Shasta Lake Area

We stayed across the road at the USFS Lakeshore East Campground. We walked over here to check things out. The pool is closed, ostensibly for the season. The camp store was never open, maybe that is seasonal too. It's an older park and in disrepair. While they mow the grass and pick up trash, the general maintenance isn't getting done. Locks on bathrooms removed, signs falling down, lights that don... We stayed across the road at the USFS Lakeshore East Campground. We walked over here to check things out. The pool is closed, ostensibly for the season. The camp store was never open, maybe that is seasonal too. It's an older park and in disrepair. While they mow the grass and pick up trash, the general maintenance isn't getting done. Locks on bathrooms removed, signs falling down, lights that don't work. Pool fence is wobbly and the lock is missing so they just chain it up. Entrance sign is falling down. The store floods when it rains so instead of fixing the drainage they just put up sand bags. Feels like the kind of place where the owners have gotten old and tired and just aren't keeping things up. It's mostly long term residents here. There were lots of vacant sites for seasonal guest, but most would be hard to get into if you're over 25ft. Sites are squished up against one another with no privacy, just a gravel parking lot. Their web site says they have a boat dock but the campground is landlocked so no idea where the docks are. And there are train tracks running literally through the campground. Though they don't blow their horn it's still loud. And they don't take stuff to the dump. Everything that is old or broken is just piled up by the railroad tracks, including tires and old broken picnic tables. At 30feet I'd have a tough time with many of these sites. So, it would have to be an emergency for us to ever stop here. We visited Shasta Lake RV Resort, no overnight stay.

This place is not at all as advertised, and extremely overpriced for what is actually there. After looking at the website, we called several times in advance to make a reservation for our roadtrip, and were told we wouldn’t need one because “it’s the off season.” You would think that on one of those calls, they might have mentioned that none of the information on their website is up to date. After... This place is not at all as advertised, and extremely overpriced for what is actually there. After looking at the website, we called several times in advance to make a reservation for our roadtrip, and were told we wouldn’t need one because “it’s the off season.” You would think that on one of those calls, they might have mentioned that none of the information on their website is up to date. After a long day of road travel and car trouble, we arrived at “Shasta Lake RV Resort” where we had been assured we wouldn’t need a reservation. Surely enough, the entire campground looked abandoned - not to mention extremely rundown - except for one or two scattered RVs. As we began scoping out the sites, one person emerged from an RV and shown an ultra bright flashlight in our faces from across the campground for a long time. I don’t know if that person tried to speak to us, because at that moment, less than 100 yards away, a freight train came roaring down the tracks. As my dad went to retrieve our vehicle to bring it to the campsite, someone from another RV got into their vehicle and came hurtling down the road towards him and our rig. It turned out to be the groundskeeper. There was no reason for him to approach us so aggressively. Again, we had tried to make a reservation multiple times, they could have easily been prepared for guests that night. I went with my dad into the office with the groundskeeper to pay for the night. We asked about the amenities listed on the website - we had been looking forward to using the pool, the ping pong table, and potentially dropping in on family movie night. The man said that nothing on the website was up to date, and none of those amenities would be available. As if that wouldn’t be reason enough to offer us a discount, he added that it’s the off season, as if that was the excuse for the whole place being in disrepair. (As you probably know, many places will offer an off season discount for lodging). In the same breath, the groundskeeper told us we would pay the full regular rate for the night. $66 for a patch of ground and an outlet for less than a 12-hour stay. I asked if the water was potable at the campsites, and he said it should be if we “let it run for a while.” He also informed us there wasn’t any wifi available at the site we parked at, which we had mostly chosen for the lack of floodlights nearby so we could sleep in darkness. He said we could have wifi if we parked closer to the building that had the floodlights on all night. No thanks. If the off season is the excuse for the lack of amenities, it should be clearly stated on the website. But the pool was green enough to make me think it hadn’t been open for use any time in recent history. The only reason this isn’t a one star review is because the man did offer me a free bottle of water when I asked if I could buy one. As well, while I wasn’t able to finesse the archaic lock system on the women’s bathroom after multiple attempts, I can say that the (unlocked) men’s room sinks and toilets, while old and stained, were clean and mostly functioning. We didn’t try the showers. We got up and out of there as fast as we could. Travelers, beware. Save your money or spend it elsewhere.

This place has a charm of its own. I had a great time here with my family. If you’re into small-town vibes, this little nook tucked away in the corner definitely hits the mark. Kids were running around the streets, jumping off bridges into the lake, it felt like something out of a movie. It was super quiet during the week, but once Friday rolled around, things got lively. People were up late, par... This place has a charm of its own. I had a great time here with my family. If you’re into small-town vibes, this little nook tucked away in the corner definitely hits the mark. Kids were running around the streets, jumping off bridges into the lake, it felt like something out of a movie. It was super quiet during the week, but once Friday rolled around, things got lively. People were up late, partying and yelling until around 3 AM. Honestly, it didn’t bother us, honestly it added to the character of the place. Now, about the cabin…. some reviews I read said it was trashy, but I wouldn’t go that far. It definitely has its flaws, but it was way better than tent camping. We had everything we needed: we made breakfast in the mornings and even grilled up a steak dinner one night. The AC worked just fine, which was a huge plus. The only weird part was a pressure issue, it makes a whistling noise if you don’t crack a window. Just be smart about which window you open or you’ll end up with mosquitoes if the lights are on. Overall, I’d give the cabin a solid 7 out of 10. It’s not a five-star hotel, but it’s not trying to be either. Service-wise, things were pretty relaxed. The office was closed an entire three days out of 7 days we were there, but a super friendly maintenance guy told us not to worry, he knew we were checked in and everything was good. If you need firewood, you’ll have to go to the nearby grocery store (only a 3-minute drive), but no big deal. The pool was open and very chlorinated, which I honestly prefer because it means it’s clean. At night, frogs were chirping, and we even saw deer wander right through the campsite in the morning and again at dusk. That was a highlight for sure. You’re also close to some great local spots. Just a 3-minute drive from a gas station, a grocery store, and a great bar & grill (Lakeshore Restaurant & Bar). We tried a few things there and really enjoyed it: • Crispy Buds (Brussels sprouts) 10/10 • Spicy Chicken Burger (not spicy) 9/10 • Sweet Chili Wings – 8/10 • Buffalo Wings – 7/10 All in all, this was a chill, low-key getaway with a real sense of community. Everyone seemed to know each other. If you’re looking for an affordable, outdoorsy trip with a local feel, this spot is worth checking out. Watch my video and check out the pics posted! Thanks!