Hayward Flat puts you right on Trinity Lake with 98 sites spread across five loops, some with lake views and boat mooring. This is the spot for water sports enthusiasts, sitting on one of the lake's prime arms for skiing, with plenty of Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir shade between sessions on the water.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Developed
- 🏕️Total Sites
- 98
- 💵Fee per Night
- $24
- 📋Reservations
- Reservation Required
- 📍GPS
- 40.87444, -122.76917
- 🌤️Best Seasons
- fall
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- Yes
- 📞Phone
- 530-275-8113
- 🗺️Address
- CA
Amenities
The Camp
Five loops spread across the flat with paved spurs, tables, and fire rings at every site. The Dogwood and Elderberry loops score the lake views and informal mooring — worth the competition during reservation windows. Most sites come with bear-proof food lockers, which you'll need since black bears frequent the area along with bobcats and mountain lions.
Scattered throughout camp are relics from the area's placer mining days, marked with interpretive signs that add some historical context to your morning coffee routine. An amphitheater hosts seasonal educational programs, though dates get posted at the campground rather than announced in advance.
What to Know
Reservations are required, and this is one of Trinity Lake's most popular campgrounds for good reason. The boat ramp and marina sit 3 miles away, but having mooring right at camp in those two lakefront loops is the real draw. Trinity Lake sits at 2,370 feet, surrounded by the Trinity Alps in what's California's largest national forest — 2.1 million acres stretching from 1,000 to over 14,000 feet.
Anglers work the lake for catfish, bass, trout, and salmon. Swimming and both motorized and non-motorized boating are popular, though the water skiing crowd gravitates here for this particular arm of the lake.
Nearby
Weaverville, the former mining town listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers restaurants, shopping, and self-guided walking tours when you need a break from the water. At $24 per night with flush toilets and drinking water, Hayward Flat delivers the full-service lakefront camping experience without the frills markup.