McCloud River Bridge campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Went to McCloud River Bridge this weekend. It's a keeper. I was pleasantly surprised by this excursion to the Shasta Lake area. I am not much interested in camping at the lake since the level is so low, but this campground sits off the lake, just above where the river comes to a halt. Beautiful views, really beautiful river, nice campground. The best thing was just hanging out by the river- swimming, relaxing, playing, jumping. The lupines were incredible- huge swaths of purple flowers all along the riverbanks.

The campground itself was a bit overdone, with pavers and even steps and hand rails leading to the tent pads. But most of the sites were open, with just enough shade. If you are camping with another family or small group, take note that each site can only accommodate one tent in most cases.  We had 3 families, and needed 3 sites. There is no hiking right from the campground, but we did find a short but cool trail to a cave not too far from there. The kids loved exploring there, and we even saw a tiny salamander.

Note: I have seen some photos, apparently when the lake level was much higher, where it seems the campground is in fact next to the lake rather than the river. So if the lake level ever gets significantly higher, this campground would be a different experience.

Here is some info from the Shasta Trinity: www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/recreation/nra/shasta/index.shtml

Penn Creek loop- Patrick's Point State Park

Patrick's Point is definitely a superlative among state parks. We camped here in June '08, in the Penn Creek loop, which is tents only. The vegetation is heavy in this area- the campsites are almost carved out of the encroaching growth. We had a fantastic site that was like a wonderland for the kids. There were trees to climb, a creek running right through, and the dense understory provided plenty of hiding and "kid club" spots. Our site was mostly in the shade, but in the morning and afternoon, we could move our chairs out to the edge or in a little open space near the bathrooms and warm up or dry out from a day at the beach. 

Patrick's Point State Park has plenty of activities to keep the critters (and adults) busy. Kids + beach= serious wholesome entertainment. They never seem to get enough. Agate Beach is a wonderful place. You can spend hours sifting through the rocks there. We also spent time at the tide pools, and checked out the visitor center and nearby recreated Yurok village. As with most state parks, this is not a dog-friendly place, but you can throw the ball to Fido's content at the public beach in Trinidad, just south of the park. We also unintentionally stumbled upon the Oyster Festival in Arcata, which made for an excellent afternoon of beer drinking, oyster eating, and taking in the hippy-trippy-feel-good aura of the home of Humboldt State U.

Want to check out the Oyster Fest? http://www.oysterfestival.net/

Tannery Gulch Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Tannery Gulch has been a repeat trip for us. It is one of the better campgrounds on Trinity Lake, with great trees, from huge Douglas firs to Pacific dogwoods. You can usually find a spacious site, and it is well off the main highway, so no traffic noise. There is a sandy swimming beach here, so if the lake level is up, it is a fantastic way to spend the day. However, if the lake level is low, there are exposed tree stumps and mud. 

There is a short interpretive trail at the campground- great for the kids, and you can drive to other trailheads in the area.  There is an amphitheater here, which I believe occasionally hosts evening programs, perhaps on summer weekends. 

Preacher Meadow Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

We went to Preacher Meadow for a short trip in June '08. Although the name might make you think of a place so awe-inspiring that you would shout to the heavens, it did not quite live up to that expectation. Don't get me wrong- it was definitely pretty.  The campground itself is nice- sites are not too crowded, good combo of shade and sun. It is not very far off Highway 3, so the sites overlooking the river would be the most quiet. The campground sits above the river, but the only access we could see was extremely steep- not safe for the kids to attempt. We drove up the road just a few miles and found a relatively calm spot for the kids to play in the river. And while there is no hiking from the campground, there are trails within relatively close driving distance. Trinity Lake is close by as well, but the lake level was so low that it seemed an unattractive option for swimming.

Cattle Camp Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

So we left Ah-Di-Na and headed east on Highway 89, with impressive Mt. Shasta just to the north. We came upon Cattle Camp, and despite the negative image the name conjures, we gave this campground a big thumbs up. The sites are spacious, with plenty of room for the kids to roam and explore, and a great balance of shade and sun. Less than a mile's hike from the campground we found an excellent swimming hole where the kids played for hours. The trail goes beyond that as well, but we could never get our kids any further than that swimming hole! 

We also hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail, which has several access points in the area (driving distance). The one drawback to Cattle Camp is that the planners seem to have gone a bit wild with the concrete. Not only is the parking area paved, but there is also a concrete pad for the picnic table and fire ring. Given the other positives, I still call this a great campground, and plan a return trip. If you get a hankering for some soft serve, you can stop at Floyd's Frosty in McCloud as you head back to I-5.

It is a little difficult to find useful info on the Shasta-Trinity website, but here is the camping link: www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/recreation/#Camping

Ah-Di-Na Campground- Shasta-Trinity National Forest

We planned to camp at Ah-Di-Na in late June 2008, hoping to get up and out of the smoke from the Whiskeytown fires that had Redding socked in. The campground is about 7 miles down a fairly rough dirt road, if I remember correctly. Not too bad, but I would hesitate to take, say, a Prius down there. The campsites seemed very used- not much ground vegetation. It is right on the McCloud River, and I would guess there is some good fishing here, as most campers seemed to be fisherfolk. It is a pretty spot, down in a little valley, but we felt a little closed-in there, ultimately deciding to leave and camp elsewhere. There were many fires burning, and it did not seem like a good place to be should we need to make a quick exit. There were some ruins of an old homestead to explore, so the kids enjoyed checking that out before we left. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right through this area. 

Here is a little history of the campground from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest website:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/shastatrinity/documents/st-main/maps/rogs/mccloud/ah-di-na.pdf

Crystal Creek and Peltier Bridge Campgrounds-Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Whiskeytown is our local outdoor adventure area, just a few miles from west Redding. A few years back we camped at Crystal Creek, which Whiskeytown defines as primitive camping. (There is no drinking water available.) With only 2 sites, Crystal Creek feels nice and secluded. It is right next to the creek, so it offers the kids hours of water play. There is plenty of shade, and in the summer it would be a great place to stay cool. We camped there in the fall, and it was pretty chilly in the morning without the sun to warm things up.

We have also been to Peltier Bridge several times. This is a great little campground with only 7 sites, 3 of which are walk-in (again no drinking water). It is also right on the creek, so swimming and water play are great activities. The blackberry picking can be awesome here. There are several hiking trails in the area.

That being said, it is a crap shoot as to the quality of your camping neighbors. This is close to town, and last year we had some loud, drunk neighbors that really colored the experience.

More information: http://www.nps.gov/whis/