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Best Dispersed Camping near Shasta-Trinity National Forest

60 Reviews

Dispersed camping in Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers numerous free primitive sites across varied terrain. Perry Riffle Trailhead provides accessible camping with pit toilets but no water sources. Cline Gulch BLM area features riverside sites along gravel roads with multiple clearings for camping. North Manzanita Dispersed Camping sits near Lassen National Park with several established sites containing fire rings. According to reviews, most camp spots at these locations are "right on the edge of the road but lots of room and plenty of privacy."

Vehicle access varies significantly between sites. Standard passenger vehicles can reach Perry Riffle via paved roads, while Cline Gulch requires navigating narrow, occasionally bumpy roads with low-hanging branches that may challenge larger RVs. North Manzanita sites closest to Highway 44 accommodate most vehicles, though deeper forest sites require 4WD. Fire regulations are strictly enforced throughout the region, particularly during summer months. Always check current fire restrictions before travel and maintain proper clearance around any authorized fire rings.

Most dispersed sites operate under a 14-day stay limit within a 365-day period for the entire region. This regulation is actively monitored by land managers. No drinking water is available at these locations; visitors must pack in all necessary water. Cell service is extremely limited or nonexistent at most sites. Several campers noted that while the sites lack amenities, they offer "quiet remote dispersed camping" ideal for self-sufficient visitors practicing Leave No Trace principles. Vault toilets exist at Perry Riffle but are absent at most other locations. Pack out all trash and waste according to wilderness regulations.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Shasta-Trinity National Forest (19)

    1. Perry Riffle Trailhead

    6 Reviews
    Red Bluff, CA
    17 miles

    "Easy access via paved road. Very bucolic area. Lots of trails. Sacramento River is within walking distance. Pit toilet, no water or other services."

    "This is just a gravel parking lot, but it's quiet, peaceful, and about a 2 min walk from the river. Several horse and hiking trails start from here. There's a pit toilet, garbage, and recycling."

    2. Cline Gulch BLM Dispersed

    8 Reviews
    French Gulch, CA
    26 miles

    "This site is nothing special but it’s the only BLM I could find in the area. We stopped on the way up to Shasta. You don’t need ground clearance or 4wd to get there."

    "No amenities of any kind."

    3. 31N17N - North Manzanita Dispersed Camping

    5 Reviews
    Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 257-2151

    "We found this spot based on advice of the rangers in LVNP. Overall a great place to camp if your looking for a free option to camp/boon dock very close to the park."

    "Arrived late Friday night on Labor Day weekend and found a spot right at the beginning of the dirt road - coming from Redding direction, turned right off of 44 onto the dirt road then took the first right"

    4. Wild and Senic Trinity River Grapevine River Access Dispersed Site

    2 Reviews
    French Gulch, CA
    27 miles

    "Great location off 299. 5 miles from Big Flat"

    5. Big Pine Dispersed Camping

    7 Reviews
    Old Station, CA
    37 miles

    "Best dispersed camping near Lassen. Area is clean w/ amazing creek side sites, fire pits, and plenty of space between."

    "Right next to the creek and big spots! Our motorhome drove down here just fine. Caught a bunch of trout in the creek and had an absolute blast. Quiet and safe and lots of shade."

    6. Christie Hill Basecamp

    5 Reviews
    Mineral, CA
    35 miles

    "No water or outhouse. If you have a low clearance vehicles, pick your pins carefully."

    "Just off the main highway. Gravel road in. We had a Ford van that had no problem driving over the dirt and gravel road. There are sites with fire rings and relatively flat ground."

    7. Olive Pit Dispersed Lot

    8 Reviews
    Corning, CA
    42 miles
    Website

    "PROS:

    + FREE overnight parking for RVs, trailers, and camper vehicles.

    + Very safe and heavily traffic location. Lots of travelers here spending the evening!"

    "I was worried at 1stvas there was a situation that was happening when arrive. Police were there surveying which made me feel safe. It was quite through the night."

    8. 29N22 Dispersed near Lassen NP

    2 Reviews
    Mineral, CA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 258-2141

    "Lovely quiet remote dispersed camping spot. No services. On a very nice gravel road marked for winter cross country skiing. Saw a few others in the area."

    9. Hat Creek Dispersed

    3 Reviews
    Old Station, CA
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 335-7517

    "As one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking."

    "Take creek trail. Bathrooms, garbage, water available at main campground. 1 bar lte AT&T."

    10. Fischer Dispersed Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Shingletown, CA
    26 miles
    Website
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Shasta-Trinity National Forest

14 Photos of 19 Shasta-Trinity National Forest Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Shasta-Trinity National Forest

60 Reviews of 19 Shasta-Trinity National Forest Campgrounds

  • Aliza N.
    Nov. 1, 2022

    29N22 Dispersed near Lassen NP

    Dispersed camping near Lassen NP

    Lovely quiet remote dispersed camping spot. No services. On a very nice gravel road marked for winter cross country skiing. Saw a few others in the area. Most camp spots are right on the edge of the road but lots of room and plenty of privacy. Leave no trace. Pack in, pack out.

  • Sadie P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 24, 2025

    Perry Riffle Trailhead

    Ok for a parking lot

    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

  • Chanel C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 3, 2019

    Olive Pit Dispersed Lot

    Convenient location for boondocking

    PROS:

    + FREE overnight parking for RVs, trailers, and camper vehicles.

    + Very safe and heavily traffic location. Lots of travelers here spending the evening! Signs say for Olive Pit Customers Only but we spent 2 nights here (along with a few other campers) and no one ever disturbed us.

    + Very flat, leveled, and long paved spots (great for up to 35-foot long fifth wheelers and even 50-foot rigs).

    + Huge lot with lots of available spots. Around 10 spots for larger trailers and RVs, and lots of small spots for campervans and car rooftop tent campers. We saw 4-5 other campers around us who mostly were very private and to themselves

    + Super convenient location near lots of fast food joints, a Starbucks, Rite Aid, and supermarket. The lot shares the same entrance as the Shell Station and Olive Pit Cafe & Store where you can conveniently pick up food/beer/supplies.

    + The Olive Pit has a great cafe and wine tasting room. They sell specialty items such as olives, balsamic vinegar, etc. And they have a great breakfast!

    + There is a giant dumpster for trash disposal behind the Olive Pit

    + There is also a pet area that has a small white fence around a dirted area for pets to relieve themselves.

    + Lots of palm trees in the backdrop giving the place a very California vibe.

    CONS:

    + No tent camping, unless it's a car rooftop tent or a pop-up tent trailer

    + No fires/no showers/ no toilets (Although you can walk to the Shell Station to use their toilets which were super clean and well-maintained.)

    + Loud 24 hour carwash at the Shell station. Usually quiets down around 9 pm

    + Bright security lights in the parking lot. Just don't park directly under one. There are a few darker and less lit spots

  • Al L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 13, 2025

    Perry Riffle Trailhead

    Overnight @ Perry Riffle

    Easy access via paved road. Very bucolic area. Lots of trails. Sacramento River is within walking distance. Pit toilet, no water or other services.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 27, 2023

    Hat Creek Dispersed

    Great Camping

    As one reviewer wrote, just a short run of slightly rough road to get to expansive meadows of boondocking.

  • Salvatore F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 7, 2023

    31N17N - North Manzanita Dispersed Camping

    Great dispersed spot near Lassen Volcanic NP

    We found this spot based on advice of the rangers in LVNP. Overall a great place to camp if your looking for a free option to camp/boon dock very close to the park.

    Right when you turn off 44, go up a small hill, maybe 100m, then there is a clearing on the west side of the road. There is a perpendicular dirt road at the clearing (running west/east) with several spots to park a van, trailer, or even smaller RV. We saw four distinct sites where people had made fire rings—however due to the number of pine trees the ground is covered in a thick layer of pine needles— make sure you sweep at least a 20’ fire ring down to dirt around the rock pit before you make a fire. You can also hear noticeable road noise from 44 in the front spots so not super secluded.

    Many of the sites we checked (near the entrance and deeper into the woods) had bumble bees coming out of holes in the ground so be careful picking your site, particularly at night so you don’t wake up to an unpleasant surprise.

    Going further south down the main road you can find many other more hidden camping spots deeper in the forest, but the road is rougher and only suited for a 4x4.

  • Nick C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 13, 2023

    29N22 Dispersed near Lassen NP

    Limited Option Near Lassen NP South Entrance

    This is a small flat area near the base of Christie Hill. The turn off of the Hwy 89 is at the McGowan SnoPark area (really just a logger's staging area). There are a handful of very rough roads one could pull off the road and camp in a tent on (or 4x4 van). For a larger RV or travel trailer, we found only one spot (40.390996,-121.540748) that was large enough to accommodate our 32 foot travel trailer. It is right along the road, but there is virtually no traffic here, so we found it acceptable. 

    I do not believe there are any good spots further down the road. A word of caution as well - the lake just beyond here (McGowan Lake) - is privately owned and gated. It is not available for camping.

  • Claire D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2024

    31N17N - North Manzanita Dispersed Camping

    Convenient dispersed site near Lassen

    Same experience as the other reviews. Arrived late Friday night on Labor Day weekend and found a spot right at the beginning of the dirt road - coming from Redding direction, turned right off of 44 onto the dirt road then took the first right. The turnoff is on Google maps and was easy to find even in the dark. Nobody else around that we saw, even given the busy weekend! Agreed with others on the road noise but it was fine. Just a few minutes from Manzanita lake. Great find!

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 21, 2021

    Cline Gulch BLM Dispersed

    At Least It’s Free

    We thought this might be a nice place to stay the night or even longer, but next time if we need a place to sleep we’ll just find one of the turnouts off of Hwy 299. I could see this being a good place for people who live locally to come and hang out in nature by the creek for a few days, but this isn’t a place I’d recommend as a destination. There is so much dead brush and cut trees all over the place here, possibly from cleanup after a fire?  Would recommend larger rigs avoid this area due to the number of low hanging tree branches.

    Also, this is a popular shooting area because we saw a ton of ammunition casings as well as broken glass and clay pigeons and other items used for target practice. Oh, and we heard a bunch of gunshots in the middle of the night.

    Once you enter the BLM land area, you will cross a narrow one lane bridge. From there you can go left, through a narrow and brush and low-hanging-tree-limbed gravel road (larger rigs beware) to a small clearing at the end which is large enough for a group, but too small for more than one party to feel comfortable there. 

    If you turn right from the bridge you have a long road for a few miles along the creek. This road is at times narrow and bumpy with low hanging limbs, and at times wide and smooth and easy to drive. Along this road are several unmarked, undeveloped, and completely unmaintained clearings where you can camp. There are no fire pits or any other indication that it’s a camp site (which is a good thing because per the info board fires aren't allowed). We did pass one trailer that appears to be residing here permanently. 

    The public road eventually dead ends about 2 miles in and turns into private property, at which point there’s a large-ish space where you can turn around. 

    Zero cell service, though the WeBoost gave the Verizon phone a couple of weak bars. The T-Mobile hotspot and the ATT cell phone were not improved by the WeBoost.

Guide to Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Dispersed camping near Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With a variety of options available, campers can find secluded spots that cater to different preferences.

Dispersed campers should check out Perry Riffle Trailhead

  • This spot allows for easy drive-in access, making it convenient for those with tents or RVs.
  • Campers have reported enjoying the simple amenities, including picnic tables and an outhouse, which enhance the experience without detracting from the natural setting.
  • Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the chance to see animals like great horned owls and foxes nearby, adding to the charm of the location. Explore Perry Riffle Trailhead

Tips for free and dispersed camping near Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California

  • Cline Gulch BLM Dispersed offers a mix of drive-in and walk-in access, making it suitable for various camping styles, though it's best to be cautious of tight spaces if you're bringing a larger vehicle.
  • Be prepared for limited amenities; while some spots are near water, others are just open fields, so plan accordingly for shade and comfort.
  • This area is pet-friendly, allowing you to bring your furry companions along for the adventure. Check out Cline Gulch BLM Dispersed

North Manzanita Dispersed Camping for dispersed campers

  • Located conveniently close to Lassen Volcanic National Park, this site is perfect for those looking to explore the park while enjoying a free camping experience.
  • Campers have noted that while the area feels secluded, some road noise is present, so be prepared for a balance of tranquility and the sounds of nature.
  • The lack of amenities means you'll need to bring your own supplies, but the beautiful surroundings make it worth the effort. Discover North Manzanita Dispersed Camping

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the best locations for dispersed camping in Shasta-Trinity National Forest?

Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers excellent dispersed camping options across the region. Hat Creek Dispersed provides expansive meadows for boondocking with just a short drive on slightly rough roads. Big Pine Dispersed Camping is another top choice, featuring clean sites along a creek with natural fire pits and good spacing between campsites. For those exploring the Lassen area, several forest roads offer quality dispersed options. Throughout the forest, you'll find spots ranging from roadside pull-offs to more secluded areas near creeks and meadows. Most dispersed sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving mid-week or early in the day improves your chances of securing a preferred location.

What amenities are available at dispersed camping areas like Beehive in Shasta-Trinity National Forest?

Dispersed camping areas in Shasta-Trinity National Forest typically offer minimal amenities, focusing on primitive camping experiences. At Perry Riffle Trailhead, you'll find basic facilities including a pit toilet but no water or other services. The area provides easy access via paved roads and proximity to the Sacramento River with hiking trails nearby. Similarly, at 31N17N - North Manzanita Dispersed Camping, expect no formal facilities. Most dispersed sites throughout the forest follow leave-no-trace principles with campers responsible for packing out all trash and waste. Fire rings may exist at established sites, but you should bring all essentials: water, food, toilet paper, and waste disposal bags. Cell service varies widely throughout the forest.

When is the best time of year for dispersed camping near Mt. Shasta?

The optimal time for dispersed camping near Mt. Shasta is late June through September when most forest roads are snow-free and accessible. Mt. Shasta Area offers breathtaking views year-round, but summer provides the most reliable access to higher-elevation dispersed sites. 29N22 Dispersed near Lassen NP represents the type of sites available in the region, with many areas marked for winter cross-country skiing but ideal for summer camping. Early fall (September-early October) offers fewer crowds and comfortable temperatures. Spring camping (May-early June) is possible at lower elevations, though snowmelt can create muddy conditions and some roads remain impassable. Always check current road conditions and fire restrictions before your trip, as summer brings increased fire danger that may limit camping options.

What are the regulations and permits needed for dispersed camping in the Trinity Alps Wilderness?

Dispersed camping in the Trinity Alps Wilderness requires a free wilderness permit for overnight stays, available at ranger stations or trailheads. Camp at least 100 feet from lakes, streams, and trails. Maximum group size is 10 people. Campfires are prohibited above 5,000 feet elevation and in some areas during high fire danger seasons—check current restrictions before your trip. Cline Gulch BLM Dispersed offers accessible dispersed camping near the wilderness boundary. The maximum stay is typically 14 days within a 30-day period. All food and scented items must be stored properly to prevent wildlife encounters. Pack out all trash and practice Leave No Trace principles. Pets must be leashed or under voice control at all times. Some areas may have seasonal road closures, especially during winter months.

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