USDA Forest Service · California
Hirz Bay
USDA Forest Service · California, United States · in Whiskeytown Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
- Sites
- 52
- Hookups
- 47 no hookups
- Season
- Year-round
- Max RV length
- 50 ft
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,152 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- HIRZ GROUP ONE (NFSR 35N48B) · asphalt · moderate degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Nearest town
- Lakehead
- Address
- Gilman Road Exit off of Interstate 5, Lakehead, CA, 96051
- Activities
- Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Water Skiing
31 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Hirz Bay Campground is nestled among Manzanita and oak trees on a hilltop overlooking the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. The scenic location offers a variety of recreational activities,
including a nearby boat ramp for water sports and a hiking trail.
Recreation
The nearest boat launch is about 1 mile away at Hirz Bay. Resorts on the lake have watercraft rentals and marinas with fuel.
Popular water activities include power and non-motorized boating, fishing and water skiing. Lake Shasta offers excellent fishing for trout, catfish, Chinook salmon, crappie, bluegill, white sturgeon, brown bullhead and bass.
Hikers can access the 2-mile Hirz Bay Trail from the campground.
Facilities
Each campsite contains a paved parking spur, a table, a bear-proof food locker and one fire ring. This campground has a pay phone, drinking water, flush toilets and an overflow parking area.
Natural Features
Shasta-Trinity is the largest national forest in California with a diverse landscape encompassing five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles of streams and rivers.
Lake Shasta sits at an elevation of 1,067 feet, with 365 miles of shoreline punctuated by steep mountains blanketed in manzanita and evergreens. A snow-capped Mount Shasta, the second-tallest mountain in the Cascade Range, looms in the distance.
Nearby Attractions
Lake Shasta Caverns are also located on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake in an area know as the Grey Rocks. Tours are given daily at this privately owned facility.
The nearby Hirz Mountain Lookout offers panoramic views of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen and the surrounding area at an elevation of 3,500 feet.
Fees
If the reservation was made through recreation.gov please call 1-877-444-6777 to make a refund request. Refunds must be requested no later than 14 days before your scheduled arrival date for a full refund (excluding recreation.gov fee’s).
Reservation Fee: For some facilities, an additional reservation fee is charged. This additional non-refundable fee is $10.00 for the call center and online reservations.
Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for cash payments will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. For cash or check refunds please call us at 530-275-8113. Please Note! Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy.
Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure the Recreation.gov will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates and sites (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be canceled and all fees paid will be refunded.
Refunds for Naturally Occurring Events: Refunds will not be issued for naturally occurring events like rain, snow, wind, smoke, extreme temperature, low lake level, etc.
If you are requesting a refund for a walk-up site, please contact the host on-site or call us 530-275-8113. All refunds must be approved and issued through our office or processed though Recreation.gov.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 38° | 24° | 69° | 6 of 11 |
| February | 54° | 38° | 20° | 73° | 5 of 11 |
| March | 59° | 40° | 24° | 86° | 6 of 11 |
| April | 65° | 43° | 34° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| May | 79° | 53° | 41° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 89° | 60° | 46° | 105° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 99° | 68° | 57° | 111° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 97° | 68° | 60° | 111° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 88° | 61° | 52° | 100° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 77° | 51° | 43° | 92° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 60° | 44° | 33° | 80° | 0 of 10 |
| December | 52° | 38° | 25° | 70° | 3 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Hirz Bay Group 1 · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 1 sites
- Hirz Bay Group 2 · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 1 sites
- Dekkas Rock · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 1 sites
- Hirz Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 1 sites
- Moore Creek Campground (Group/Family) · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.