Below pines and oaks beside Shasta Lake, you’ll find Antlers Campground. The campground is conveniently located just off Interstate 5 between Redding and Mount Shasta, but you won’t hear much freeway noise (actually you’ll hear more noise from jet skies and boaters enjoying the Sacramento Arm of Shasta Lake). The shaded campground is spread out on a series of loops over level terrain that offers ideal spots for tent camping and immediate access to lake views.
Many sites are lined up near the lake’s edge, on a bluff about 25-feet above the water. From these sites, you can ‘walk out your back door’ through tall manzanitas and sagebrush to a ledge above the water. A bluff of steep rocks separates the campground from the water, so access to the lake is difficult (although you may find a couple places where you can safely get down to the water). While the lake isn’t easy to reach, it is definitely easy to sit above the water and enjoy views across the Sacramento Arm of Shasta Lake. Looking across the water, you’ll see a coastline of orange sand and may spot campers within the pine forest on the opposite side of the lake.
Antlers Campground has 59 campsites. Of these, 41 sites are single campsites appropriate for up to 8 individuals and two vehicles or one RV. Eighteen sites are double sites that have room for more tents and up to 16 campers. For RVs, the parking area at most sites is 40-feet long. The fee for single sites is $20 per night, while the fee for double sites is $35 per night. The fee covers one vehicle for single sites and two vehicles for double sites. Where space allows, additional vehicles can be added for $6 per night (all prices as of 2018).
Antlers Campground is open from early March to the end of October. The weekends of Memorial Day and 4th of July are the campground’s busiest times. Reservations are accepted, and should definitely be made on holiday weekends. At other times, open sites can usually be found without a reservation.
In terms of the facilities, bathrooms along the main loop have flush toilets and running water. The campground’s less-used loops have vault toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table, a bear box for food storage, and a fire ring. Potable water spigots can be found around the campground. The campground is level with flat sites for tents. The pines, oaks, and brush that shade the campground also add privacy between each site.
Be attentive as you stray from your site as you may find some poison oak, or at least young oaks, around the campground. From the lakeside bluff, you can look down the lake toward a bridge on Interstate 5 that produces a bit of freeway noise. Occasional trains can be heard as well. One other nuisance, mosquitoes, can show up around dusk. Despite these deficits, Antlers Campground is a fine place to camp with nice spots to relax above the lake’s water. Wake up early and you can watch the sun rise across the lake. For boaters, a boat lunch is located near the campground and diners, markets, and gas stations can be found near the freeway offramp for the campground.
To get to Antlers Campground: Take Interstate 5 to exit 702 (35 miles south of Mount Shasta and 24 miles north of Redding), following signs for Lakeshore Drive and Antlers Road. At the end of the offramp, head east on Lakeshore Drive and turn right onto Antlers Road. Take this road for half a mile through a curve to the left. Pass the marina and boat launch to find the entrance to the campground on the right.
Campground address: 18356 Antlers Road, Lakehead, CA 96051
Campground coordinates: 40.88715, -122.3798 (40° 53′ 13.73″N 122° 22′ 47.28″W)
Use the map below to create your own directions:
 | Bailey Cove Trail This easy 3.1-mile loop circles a hill-covered peninsula on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake, providing both lake views and shade. |
 | Vista Point Trail This short hike reaches the principal viewpoint in Castle Crags State Park, which has a great perspective of granite peaks known as the Castle Crags, along with views of Mount Shasta and the surrounding wilderness. |
 | Crags Trail to Castle Dome This 5.6-mile round trip hike in Castle Crags State Park ascends 2,150-feet through a garden of granite crags to the base of Castle Dome. This hike can be extended to 6 miles round trip by taking a worthy side trail to Indian Springs. |
 | Root Creek Trail This 2.2-mile round trip hike in Castle Crags State Park takes a level and easy course to a tumbling creek in a mossy forest. |
 | Lake Siskiyou Trail (South Shore Loop) This short and easy lakefront loop offers great views across Lake Siskiyou toward Mount Shasta and the surrounding evergreen wilderness. |
 | Faery Falls and Ney Springs This short hike travels along a creek up to an impressive 50-foot waterfall, passing the ruins of an old resort along the way. |
 | Spring Hill This 2.9-mile hike hits a short summit near Mount Shasta with excellent views of Mount Shasta, Black Butte, and the surroundings. |
 | Castle Crags State Park Campground There are 76 developed campsites within this state park that are nestled within a pine forest with access to nearby trails. |
 | Castle Lake Campground This six-site campground in Castle Lake is shaded by conifers in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. |