U.S. Forest Service · Shasta-Trinity National Forest · California

Castle Lake Campground

Description: This small primitive campground is nestled in a thick mixed conifer forest approximately ¼ mile below Castle Lake. There are 6 sites with tables, fire rings and vault toilets. Bring your own water. 3-night limit. No fee. No reservations. Not recommended for large vehicle or trailers. Usually opens around the end of May depending on when the snow melts, and usually is closed by snow around the first of November. Features: Visitors may walk or drive the short distance to the lake. Castle Lake is a pristine glacial cirque lake with granite cliffs and clear water, one of the most popular attractions in the Mt. Shasta area.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-servedFree

More like this: first-come in California · free in California

Castle Lake Campground
Photo from the area. Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
3fires
active
Five-6 Rx (prescribed burn) · 44 mi away
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestShasta-Trinity National Forest
FeesNo fee

Shasta-Trinity National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Castle Lake Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 11.08 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowFebruary: 10.46 inches of precipitation, 6.7 inches of snowMarch: 9.20 inches of precipitation, 2.7 inches of snowApril: 4.90 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowMay: 2.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.33 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.15 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.20 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.04 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 6.89 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowDecember: 12.57 inches of precipitation, 6.8 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.3°F averageFebruary: 41.6°F averageMarch: 45.3°F averageApril: 50.2°F averageMay: 58.4°F averageJune: 65.7°F averageJuly: 71.9°F averageAugust: 70.3°F averageSeptember: 64.9°F averageOctober: 55.1°F averageNovember: 44.9°F averageDecember: 38.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Dunsmuir Trtmt Pl, 6 miles from the campground at 2,169 feet, station USC00042574 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 63 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 27 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Mt. Shasta city, head west on Lake Street over the freeway and to the stop sign at Old Stage Road. Turn left (south) and drive 1/4 mile to a fork in the road. Stay to the right at the fork and continue on this road (W.A. Barr Road). In 2 miles you will cross the dam at Lake Siskiyou and then you will see the turnoff for Castle Lake.

Coordinates41.2357° N, 122.3790° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Five-6 Rx

    44 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Five-7 Rx

    45 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Shf Rx

    49 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗3.2 mi
Outdoor gearTed Fay Fly Shop ↗5.8 mi
RV sales & serviceCousin Gary RV Center ↗40 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Castle Lake Campground & Cottages

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.4 mi
    Castle Shore
    0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    Castle Lake ↗
    4.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.7 mi
    Ney Springs Creek
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Fairy Falls
    0.09 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3 mi
    Gray Rock Lake
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3.5 mi
    Sisson-Callahan NRT ↗
    9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for California

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Castle Lake Campground?

No. Castle Lake Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Castle Lake Campground?

Nothing. Castle Lake Campground is listed as free. No fee

Source: Forest Service

Is Castle Lake Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

What if Castle Lake Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Gumboot Campground (7 mi, first-come), Mcbride Springs Campground (9.5 mi, first-come), and Red Fir Flat Group Campground (9.9 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby