The Klamath National Forest area features diverse camping options ranging from primitive sites to fully-equipped RV parks. Kangaroo Lake Campground provides tent and RV sites in a scenic mountain setting, while Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort offers cabin camping and glamping opportunities. Several small, rustic Forest Service campgrounds like Trail Creek and Scott Mountain accommodate tent and small trailer camping with minimal amenities. Mount Shasta City KOA Holiday provides year-round access to cabin accommodations with full hookups for those seeking more developed facilities.
Road conditions vary significantly throughout the region, with several campgrounds requiring travel on rough forest roads. Access to Kangaroo Lake involves "a 7-mile-long winding access road that is narrow with a sharp drop-off on one side," according to one visitor. Most Forest Service campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, typically from May through October, with higher elevation sites like Scott Mountain and Kangaroo Lake closing during winter months due to snow. Cell phone coverage is limited or nonexistent at many remote campgrounds, particularly in the Trinity Alps area. Visitors should note that drinking water is unavailable at several primitive sites including Horse Flat and Scott Mountain campgrounds, requiring campers to bring their own water supplies.
Waterfront camping receives consistently high ratings from visitors to the Klamath National Forest region. Trail Creek Campground features a creek running through the back of the property, described by one camper as "beautiful, serene, and peaceful." Several reviews mention the pristine nature of mountain lakes like Toad Lake, which requires a challenging drive and short hike to access. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, with one visitor to Kangaroo Lake reporting sharing the lake with bald eagles. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, and many areas have bear activity requiring proper food storage. Campers note that toilet facilities at most Forest Service sites are vault toilets that are generally well-maintained, while showers are only available at more developed campgrounds like Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort and Mount Shasta KOA.
"The beach is sectioned off for social distancing. The camp sites are in the tall pine trees just steps away from the lake. I come back every year! Swimming in the lake is great!"
"I have been to many lakes in northern California but nothing as perfect as this place. I accidentally booked a spot here at Siskiyou but meant to go to lake Shasta and boy was luck on my side!!!"
"Most of the campsites have nice views of the mountains that surround the lake. Some walk-in campsites are located close to the lake. "
"There is a paved path way from the campground/parking lot to the lake. The path leads to a fishing ramp that has a short wall that is right next to the lake. There is also a small "beach.""
$30 - $60 / night
"The tent only section is nicely tucked away from the RV sites. Nice for a campervan, but no hookups. Great views of Shasta and the cheapest option in Weed, it seems."
"First of all, a quaint little park tucked into a wooded valley in Weed, CA.(just north of Mt. Shasta)."
"Shower tokens can be purchased at Ray's Market, located a few blocks away. Restrooms are open to the public. There is a charging station and hiker's box that was full of good stuff."
"it was hot and smokey from the carr fire when we visited but it was pretty nice. we wanted to spread a little trail magic on the pct while we were there and hopefully helped out a few people."
"Trail Creek runs through the back of the campground and is beautiful!"
$66 - $149 / night
"For once a KOA not next to a freeway. Off the beaten path for a change. Nice grounds. I'm in a basic cabin. It's basic. No ac just a ceiling fan. Nice small queen bed with linens."
"Nothing fancy schmancy, but roomy and woodsy, and convenient for our drive down California. :) highly recommend!"
"Idlewild is next to road, so went up 2 miles of gravel road to Mule Bridge. No clear ‘camping’ area, but 3 fire rings. About 9 cabins, on uphill side that are family-owned."
$40 / night
"We had requested a pull-through and at first I was a little disappointed to find that our spot was right next to the entry road. "
"Great location and spacious. Gorgeous Views Of Mount Shasta. Within Walking Distance To Restaurants And Convenience Store. Clean And Remodeled Restrooms/Showers. New Pet Areas"
TravelerCoordinates lead to some private driveway. The road I used to get down by the lake is 41.01849956,-122.696283. Once you get down by the water there is a ton of space for you to set up camp by the water or more inland.
TravelerThis is a beautiful place to go camp with lots of great hiking trails nearby including the pacific crest trail
TravelerMy boss from Montana stopped here and told me to move in as well as we were doing a project in the area I was going to be bringing my family with me Not only was there trash everywhere there were open septic lines barrels full of mosquitoes delinquent cars and a couple of trailers that I'm quite certain were drug dealers the owner of the property only wanted to use venmo and insisted that I pay her as a friend to get by the fees from venmo when I got to the park and saw what it was I demanded my money back with she is using homeless people as managers so she can avoid paying somebody to take care of the place if the state hasn't shut this place down yet I would be shocked I can't believe this has five stars this is sickening
TravelerStuff was friendly I was there a while back Tim was a manager at the time not sure if he's still is you only downside was the traffic pattern people seem to drive a little faster than they should Tim did a good job at chasing after people to slow them down but there were a lot of linemen in the area at the time I'm sure it's probably changed since then definitely go back
GuideRight off I-5, easy access with great facilities - flushing toilets and showers. Campsites are nicely spaced out with ample space. General store really close to the park entrance. Really nice camp oven along with a standard fire pit. Pretty loud traffic as you can see I-5 from the campground, but not too bothersome.
LegendGeneral: 45-site RV park just minutes off of I-5 in Weed, CA, with a mix of long-term and those, like us, passing through. There is a partial view of Mt Shasta from the RV park. It is a dog-friendly RV park.
Site Quality: Typical of an RV park, there is no physical separation between sites. Some back up to each other. Some have paved pads, while others are gravel. Some are wide enough to fit a vehicle next to your camper if needed. All sites are FHU. I can’t imagine tent camping would be allowed/feasible here. An effort has been made to make the sites nice - such as flower pots.
Bath/Shower: Two stalls, two sinks, and two showers. Clean, but while there was soap in the men’s bathroom, both dispensers in the women’s were empty.
Activities/Amenities: There is on-site laundry with two washers/dryers. There was a sign-up sheet to use these machines. Free Wi-Fi, although I was not successful in connecting to it. There is a horseshoe pit, although not sure it gets much use.
We arrived late after the office was closed, but there was a phone number to call, and the owners live on-site. We were told to go to our reserved spot of 16, but it was occupied, so we were able to take Site 18. Although the RV park was full, and sites were very close together, it was VERY quiet.
While not our preferred type of camping, we needed to dump our gray tank, and it was convenient to the freeway as we made our way north from the San Francisco Bay Area to Oregon, so it fit our needs for an overnight stay.
GuideJuanita Lake is a beautiful little campground in the middle of nowhere. We were surprised there were so few people there in late June, but maybe that’s because it’s a bit of a drive to get there on bumpy forest service roads, or because it’s out in the boonies on the California-Oregon border. Regardless, gorgeous lake, campsites are far enough apart that you can’t hear your neighbors talking, and every site is tucked away in a conifer forest. Not very buggy for a lakeside spot. Amenities include a fire pit and picnic table, and bald eagles (always a huge bonus).
TravelerLove this site we always stay in the tree line there is a bunch of cleaned out spaces lots of trees but my only problem is there is so much poison oak everywhere I am just starting day 2 and I feel like I have it everywhere and it's scary for me I get it really bad
ScoutEverything about it was amazing. Exact coordinates were off but look for little roads off the main road. There were very few people and plenty of space. We were able to camp right by the lake undisturbed.
Klamath National Forest encompasses over 1.7 million acres across northern California and southern Oregon, with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 8,900 feet. The forest contains five wilderness areas and hundreds of miles of rivers and streams. Most primitive campgrounds in this region don't have electricity, and many require self-sufficiency with water supplies during peak summer months.
Fishing opportunities: Trail Creek Campground provides access to creek fishing just steps from your campsite. One visitor noted, "Trail Creek runs through the back of the campground and is beautiful!" The $10 nightly fee ($5 with senior discount) makes it an affordable option for anglers.
Water activities: Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort offers comprehensive water recreation with kayak rentals and pontoon boats. A camper shared, "We rented kayaks one day and the next we rented a pontoon boat and our friends joined us. We found a rope swing hanging on a tree and tied up and did some rope swing fun into the lake."
Mountain hiking: Scott Mountain Campground serves as a great base for Pacific Crest Trail access at 5,400 feet elevation. "We wanted to spread a little trail magic on the PCT while we were there and hopefully helped out a few people," mentioned one visitor who camped during wildfire season.
Wildlife viewing: Mulebridge Campground provides secluded riverside camping with minimal crowds. As one camper observed, "Beautiful North Fork of Salmon, bubbling right next to camp. VERY little traffic & people. Pit toilet clean!! NO trash service seen."
Natural water features: Many campers specifically mention creeks and streams as highlights. At Trail Creek Campground, visitors appreciate the accessibility of water from camp, with one noting the campground is "quiet and peaceful" with "drinking water provided as well as vault toilets."
Remote locations: Kangaroo Lake Campground receives praise for its seclusion despite challenging access. A visitor described, "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."
Family-friendly beaches: Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort features sandy beaches that families consistently rate highly. One camper shared, "Short walk with our water toys to the nice sandy beach and lake." Another mentioned the "nice beach, boat ramp, party boat rentals, general store, restaurant, bar, arcade, laundry."
Small town connections: Etna City Park offers tent camping with easy access to town amenities. A visitor noted, "The town is small. Enjoyed the restaurants and coffee shop. Good food. Good coffee. We didn't use it but heard there is a community pool for free public use. Town is very friendly towards hikers."
Road access challenges: Several campgrounds require navigation on difficult forest roads. For Kangaroo Lake, a camper warned, "Drive up isn't for the faint of heart though. But well worth the trek up."
Limited facilities: Horse Flat Campground and many remote sites have minimal maintenance. A recent visitor reported, "The campground proper has not been maintained. Very little evidence of recent campers. Many of the sites have been degraded by debris carried by flooding."
No cell service: Most primitive sites lack connectivity. At Trail Creek Campground, a camper confirmed, "There is ZERO cell service with T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon. We did have Starlink with us and we were able to get signal, but it was spotty due to all the tree coverage."
Bear activity: Proper food storage is essential throughout the forest. Campers at Lake Siskiyou noted recent changes: "The trashcans were changed to dumpsters (probably due to bears), but the dumpsters were locked during times that people needed them."
Accessible facilities: Mount Shasta City KOA Holiday offers family-oriented amenities. A visitor listed, "Pool, game room, shuffle board, basketball court and off leash dog park. Lots of trees in the sites great for hammocking."
Swimming options: Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort has designated swimming areas with sandy beaches. One family camper noted, "We took 2 small children in a rented camper and went to this lake... short walk with our water toys to the nice sandy beach and lake."
Budget-friendly options: Etna City Park provides basic tent camping with playground access. A visitor explained, "There's a large shelter with picnic tables and electric plug-ins to charge your phone. Another plug set was on a post near other entrance of the park."
Noise considerations: Trailer Lane Campground in Weed offers views of Mount Shasta but with a caveat. One family noted, "Keep in mind that it's close to the highway and yes, road noise is quite loud. We turned on our fan and that blocked most of it."
Site selection: For larger rigs, Mount Shasta KOA Holiday offers appropriate spaces. A camper with a large motorhome noted, "We've been at KOAs much tighter than this one. The pull-through sites were priced at approximately $55 per night."
Water and dump stations: Trailer Lane Campground provides full hookup sites with level spaces. One RVer mentioned, "Our site was level and that is a big plus!! We could hear some traffic noise but not a problem for us."
Seasonal access: Most Klamath National Forest campgrounds at higher elevations close during winter months. Road conditions can be challenging for larger vehicles, with many campgrounds only accommodating smaller trailers or tent camping.
Shade availability: Several RVers note the importance of shade during summer months. At Mount Shasta KOA, one camper appreciated "lots of shade offered by the many trees" and the "woodsy feel and the convenience offered."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Klamath National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, Klamath National Forest offers a wide range of camping options, with 246 campgrounds and RV parks near Klamath National Forest and 23 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Klamath National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Klamath National Forest is Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort with a 4.5-star rating from 34 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Klamath National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 23 free dispersed camping spots near Klamath National Forest.
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