Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Friends and new campers
Vibe · Relaxing and chill
Reservations · Reserve a site at Fowlers Campground or snag a FCFS (first-come, first-serve) campsite nearby
Drive · 5 hours from SF
Ideal dates · May to October
Pets · Welcome at camp and trails
Shasta-Trinity National Forest (STNF) is the largest national forest in California! It features 2.2 million acres and over 6,200+ miles of streams and rivers. There are five wilderness areas: Castle Crags, Chanchellulla, Mount Shasta, Trinity Alps, and Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel, and more than 150 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail runs through the forest. This place is a natural wonderland that starts at 1,000 feet of elevation at Shasta Lake and tops out at Mt. Shasta at 14,179 feet. Color us impressed, aren't you?
Official Forest Service Website
Main image credit: The Modern Female Hiker
Each campsite comes with a:
Fowlers Campground is walking distance from the waterfalls, but available campsites are often reserved months in advance. If you're willing to play by ear, there are several first-come, first-serve campgrounds that are only a 15-minute drive away from the falls. Camp 4 Group Campground, Cattle Camp Campground, and Algoma Campground are a few other options. Check out the McCloud Area Recreation Guide or the forest service website for more details.
Check-in: After 3 PM · Check-out: 2 PM
Nightly Rate: $23
Image credit: Campsite Photos
In 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt designated over 1.2 million acres as the Trinity Forest Reserve, and a few months later created a separate Shasta Forest Reserve. These two areas officially became Shasta–Trinity National Forest in 1954.
For years, The Winnemem (McCloud River) Wintu Tribe lived, fished and hunted around what is now Lower McCloud Falls
McCloud River Canyon carves through multiple layers of lava rock caused by Mt. Shasta's volcanic eruptions. Look out for columnar basalt, which is the result of those lava flows cooling and contracting to create cool-looking vertical fractures.
