Whiskeytown Lake
West of Redding · near Redding · Shasta Cascade
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 1200
- Campsites
- ~100 sites
- Season
- Year-round
- Fee
- ~$20/night
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- Reserve on Recreation.gov (6 months ahead; some first-come). A clear mountain lake in a national recreation area west of Redding, known for waterfalls, clear swimming, and gold-rush history. Showers, RV sites. Recovering from the 2018 Carr Fire.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- Crystal-clear swimming lake · Waterfall hikes · Gold-rush history · Showers
- Best for
- Clear-lake swimming + waterfalls
- Features
- Clear, swimmable mountain lake · Whiskeytown Falls & other waterfalls · Gold-rush ghost-town history · Sailing & paddling
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Camp type
- developed · rv
- Intl tip
- Reserve on Recreation.gov 6 months ahead (some first-come). Crystal-clear swimming; hike to Whiskeytown and Brandy Creek falls. Sail and paddle the lake. Gold-rush history (Tower House). Still recovering from the 2018 Carr Fire. Showers. Combine with Shasta Lake and Lassen. Clearer and quieter than Shasta.
The guide
Whiskeytown Lake, a strikingly clear reservoir in the mountains west of Redding, is a gem of the national park system beloved f…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Whiskeytown Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 40.612, -122.538