Mary Smith Campground, Redding, CA

Mary Smith Campground is located in the Weaverville Ranger District, Shasta-Trinity National Forest (1 hr 27 min northwest of Redding, CA) with an elevation of 6,112 feet. There are a total of 18 campsites which are all tent-only sites. The campground is normally open from the beginning of April to the end of September. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Fees range from $23.00 to $99.00. Activities include boating, fishing, hiking trails, floating sports.

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Campsite Reviews (38)

4.0 out of 5

5 star		50%
4 star		26%
3 star		3%
2 star		13%
1 star		8%

@DennisP9096753 · Camped on Sep 5, 2024 at Campsite #13

Great campsite. Small. On the non-glamping side the sites are small, but spread out enough to offer some privacy. Even though it lies next to the highway, theres not a lot of traffic noise. Be prepared to climb some stairs/hill to get from the street to the sites. Access to the lake is limited, and more suited towards launching kayaks and SUPs than swimming. Generally quiet. My only complaint is that the camp hosts had a dog that barked and barked and barked. My first full day at the camp was marred by their dog barking non-stop for three hours, until we decided to find a trail to hike. AT&T had some service, enough for basic texting, social media (not posting), and slow web surfing. I could not send or upload photos.

@DanielleP30464 · Camped on Aug 23, 2024 at Campsite #3

Beautiful campground!

@JeffG6611372 · Camped on Aug 17, 2024 at Campsite #4

It is a perfect place to go to avoid a lot of crowds and just enjoy activities such as boating, fishing, hiking, and relaxing. We stayed in the Yurt (Glamping) area that is right on the lake.The hosts were great! They were local folks and I had lots to ask about the changes over the last 60 years. My grandparents were staying the the government camp in Lewiston where I spent my summers during the early to mid 60's. This was my first time back in 60 years, and we will make it a yearly trip as my wife really enjoyed the beautiful location and the quietness of the camping.

@DavidF8210922 · Camped on Jul 30, 2024 at Campsite #14

We loved it! The quiet, the soft breeze, the great host! Well be back!

@SaraC4030409 · Camped on Jul 19, 2024 at Campsite #5a

The campground is nice, but we had a major issue with the number of wasps around the picnic table and food areas. They really need to address this problem because most of us got stung by wasps, and our neighbors even left early because of it.

@MollyS9792971 · Camped on Jul 6, 2024 at Campsite #4

We love visiting Mary Smith! The campground is clean and peaceful. The lake is beautiful, and the Pine Cove marina up the road has pontoon boats, kayaks and paddle boards that can be rented. The caretakers of the campground are friendly and do a great job keeping the tent/cabins and restrooms clean.

@JenniferB63832 · Camped on Jun 30, 2024 at Campsite #13

What a gem of a campground! We went during an exceedingly hot time, which was a bit more work to endure but the campsite was lovely, the water sources were ample, cold and refreshing. Also, the camp host and her family are super friendly and kindly provided a great supply of firewood, which was excellent for keeping bugs away in the evenings. The fire pit was cleaned out, very well set up, and easy to use. The toilets were very clean, which was awesome. My only constructive feedback is that the waterfront was quite a bit of a walk. The permanent tent structures at the waterfront access were the only ones who got to enjoy easy access. We had an inflatable paddle board and it was quite a walk to the access point. Also, it felt a bit strange walking through others campsites to get to the waterfront. It would be wonderful if they created 1-2 other ways that us old fashioned tent campers could go enjoy the waterfront in a shared space. That said, it was a pretty nice experience all around.

@LarryL7664136 · Camped on Jun 9, 2024 at Campsite #7

I was in tent camp #7. This camp is uncomfortably close to a glamping tent. I put up a screen an this made it passable. Fortunately this glamping tent was unoccupied for two of the three nights I was there. There is plenty of room to move site #7 closer to the lake and this would put more separation between the two.

@michaelk687828 · Camped on May 20, 2024 at Campsite #6

This is a scenic campground, quiet, no RV's or campers, Nice site. Free firewood. Close to town but tucked away.

@JeffA9550709 · Camped on Sep 10, 2023 at Campsite #15

Tons of mosquitos and yellow jackets. Lots of dead trees and toxic algae bloom in lake. No potable water in September. Over all, probably wont go back. Might be nicer earlier in the year.

@amyk3881819 · Camped on Aug 13, 2023 at Campsite #7

This was incredibly lovely campground. We literally had it all too ourselves for our entire 4-day stay, so it was deliciously quiet. The campsite hosts were excellent and friendly and kept the place clean and stocked. Birdwatching and paddling around the lake were delightful. Would have given 5 stars except for the temporary lack of potable water and would have still given 5 stars if we had been given notice of the lack so we could have brought our own. As it was, I mentioned it to the camp host that the website said drinking water was provided. She then notified her boss and THEN we received notice 40 minutes after arriving.

@LeAnnJ12DD148C · Camped on May 21, 2023 at Campsite #2

The lake was quiet when we were here before Memorial Day, and it is a great place to kayak, canoe, or paddleboard. Stayed in the glamping tents, which were spacious and clean. The shallow water near the shore is muddy with a lot of treefall in the water, making it quickly murky, and the bottom drops off fairly quickly. The campsite was fine, but no food storage or bear boxes on site could be a complication if bears are about, which the signs indicate they can be (didn't see or hear any this trip). Faucet water at the time we visited was non-potable, and there are no showers and only one flush toilet. Tried fly fishing from the shore area, which was a bust, but going over to the Trinity River below the dam there's great spots to drop your line in the current.

@LaurieJ5200530 · Camped on Sep 5, 2022 at Campsite #3

Enjoyed our "glamping unit" stay. Ray the campground host was friendly and helpful. Our unit was clean and ready. Despite being there during the heatwave, it was a beautiful view and very relaxing. We got to see a golden eagle, bald eagle and osprey. Spent time fishing after renting a boat at the marina. We made a trip to Weaverville to have a nice lunch and do some antique shopping. Glad the water was nippy to cool us off since it was 108'.

@RafaellaD98751 · Camped on Sep 2, 2022 at Campsite #10

Nice to have toilets and sinks with running water. If you’re not glamping, you’ll work out bringing things up and down your campsite. Overall, a beautiful place to camp

@SharonK3494511 · Camped on Aug 14, 2022 at Campsite #2

There was extreme smoke due to nearby fires and I had to turn around and come home.

@IljaS7561080 · Camped on Aug 2, 2022 at Campsite #3

Spent two nights in one of the yurts. Spacious and clean. Original reservation was for Unit 3, which would've been closer to the water, but it wasn't very private and the small beach area seemed crowded with two families. The camp host was very friendly and nice enough to let us use Unit 9 instead, which was a bit away from the water, but very private instead, which was our preference. Other reviews noted poison oak, which was there, but not enough to be an issue. Lots of thorny blackberry though. Overall had a fantastic experience!

@KimberlyR15639 · Camped on Jul 22, 2022 at Campsite #5b

Be wary of Swimmer's itch

@KrisT3386472 · Camped on Jul 20, 2022 at Campsite #6

This is a truly beautiful campsite, and Ray the camp host is so nice he makes it a pleasure to stay there!

@CecileL3277941 · Camped on Jul 19, 2022 at Campsite #9

Quiet and away from crowds. Delightful.

@SusanL2820892 · Camped on Jun 20, 2022 at Campsite #2

Beautiful lake-front glamping area with tent sites 6 and 7 nestled among the tent-cabins. Good spot to launch your kayak, flush toilet. Our stay was delightful - all campers were quiet and respectful of each other's space. The tent cabin is very spacious and the bed and bedding quite comfortable. The campground host, Ray, goes above and beyond to be accommodating and helpful. Be aware that the glamping cabins are quite a walk from the parking area so bring a wagon to haul your stuff. Highly recommend this campground. All tent cabins are situated with lovely views of the lake. We took several hikes in the area and there is a place up the road to rent kayaks and canoes. Trinity Lake is very low due to the drought but Lewiston Lake on which the campground sits was full and lovely. We saw a bald eagle there. The town of Lewiston is tiny but if you stop by the old school house you can learn about the area. Weaverville is an easy drive and the town reminiscent of the old west. Good ice cream shop and other stores.

@SophiaC4484364 · Camped on Jun 10, 2022 at Campsite #5a

Great experience, this was our second time going up to camp Mary Smith. First time we went with a family of four in the Glamping tent 5a. I immediately knew I was going back with the extended family. We reserved Glamping tent 2, 3, 4, 5a and made the most incredible memories! It felt like we had the lake to ourselves. Had about 4 canoes out there, water was peaceful. Just be sure to bring mosquito repellent. Sweep and clean your Glamping tents before getting under those sheets. And be mindful that the most of the Glamping tents are on a slope. Other than that, enjoy your time! I would also like to mention that Ray (camp host) was freaking awesome!!!!

@JenniferL39143 · Camped on Jun 6, 2022 at Campsite #14

Camp is very shady with no sunny beach or area other than the individual campsites to hang out. Having running water in the bathroom was nice but wish they had showers too. We couldn’t even find a sunny place to hang the solar shower so def made it more of a roughing it experience and the whole campsite felt a bit dirty. There was one wagon available to haul the gear to the sites and it was definitely needed. Not having the car close to the campsite made us wish we went for the glamping structures which would have eliminated half of the gear needed and made everything cleaner being up off the ground. There are a lot of different options in the area so not sure if I would stay at mary smith again but maybe try one of the other places instead just to experience something new. We stayed mid week and there was only one other campsite occupied so it was very quiet and peaceful. The lake is spectacular and it was so nice to be right there at the waters edge. But I would recommend staying in the glamping units for the best experience at this campsite.

@EmmaF241 · Camped on Oct 15, 2021 at Campsite #2

Beautiful location! The glamping tent was great (and fit 4 of us with 2 additional cots)!! And the weather in mid October couldn't have been better. Will definitely be coming back.

@gigiw393 · Camped on Jun 22, 2021 at Campsite #6

The camp host was friendly, knowledgeable, and the campground was well kept.

@CandiceR135 · Camped on Jun 20, 2021 at Campsite #5a

This is a great family campground. We stayed in one of the Glamping tents and my daughters stayed in a tent right next to us. We had a beautiful spot right on the water. The Glamping tent was large very clean and comfortable. The water level is high and swimming was great, it gets hot and stays very warm at night. I hope you like the sound of cicadas and frogs singing loudly at night, if not bring your earplugs.The bathrooms were kept clean and the camp host was very friendly.Very little cell service here, you can send simple texts from some spots but it’s very slow.

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