Hirz Bay Campground, Lakehead, CA

Hirz Bay Campground is located in the Shasta Lake Ranger District, Shasta-Trinity National Forest (42 min north of Redding, CA) with an elevation of 1,097 feet. There are a total of 48 campsites. The campground is open all year. 46 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 32 and 50 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Fees range from $23.00 to $46.00. Some amenities include flush toilets. Activities include boating, fishing, hiking trails, floating sports.

Make a Reservation

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (34)

3.6 out of 5

5 star		44%
4 star		12%
3 star		15%
2 star		15%
1 star		15%

@LeonardC715762 · Camped on Jul 28, 2024 at Campsite #27

Toilets down the road are vaulted but the ones by site 31 are flush. No camp host to get firewood from. MAKE SURE YOU LOCK THE BEAR BOX! We didn't lock it properly and ended up feeding a bear plenty of meat. Huge site, flat and has some shade. Has 2 tables, BBQ and fire pit and were all on a cement slab! Driveway fit a pop up tent trailer. Long and twisty 30 minute drive from I5 to campground. Quiet and peaceful. Not a lot of campers. Great place if you don't need to drive into town daily.

@KimR9289112 · Camped on Jul 15, 2024 at Campsite #18

First Ill start with the pros - the campground was very quiet we went camping for 5 days and we were the only ones (kind of scary at times). The bathroom were well kept and clean. The campsites were spaced out and walking distances to the lake. We had 90-100 degree weather so the lake was the place to be. Cons- when I called the ranger office they said a host would be on site. We never saw any park host or ranger. The campground felt lonely with no one around( not use to it ). There was definitely bear activity every night, and saw 2 rattle snakes. The campsite had a lot of dead leafs which made it had to tell when snakes were hiding. Also ALOT of poison oak everywhere. The bear boxs needs some updating was really hard to lock up food and bears kept coming back every night and car alarms didnt scare it away. Some campsites didnt have shade we had to change sites. Overall, we liked it but we just arent use to being completely lonely. Definitely thinking about trying in again but maybe in may or June because it was really hot if you werent in the water. It was also nice to see a pack of deers walking around.

@RichardL555896 · Camped on Jun 14, 2024 at Campsite #23

Very nice campground with sites set a a decent distance from each other.

@RoyK8256808 · Camped on Jun 10, 2024 at Campsite #37

First the positives - We stayed for two weeks and enjoyed the clean campgrounds, much better management than last year. Trash picked up from the trash cans regularly and bathrooms were stocked on schedule. Weekdays were quiet and peaceful. We used the nearby boat ramp almost every day. There are bears and it is a good practice to keep bear spray with you always. We did have 6 out of the 14 days that the days hit above 100 degrees. The only place to be during the hot hours is out on the lake. The rest of the days were wonderful in the low 90's and drop down to the low 60's at night. Last year we did the Shasta Caverns which is great. Great scenery and the nighttime star show is fantastic. Come prepared and read the rules and bulletins at the entrance. DO NOT leave trash bags outside or near the outside bear trash cans. The bears will rip it the trash apart and spread it all over. Leave bags inside the bathroom if the trash cans are full or pack it out. Do not leave anything with a scent outside during the evening. Leave your campsite cleaner than when you arrive. Don't leave trash in the fire pit!! The negatives - People who are not campers but come to party and ignore the quiet hours (10pm - 6am). We had some people directly across from us getting drunk, playing loud music, yelling and really destroying the wonderful camping experience. Don't run generators all night and keep your dogs quiet and on a leash. Seriously folks, be considerate of your camping neighbors. Keep the music to reasonable levels and turn it off at 10pm.

@KevinM8804744 · Camped on Jun 7, 2024 at Campsite #27

Great views from this campsite of the lake.

@JesseS1730361 · Camped on May 24, 2024 at Campsite #23

Great campground right near the lake. The facilities are nice and the area is beautiful.

@CrowL65FFC8146 · Camped on May 14, 2024 at Campsite #35

It was all so promising.. Driving into the campsite up Gilman was beautiful. The bathroom was clean & our Campsite (#35) was set beautifully against the lake. We had no lake access but the view was nice. We camped on the lower level of the site because it was more private & had great views. We set up camp, made a fire, & cooked a great dinner. Finished with toasted marshmallows around the fire for a while after sunset. While closing up camp & heading to the bear proof garbage cans I heard something large moving in the brush, I couldn't see anything with my headlamp. We put all the food in the alleged bear proof locker, put out the fire, & headed down the slope to our camp. After getting into the tent, less than a half hour later we hear a chain clanking much like the chain to the bear locker. Naively we assumed that noise was our neighbors securing their bear locker, we later found out how wrong we were. Next we hear something very large running & stumbling down the slope near our camp, the bear was very large & carried our medium sized cooler in its mouth, making it look tiny in comparison. The bear was about 400 pounds & about 5 yards from our tent. We could hear its panting. My partner and I decided to stay the night, and perhaps that was foolish. The bear came back to the bear locker two to three times, & sniffed near our tent. There were also so many other creatures we couldn't see but could hear scurrying around the tent too. Moments after sunrise we looked at the damage, the bear had eaten $120 of groceries. Yogi bear ate well that night, haha. That bear was pretty clean despite it all. the peanut butter container & pyrex of salad dressing was licked clean and intact save for a large puncture in the lids. We packed up camp & high tailed it outta there. Key take awayS: The Bear lockers don't work, store your food in the car. There will be bears. Most people camp in vehicles. Tent camping felt vulnerable. signage was insufficient. stayed only 1 of our 3 days.

@AlanT3293637 · Camped on May 10, 2024 at Campsite #8

I enjoy Hirz Bay campground especially in May. Mostly one avoids the scorching summer heat. I have camped on the Sacramento, Pit, Squaw Creek, and McCloud arms of the lake. They each have their own personality. Hirz Bay campground is far enough away from the noise of the Union Pacific Railroad and Interstate five, so one enjoys relative quiet. Well, there are those loud weekend parties to deal with, but that is an acceptable part of camping, and our trailer is sound insulated. I have also spent time camping at the McCloud Bridge campground: also quite.Hirz Bay campground is well maintained. The staff is efficient and friendly.This year (2024) the campground was regularly attended by a pesky adolescent bear. It did some minor damage to a pickup and torn up some tents. As far as I know, the bear only went after food that was not in a bear box or otherwise well protected. The bear visited one family who had a small child in a tent. A bear and a toddler is not a good combination. There is plenty of information provided by camp officials about bears and food. I guess people have to learn the hard way.

@TravisK1913617 · Camped on Aug 4, 2023 at Campsite #5

Partied with the bears

@LindaF9023379 · Camped on Jun 26, 2023 at Campsite #37

I think the location is great. I loved the fairly flat parking and it’s a big site! (037). I stayed on a Monday for the one night. As I drove the one way road to my spot I noticed all the trash was overflowing and people are lazy and obviously didn’t care but I also knew that no one was going to pick it. Well, the bears came about 2am. Of course. Maybe you guys are understaffed. Probably. I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know.

@RoyK8256808 · Camped on Jun 26, 2023 at Campsite #46

Site #46 which is a double has good privacy and water/bathrooms nearby. Some shade. Great views and very quiet. People were respectful and friendly. It was quiet and no loud music or problems and the curfew at 1000 pm was observed. We stayed from June 26th to July 1st. We had a boat that we put in and took out every day and the ramp was good. Plenty of parking at the upper parking lot. $16/day for ramp access. We saw numerous vehicles with violation tickets for not paying. Lake was at 97% full. There is a small beach that you can put up a shade structure. Unfortunately, there were some irresponsible jet skiis nearby the beach running around the 5 mph no wake buoy. We also saw a knucklehead boater dragging a person on an inflatable. Sigh, people..... Also unfortunately, some non-campers left their trash and empty butane cannisters outside of the bear trash bins. If you bring it in, you should pack it out if the bins are full. I did call the private company that handles the bathrooms and trash, and they came out on Wednesday and took care of everything. I picked up four 55-gallon trash bags and put everything on top of the bathroom near our site. It was the first bathroom as you came into the campground loop with the bulletin boards. We all need to be good stewards of our natural resources.

@KatiCA3DEDA410 · Camped on Jun 25, 2023 at Campsite #31

Bear proof trash cans were full and not being emptied so people had to set their bags of garbage outside the cans. This of course attracted bears to rummage through them every day and night. Also there was no toilet paper in the whole park and the bathroom had lights but they did not work.

@BrandenJ841620 · Camped on Jun 23, 2023 at Campsite #39

Great place to visit! The campsites are large, spread out nicely and very well kept. The bathrooms could use a bit more attention, quiet hours are not enforced so if you're sensitive to noise try going during the week when there are less people. Beach access is just okay but probably only because the lake was FULL when we were there.

@MarcusB2806217 · Camped on Jun 9, 2023 at Campsite #34

Toilet paper not replaced in bathrooms all weekend, Bear box doors didn't close, trash cans full, loud party campers nearby, people cutting wood with 2 chainsaws at almost 10 pm. Site has great location though.

@TeresaB1724254 · Camped on May 26, 2023 at Campsite #21

Site #21 should have never been offered up to rent. The pitures showed two picnic tables and trees. Not the case. It looked like it was moved, not in the same place the map showed. It looked like a bulldozer came through there. No trees, burn pit, giant hole where a large stump came out, no place to sit around the fire pit as the fire pit was at the end of the cement slab near the bear box. No good place to put four tents... There were 8 of us. The area to the left of bear box and above the bear box were the only place to put a tent. Absolutely zero privacy. Large sticks everywhere. Bathrooms near us, the men's room was backed up and sewage all over in there when we got there Friday at 3 pm... Nobody looked at it until Sunday afternoon. He was heard cursing very loudly. Bathroom situation was no better at any of them. TP ran out. Thankfully I brought my own as I have learned. WE have been coming to Hirz Bay for over 40 years. This is the worst I have seen it. We still had fun though, as we always do. Also the site next to us was not marked, the driveway said 23 but there was no post that had a number. So, this couple decided to stay there; since there is no privacy my daughter's tent door was directly eye level with where they decided to put their tent and they had a fire going all night. If you aren't renting a spot out, then block it off or offer it to adjacent sites for parking. We wanted to use it for parking but did not want to do the wrong thing. We told that couple to check with camp hosts but I don't think they did. Also camp hosts left on Sunday

@Madeleine45DD4 · Camped on May 13, 2023 at Campsite #16

Super private campsites. Beautiful views and water is so close

@JenniferW73279 · Camped on May 13, 2023 at Campsite #34

We love camping here. With the lake almost full (three feet from the top 2023, ) it was a blast to walk to the lake and enjoy all the water activities. The campgrounds were clean and lovely. However, the bathrooms were not restocked since we arrived (Thursday - Sunday) and both the men's & women's were not attended to and had no tp. With all the reservations, Shasta Recreation Company should have come during that time to restock the facilities. Also, there is a ton of poison oak everywhere, so beware and take precautions.

@markk7381774 · Camped on Apr 10, 2023 at Campsite #S&P - Single

Signage states "single site $25, double site $50" . Specifically selected single site, after hours of frustration with marginal signal and the site's mis-labeled senior pass choices, I finally was able to make a reservation. Only to find later that my "single" site was billed at the "double" rate. Don't trust the signage, and double-check every interaction. And to top it off, even though the site was paid for using recreation.gov, a phone call to recreation.gov revealed that they COULD NOT REFUND MY PAYMENT! Altogether a dissatisfactory experience. It's too bad, too, as the campground is very pretty.

@AlexaS9830228 · Camped on Sep 2, 2022 at Campsite #S&P - Single

Great campground! Running water in the bathroom was nice. Campground was fairly empty on a Friday night, so we enjoyed the open space. Kind of a send off the freeway but nice to really escape.

@KirkH9636555 · Camped on Aug 9, 2022 at Campsite #35

It was beautiful - we had several deer walk through our campsite.

@brandonp176704 · Camped on Jul 13, 2022 at Campsite #12

very nice, pretty. watch out for bears, they came at night and had to be shooed off. would still stay there again. lots of deer, birds and lizards.

@LoganW5538085 · Camped on Jun 24, 2022 at Campsite #35

Why tf would y'all reserve a site with down trees in the middle of the site, debris everywhere,broken benches, broken nut on the bear locker (essentially broken bear locker). Overall trashed campsite had to pick an open one that was semi better down the road.

@DannyH8622772 · Camped on May 20, 2022 at Campsite #25

Campsites were great, picnic bench, fire pit with a metal ring, bear box, lake access was an easy walk

@GraceD5686813 · Camped on Aug 21, 2021 at Campsite #31

This was a very sweet site with a flush bathroom and running water very close by, which was nice. It was very peaceful and quiet. Hella yellow jackets in the morning though! Also, we couldn't find easy access to the lake unfortunately.

@GraceD646 · Camped on Aug 21, 2021 at Campsite #31

See other campgrounds near Lakehead, CA with availability Tonight
See other campgrounds near Lakehead, CA with availability This Weekend

Other Campgrounds Nearby

We track all the sites so you don't have to.

Reservation Systems

Campsites Tracking

Campsite Reviews

Available Tonight

Available this Weekend

Cancellations Today

PRO $2.50/month

You're in Control. We never save credit card information or auto-renew subscriptions.

Availability Map Search
3000+ Interactive Campground Maps
Campground Virtual Tours
Save Your Favorite Campsites
Favorite Campsites Availability
Campground Mobile Speed Test Maps
National Parks, Forests & Ranger District Layers
Wildfires & Air Quality Map Layer
Satellite View Map Layer
Campsite SMS Cancellation Alerts
Rent your Property & Cabins
Love's & Super Walmart Map Layers
Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro Shop Map Layers
Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) Layer
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Map Layer
RV Propane, Parking, Dump, Water Map Layer

Pro is FREE for 7 days. (No credit card information required!)

Thanks to all our Supporting Members

@BranJen - Santa Clara, CA

I wanted to thank you for this site and especially for the notifications feature. Thanks to your site and my subscription I was able to book a campsite I've been annoyingly trying to book for 5 years unsuccessfully. So thank you.

@Wondering - Oregon

Wow! Woke up this morning to a notification that a favorite had opened at Paulina, and when I went to check, it was there. This membership just paid for itself in the first 24 hours I owned it. Couldn't take the site it conflicted with a trip already set, but it truly was there. Thanks Tons.

@CarlaLThompson - Colorado

I just love this site and I tell everyone about it! It's so competitive to secure desired campsites and the alerts really help track when sites free up. The best part of this story is our alert notified a cancellation the next day!!!!!! Just incredible!!!