McCloud Area Recreation

Happy Camping!  Our campgrounds are open and are very popular already! Are you interested in camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, boating, picnicing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, or sight seeing?  The choices for recreation are almost unlimited on the McCloud District.During the late spring, summer and early fall, the McCloud Area offers fishing, hunting, swimming, camping, hiking, photography oppurtunities, and spectacular scenery. During the winter months, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snow- shoeing, hunting, fishing, and downhill skiing are the top ranking outdoor opportunities. The Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park has vault toilets, a warming hut, and miles of groomed trails for your use. There are a number of developed campgrounds and day use facilities located along the scenic McCloud River, that includes Fowlers, Cattle Camp, and Camp 4. Fowlers CG has 31 reservation only and 8 first come, first served sites. (All walk-in until May 15th) Camp 4 is a reservation only group campground.  You can reserve a site at recreation.gov.  There is a 14 day stay limit at our campgrounds.  Cattle Camp is first come first served.The McCloud River parallels Highway 89 from its source near Dead Horse Summit to Fowlers Campground. There it turns south and continues through private property to the McCloud Reservoir. At the "Res" as it is known locally, the river again flows through National Forest lands to a point several miles below AhDiNa Campground, plus several other areas downstream to the Nature Conservancy's  McCloud River Preserve. From here, the river passes through mostly private property and public access from the banks is extremely limited until the river enters the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. Another popular camping option on your National Forest is the dispersed camping option.  You may camp anywhere on NF land unless designated otherwise for 14 days in any given spot and up to 30 days.  You may not disperse camp on the McCloud River Loop area, see map.