishing. The camp is shaded by alders and large canyon live oaks. The cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake provide endless water activities. The picturesque mountain setting and extensive forested backcountry offer ample opportunities for hiking and biking.
During the summer heat, swimming, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and water skiing are popular on the 3,200 acre lake. Year round, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, gold panning, fishing and picnicking attract visitors. Hunting is allowed in the appropriate season.
Tall trees providing cooling shade make Peltier Bridge Primitive Campground a relaxing retreat. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located where the Klamath Mountains, Cascade and Coast Mountain Ranges, and the Sacramento Valley meet, creating a wide variety of wildlife and landscapes.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 246-1225.
Brandy Creek Beach is located three and a half miles from the campground and features sandy beaches, a large swimming area, picnicking and barbecuing facilities. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, there are showers, a store with food and supplies and rentals of paddle boards and kayaks.
$20 / night
Information unavailable at this time.
Campground offers 5 tent only camp units and 2 picnic units. Access to facility is unpaved and there is no water system. Access from facility to the Chanchelulla Wilderness.
This tent-only campground is located in the northwest corner of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, 19 miles west of Redding, California, and three and a half hours north of Sacramento. Crystal Creek flows alongside each campsite. The campground stays relatively cool due to the creek and to the shade given by a canopy of fir, maple and pine. Three nearby trails lead to lovely waterfalls. The cool, clear waters of Whiskeytown Lake provide endless water activities. The picturesque mountain setting and extensive forested backcountry offer ample opportunities for hiking and biking.
During the summer heat, swimming, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and water skiing are popular on the 3,200 acre lake. Year round, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, gold panning, fishing and picnicking attract visitors. Hunting is allowed in the appropriate season.
The heavy forest canopy and burbling year-round creek make Crystal Creek Primitive Campground an ideal location for a peaceful retreat. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located where the Klamath Mountains, Cascade and Coast Mountain Ranges, and the Sacramento Valley meet, creating a wide variety of wildlife and landscapes.
The Tower House Historic District is located within the recreation area less than five miles from Crystal Creek Primitive Campground. Learn about the California Gold Rush history of the area by strolling among the historic buildings, water ditches, and a former gold mine, or by panning for gold or attending an interpretive program at the site. Oak Bottom is located eight miles from the campground and features beaches, lakeside picnicking, and a full-service marina with boat rentals.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 246-1225.
$20 / night
Slide Creek Campground is has 5 tent only camp units. There is no water system.
This facility has__6 picnic spots. There is no water system and it is unpaved access to the facility.__The facility provides hiking access__for the Philpot Interpretive Trail.
Guide
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.
Guide
Big parking lot picnic benches and one group tent site
Traveler
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
Scout
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.
Traveler
Loved listening to the creek while falling asleep, lots of shade and the staff was friendly. Sites are nicely spread apart #8 #9 being the best that were open. not rv accessible tent sites
Traveler
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.
Traveler
Beehive point offers camping right on the waters of Shasta Lake and has absolutely amazing views. We have been up there a few times and it has rarely been busy. Depending on the water level real estate on the beach can get tight, but there are spots off the beach that are wooded. You can tent camp or bring your travel trailer. The entrance is a little rutted so if you bring a trailer just be cautious. the beach has a ton of drift wood for fires, we have yet to bring our own. There are some small stores and boat launches near by.
Traveler
The RV/tent sites are all well designed with good separation. Most of the campsites have nice views of the mountains that surround the lake. Some walk-in campsites are located close to the lake. It appears that a lot of the walkways and facilities are designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs or people with walkers. It looks like everything is maintained at a higher standard than I've seen at most Forest Service campgrounds. The 7-mile-long winding access road is narrow with a sharp drop-off on one side. It can be a little nerve-racking to negotiate with 2-way traffic.
Scout
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.
Scout
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.
Guide
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.
GuideThis spot is so incredibly scenic for a free campsite. Camp right on the lake/river. We stayed on a Thursday night until Friday morning and there were only a few other people there, we could see any of them from our spot so we felt totally isolated. High clearance helps to get to some spots but we did make it all the way through with our minivan after a little trial and error. Had like 1 bar of spotty service only enough for maybe a phone call (Verizon). Very hot during the day, not chilly at night but cool enough to tent camp and enjoy a fire. The kids loved playing and swimming in the river. One star off because there is quite a bit of trash at the entrance of this place, lots of broken glass so keep your shoes on, and the mosquitoes were bad when the sun started to go down but wasn’t a problem with a fire, thermacel and bug spray. Don’t forget to get a CA fire permit if you want a fire or to use a camping stove it only takes a few mins to obtain online
Traveler
We stayed here for 4 nights in a towable trailer. I highly recommend getting a spot near the tents and exit to the river road if you are towing a trailer. We were on the end of Raccoon Rd and it was fantastic. The tent sites looked great with plenty of space for you to set up. Several people even brought small trailers like RPods into the tent area and just didn't use hookups. There are plenty of dirt paths out to the lake both from the KOA and nearby. Many people brought ATVs to utilize these and it looked like a great time. We used out truck and mountain bikes to tootle around on them and had a great time. This place would be great if you tow a boat and just want to set up with tents in an RV site as well - we saw many people doing that. Kayaks were available to rent in set 2 hour timeslots, banana bikes available if you are into that. There are plenty of games like bocci and ladder ball. All in all we had a great time and would highly recommend it. Great place to use a base camp to hit nearby rivers, ponds, trailheads, or even the lake. 20 minutes away from the main marina on the south side of the lake where you can rent a boat for the day too!
Traveler
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.
TravelerThis is a great little mom and pop rv campground. There are tent sites away from the rv part, but we never checked that area out. The rv spots are very clean, and even though they’re close together with no privacy it was an amazingly quiet park. The park is about 1/4 full time residents, 1/4 permanent vacation spots that people keep trailers at and visit from time to time and the other half is campers. We stayed for a week and became buddies with the camp host Craig who gave us great fishing tips for the area and had some great conversation with as well. The owners were very nice and run a tight ship. The rv spots are full hook up with nice green grass, no cable but ok Verizon signal and we got a few local channels on the tv antenna. They have a nice little store and a fish cleaning stand. We fished Lewiston lake less than 10 min. away and Whiskeytown Lake about 20-25 min. away with great luck. The little town of Lewiston is pretty cool and a 5 min walk from the campground as well is the trinity river. We will definitely be back.
Guide
We stayed for one night as we were passing thru from Oregon to Central California.
Pros
Cons
Over all, I this campground would be a fun place for families, wanting to disconnect from technology for a weekend of tent camping.
Ranger
Campground Review: No matter where you find yourself on Shasta Lake you will be surrounded in houseboats and the beauty of the lake. On the way in (heading south on I-5 you will see Mt. Shasta in all of its glory standing in a blanket of hills and trees. There are plenty of cool places to drive for a better view if you can stomach some hilly land and loose sand, and the spider webbed lake won’t disappoint any way you approach it. When you’re camping in a roof top tent (Kukeman 3 by Tepui) any place with semi flat ground is a good place to camp! Though the drive from Seattle is quite long, it’s worth it once you get a load of the view of the lake and the bridge you’ll soon forget the hours you spent in the car. I highly recommend coming here and tent camping, car camping, cabin camping, or houseboat camping.
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get to review some great and often very practical products. This trip I was lucky enough to review RŌM Pack, a blanket, poncho, and tent in one.
This little combo is heavy duty and ready to take a beating. It may start out as a backpack, but as soon as you need a place to sit the soft inside and waterproof outside is ready for the job. I went straight to the RŌM Pack when I spilled water on the mattress of my Roof Top Tent and it kept us dry all night. The poncho feature is very warm, and it was very warm at Shasta Lake (about 80 degrees) so I didn’t get to test out that feature too much, but the pack is very comfortable on your back, as a blanket. And as a way to keep you warm once it cools off. There are plenty of places to stash things (like a snack or a drink)! I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a tough blanket for outdoor activities, but also a durable bag and poncho. It’s very nice looking, stylish, and durable.
GuideMy 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!
Guide
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.
Guide
Excellent for tents and small Class B Vans. Don’t miss the views at the top of the single lane road to a 360* viewing area. Nice hot showers too.
GuideThe sites are narrow. The water was really low down. No beach. It was really hot! Not much around. Plus will we were there at least two trees came down. Thank goodness they did not land on our tent! There are a lot of Geocaches though.
ScoutA simple little spot. There are tables there and shady spots for the tents. It’s quiet and if it just rained there is the sound of waterfalls around there. If the spots are filled up, there is another flat area to camp without a table.
ScoutOnline it said that all spaces were available. I get here and every single site is booked but not a single car, tent, RV, or person was there (except for the RV of the people who "run" the campground). Don't drive out here unless you want to be sorely disappointed.
Guide
Very glad I got the site I did(SC10). The shoreline sites allow you your own little spot on the lake, although some seemed better then others. Site was sloped and uneven but did have a couple flat spots for tents. Not a ton of shade but what little shade it did have was next to tent flats. Table, fire and bear box were in full sun all day which makes afternoon food prep on a hot day a bit brutal. You do get some noise from the 299 at night. The walk in and out to the parking is a bit steep and further then other sites but it does mean you get a little more privacy. I was there to kayak fish for the weekend and the site was perfect for that. My guess is the place becomes a madhouse in the summertime and the non shoreline sites are pretty close together. I personally wouldn’t stay in a non shoreline site here, but that’s me. The lake is beautiful and there’s a beach at the campground, though really hot in the summer. I would give site SC10 4-stars but the campground overall 3-stars.
Guide
The spot I was in was small and nestled in a grove of aspen trees. The bear locker was well maintained and the fire ring was double walled. There were flush toilets with working lights and the tent pad was level.
Its a short drive to some great hikes, but the campground itself was too busy and too close to the highway to use as a good starting point.
Scout
Went with a big group, nine. Had plenty of space for five tents and several nicely placed trees for hammocking. The sight has two full size picnic tables and a fresh water spout. Solid fire pit. Bear proof cabinet for dry storage. It was not as close to the lake as we would have liked, we had to drive to get there, but the water was also very low. Also, the closest place to get ice was about a half hour drive. I would definitely go back.
Ranger
The camp ground was beautiful. Pretty close to the water, however, this year summer 2021 the water is very low. The camp ground offers bathrooms, bear boxes, very nice fire rings and clean water. There is no camp host so bring your own wood. The fee is $25 a night. The trash cans were over flowed and there was bags of trash outside of the garbage. Please don’t do this)-:
Weird vibes: when we pulled up there was only one other truck there. They were two people yelling at each other pretty loud so that was kinda awkward but, nothing crazy. Then we set up our tent and other car came to the spot next to ours and checked the bear box and was walking around the spot. They moved parked at another spot and did the same thing. I’m not sure if they left something or what was going on but, they just walked around to each site checking the bear box’s??
Not sure if I would return unless more people were there because I felt uncomfortable leaving my tent and things there unattended.
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Northern California, Junction City offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. With beautiful surroundings and well-maintained facilities, these campgrounds provide the perfect backdrop for your outdoor getaway.
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