There’s nothing like a night or two out in the outdoors to help you feel connected to nature and get you away from a busy life in the cities. Whether you prefer to camp in a tent, RV, or trailer, there’s a camping spot on this list for you, and all of them are within a short drive from Redding, CA.
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is a large area of wilderness in the mountains to the northwest of Redding. Despite being severely damaged by the Carr Fire in 2018, the heroic efforts of the National Park Service staff have resulted in the partial re-opening of the park, with dozens of trails and much of the park’s infrastructure re-opened and restored. Hike through rugged mountains, visit beautiful waterfalls, and fish in the crystal clear Whiskeytown Lake.
There are numerous campgrounds to choose from throughout the Recreation Area, some of which are for tents or are primitive, while others have space for RVs. Oak Bottom Campground is one of the best for tents, located right on the lake. There is also a small lot for RVs, with water but no hookups. If you’re coming in an RV, you may be better off at Brandy Creek, which has a dump station and water. Your vehicle must have a self-contained sewage system, as there are no toilets.
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
This large recreation area is centered around Shasta Lake, to the north of Reading, and is an offshoot of the enormous Shasta-Trinity National Forest. There are plenty of recreation opportunities here, including fishing on the lake itself or heading off into the wilderness on the many hiking trails.
It’s possible to wild camp in much of the recreation area, with some restrictions, but there are plenty of campsites and RV lots as well. If you’re going to be pitching up outside a campground, you’ll need a campfire permit, and some of the lake’s shoreline is a protected bald eagle habitat. For developed sites, head to Shasta Campground, on the area’s eastern edge, for simple RV and tent sites, or to Holiday Harbor Resort for large RV sites with hookups.
Manzanita Lake Campground
Heading east from Redding, you’ll soon come to the imposing mountains of the Lassen Volcanic National Park, and to Manzanita Lake Campground, which is located on its western edge. The campground is within walking distance of its namesake lake, which is a very popular fly-fishing destination and has some amazing views of Lassen Peak, the park’s largest volcano.
The campground itself has many facilities to help you have a comfortable stay, including showers, paved roads, and a general store. During the summer, there are also flushing toilets and running water, during the winter, it’s vault toilets only.
With an area so full of places to camp as Redding, there’s no way we could cover them all. Come on down to Lithia Chevrolet of Redding today and tell us which of these amazing campgrounds is your favorite.
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