Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Whiskeytown Lake’s crystal-clear waters are iconic, but this 42,000-acre National Recreation Area offers much more. Explore waterfalls, hike rugged trails, uncover Gold Rush history, and witness the resilience of nature in its post-fire recovery. Adventure awaits at every turn—Whiskeytown is calling!
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Don't Move a Mussel!
Hey Boaters, please clean, drain, and dry your vessel completely before setting out on Whiskeytown Lake. Thank you for doing your part to keep the Golden Mussel, an aquatic invasive species, out of the reservoir. Learn more about preventative measures.
Fire nearby
- WildfireBlue
13 mi from the park's reference point · 38 acres
- PrescribedLower Gas Point Vmp Rx
15 mi from the park's reference point · 254 acres
- PrescribedShf Rx
17 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedBig Bluff Rx 2026
37 mi from the park's reference point
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonAdmits one individual with no motor vehicle (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge. Good for 7 days. For more information visit https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74295. | $15 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. For more information visit https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74295. | $20 | |
| Private VehicleAdmits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Good for 7 days at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area only. For more information visit https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74295. | $25 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Crater Lake National Park, and Lava Beds National Monument for twelve months from the date of purchase, for unlimited visits to all four parks. | $55 | |
Hours
| Whiskeytown National Recreation Area | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Sheep Camp | 4 sites | |
| $20 a night · Closed Nov 1 to Apr 15 · 4 reservable | ||
| Peltier Bridge | 9 sites | |
| $20 a night · Peltier Bridge campground is open year-round. · 9 reservable | ||
| Horse Camp | 2 sites | |
| $20 a night · Horse Camp campground is open year-round. Contact the Visitor Center at (530) 246-1225 for information on availability. · 2 reservable | ||
| Brandy Creek | 2 sites | |
| $20 a night · Closed Nov 1 to Apr 15 · 2 reservable | ||
| Brandy Creek RV | 15 sites | |
| $20 a night · Open year-round. | ||
Show all 7 campgroundsHide
| Crystal Creek | 2 sites | |
| $20 a night · Closed Nov 1 to Apr 15 · 2 reservable | ||
| Dry Creek Group Campground | 2 sites | |
| $80 a night · Closed Nov 1 to Apr 1 · 2 reservable | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Whiskeytown Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Visitor Center is a great place to start when you arrive in the park. Knowledgeable staff can help you maximize your visit. The Visitor Center is located at the intersection of Kennedy Memorial Drive and Highway 299.
Explore
Things to do
- Gold Panning at Whiskeytown NRA
Become a gold miner for a day! Gold pan along Clear Creek at the Clear Creek picnic area. Gold was first discovered in Clear Creek in 1848 by Pierson B. Reading.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Whiskeytown Falls2-3 Hours
Whiskeytown Falls is a series of cascades which drop 220 feet as the east fork of Crystal Creek winds down the slope of Shasta Bally. The falls are accessed by the James K.
Opens on the Park Service site - Paddling on Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskeytown Lake is one of the premier paddle-sport areas in northern California. With almost 40 miles of shoreline there are always new areas to explore.
Opens on the Park Service site - Swimming at Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskeytown Lake is a fantastic location to enjoy a refreshing swim on a hot day. This lake has about 37 miles of shoreline. During the summer months surface water temperatures can reach nearly 80°F.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Gladstone HousesBuilding · French Gulch · 7.5 mi
- Old City Hall BuildingBuilding · Redding · 11.2 mi
- Edward Frisbie HouseBuilding · Redding · 11.3 mi
- Lorenz HotelBuilding · Redding · 11.3 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Whiskeytown. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for California's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthGray Fox 2× · Greater Roadrunner 1× · American White Pelican 1× · Bald Eagle 1× · American Black Bear 1× · Ringtail 1× · North American River Otter 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 192 birds, 47 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican peregrine falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · american kestrel · bald eagle · cooper's hawk · flammulated owl · golden eagle · great horned owl · merlin · northern pygmy-owl · northern saw-whet owl · northern spotted owl · osprey · prairie falcon · red-tailed hawk · sharp-shinned hawk · turkey vulture · western screech-owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican white pelican · Eurasian wigeon · Ross' goose · american coot · american wigeon · barrow's goldeneye · bufflehead · canada goose · cinnamon teal · common goldeneye · common loon · common merganser · double-crested cormorant · eared grebe · great blue heron · great egret · greater scaup · greater white-fronted goose · green heron · green-winged teal · hooded merganser · horned grebe · lesser scaup · northern pintail · pied-billed grebe · red-breasted merganser · red-necked grebe · ring-necked duck · ruddy duck · snow goose · tundra swan · virginia rail · western grebe · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdscalifornia gull · caspian tern · common snipe · glaucous-winged gull · herring gull · killdeer · least sandpiper · ring-billed gull · spotted sandpiper · thayer's gull
Gamebirds & dovesCalifornia quail · band-tailed pigeon · blue grouse · domestic pigeon · mountain quail · mourning dove · ruffed grouse · wild turkey
Woodpeckersacorn woodpecker · downy woodpecker · hairy woodpecker · lewis' woodpecker · northern flicker · nuttall's woodpecker · pileated woodpecker · red-breasted sapsucker · white-headed woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsanna's hummingbird · black-chinned hummingbird · calliope hummingbird · rufous hummingbird · vaux's swift
Also on the checklistAmerican pipit · Audobon's warbler · Bullock's oriole · Cassin's vireo · Hammond's flycatcher · Rufous-crowned Sparrow · american crow · american dipper · american goldfinch · american robin · ash-throated flycatcher · audubon's warbler · bank swallow · barn swallow · belted kingfisher · bewick's wren · black phoebe · black-headed grosbeak · black-throated gray warbler · blue-gray gnatcatcher · brewer's blackbird · brown creeper · brown towhee · brown-headed cowbird · bushtit · bushtit · california thrasher · canvasback · canyon wren · cassin's finch · cedar waxwing · chesnut-backed chickadee · chipping sparrow · clark's nutcracker · cliff swallow · common nighthawk · common poorwill · common raven · common yellowthroat · dark-eyed junco · dusky flycatcher · european starling · evening grosbeak · fox sparrow · gadwall · golden-crowned kinglet · golden-crowned sparrow · greater roadrunner · hermit thrush · hermit warbler · house finch · house sparrow · house wren · hutton's vireo · lark sparrow · lawrence's goldfinch · lazuli bunting · lesser goldfinch · lincoln's sparrow · little willow flycatcher · macgillivray's warbler · mallard · mountain chickadee · nashville warbler · northern goshawk · northern mockingbird · northern rough-winged swallow · northern shoveler · oak titmouse · olive-sided flycatcher · orange-crowned warbler · pacific slope flycatcher · pine siskin · purple finch · purple martin · pygmy nuthatch · red crossbill · red-breasted nuthatch · red-winged blackbird · redhead · rock wren · ruby-crowned kinglet · rufous-sided towhee · sage sparrow · song sparrow · sora · steller's jay · swainson's thrush · townsend's solitaire · tree swallow · varied thrush · violet-green swallow · warbling vireo · western bluebird · western kingbird · western meadowlark · western scrub jay · western tanager · western wood-pewee · white-breasted nuthatch · white-crowned sparrow · willow flycatcher · wilson's warbler · winter wren · wrentit · yellow warbler · yellow-breasted chat
Small mammalsAllen's chipmunk · Botta's pocket gopher · California ground squirrel · California kangaroo rat · beaver · black rat · black-tailed hare · broad-footed mole · brush mouse · brush rabbit · deer mouse · dusky-footed woodrat · house mouse · northern flying squirrel · pine squirrel · porcupine · shrew-mole · western gray squirrel · western red-backed vole
Predatorsblack bear · bobcat · coyote · fisher · gray fox · long-tailed weasel · mink · mountain lion · raccoon · ringtail · river otter · spotted skunk · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalsblack-tailed deer
BatsBrazilian free-tailed bat · California myotis · Canyon Bat · Yuma myotis · big brown bat · fringed myotis · hoary bat · long-eared myotis · pacific western big-eared bat · pallid bat · red bat · silver-haired bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · feral pig
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Diving and snorkeling in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 39 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Whiskeytown NRA is in a Mediterranean climate, which means hot, dry summers followed by cool, wet winters. Summer temperatures often reach the upper 90's to lower 100 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as the occasional thunderstorm. Winter brings snow to the upper elevations (only occasionally down to the lake level of 1,200'), and rain and ice. See the park weather page for the current weather.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Whiskeytown?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Whiskeytown?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Whiskeytown-only annual pass is $55.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Whiskeytown takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Whiskeytown free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Whiskeytown?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Whiskeytown. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Whiskeytown open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Whiskeytown?
Yes. The Park Service lists 7 campgrounds in Whiskeytown: Sheep Camp, Peltier Bridge, Horse Camp, Brandy Creek, and Brandy Creek RV, and more. 7 take reservations through Recreation.gov.
Which Whiskeytown campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Dump station: Brandy Creek RV.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Whiskeytown include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Sheep Camp is $20 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
When do Whiskeytown campgrounds close for the season?
Sheep Camp is closed Nov 1 to Apr 15, Brandy Creek is closed Nov 1 to Apr 15, and Crystal Creek is closed Nov 1 to Apr 15; 1 more have posted closures.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Whiskeytown right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Don't Move a Mussel!.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Whiskeytown?
763,798 recreation visits in 2025, number 88 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
