Ellery Creek

Shasta-Trinity National Forest — lakeside, fishing

Location: Lakehead, CA, CA

Price: From $30 per night

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (25 reviews)

Season: May through October

Ellery Creek is located on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. The campground is terraced, providing views of the lake from all of the lower sites and some of the upper sites. At certain water levels, boats can be moored on the shore within sight of the campground, making Ellery Creek a very popular place to camp among boaters.Each site offers fair to good privacy and sufficient shade provided by the deciduous trees in the campground.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Showers, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/ellery-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Ellery Creek offers terraced lake views and is popular with boaters, with informal mooring allowed when water levels permit. Campers praise it as a quiet, less-crowded spot with beautiful large trees and water views.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Bald Eagle, Ringtail, and various snake species (Striped Racer, Shasta Alligator Lizard) verified in the area.

Insider tips for Ellery Creek: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand. Lower terraced sites provide lake views; some upper sites also have views. Afternoon shade arrives early at most sites; check site-specific shade if planning tent camping. Informal boat mooring allowed at campground when water levels are sufficient; formal boat ramp 4 miles away at Hirz Bay. Sites 13-18 are on a long paved lot — choose other sites if you prefer traditional camping feel. No camp host or rangers present — self-sufficient camping experience.

Skip Ellery Creek if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.. You prefer easily accessible water access — low water levels require hiking up and down.. You want year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only..

Best time to visit Ellery Creek: May through October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only..

Nearby campgrounds: Pine Point (Shasta Lake, Ca) (Lakehead, CA), Hirz Mountain Lookout (REDDING, CA), Mccloud Bridge (Redding, CA), Moore Creek (Lakehead, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Ellery Creek

Cell signal at Ellery Creek (Lakehead, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Ellery Creek — photo 1
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Shasta-Trinity National Forest — lakeside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Ellery Creek

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Lakehead, CA, CA★ 4.1 (25 reviews)From $30/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Ellery Creek is located on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. The campground is terraced, providing views of the lake from all of the lower sites and some of the upper sites. At certain water levels, boats can be moored on the shore within sight of the campground, making Ellery Creek a very popular place to camp among boaters.Each site offers fair to good privacy and sufficient shade provided by the deciduous trees in the campground.

Best for:AnglersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV40 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowersBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs.✕ You prefer easily accessible water access — low water levels require hiking up and down.✕ You want year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Lower terraced sites provide lake views; some upper sites also have views.

Afternoon shade arrives early at most sites; check site-specific shade if planning tent camping.

Informal boat mooring allowed at campground when water levels are sufficient; formal boat ramp 4 miles away at Hirz Bay.

Sites 13-18 are on a long paved lot

choose other sites if you prefer traditional camping feel.

No camp host or rangers present

self-sufficient camping experience.

Best: May through October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Bald Eagle, Ringtail, and various snake species (Striped Racer, Shasta Alligator Lizard) verified in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
1111111111· Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Getting there →

From Redding, California: Take I-5 to Gilman Road. From the north take the Salt Creek exit to Gilman Road. Go east for 16 miles to the campground entrance (located on the right hand side of the road between Moore Creek and Pine Point Campgrounds). *The Map Driving Route link gives directions to mail office, not the campground.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Shasta-Trinity National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Shasta-Trinity National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Ellery Creek cost per night?+
Ellery Creek costs $30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Ellery Creek open?+
Ellery Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Ellery Creek have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Ellery Creek?+
Ellery Creek can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
How do I make reservations at Ellery Creek?+
Ellery Creek is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Ellery Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Ellery Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Ellery Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Ellery Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service Concessionaire
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$30 /night★ 4.1 (25)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Ellery Creek cost per night?+
What season is Ellery Creek open?+
Does Ellery Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Pine Point (Shasta Lake, Ca)

Lakehead, CA

From $150/night

Hirz Mountain Lookout

REDDING, CA

From $110/night

Mccloud Bridge

Redding, CA

From $30/night

Moore Creek

Lakehead, CA

From $140/night

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