Trinity River Campground sits on the banks of Trinity River with seven primitive sites that back in around 16 feet. This is bare-bones camping: vault toilets, no water, and first-come-first-serve only — you pay when you arrive and occupy the site that same day.
Campground Details
- ⛺Type
- Primitive
- 💵Fee per Night
- Free
- 📍GPS
- 41.10878, -122.70462
- 🐾Pets Allowed
- No
- 🗺️Address
- CA
The Camp
Each of the seven sites comes with a picnic table and fire ring topped with a grill. The campground runs along Trinity River in a primitive setting where you'll need to bring your own water and be prepared for basic facilities. Sites average 16 feet of back-in space, suitable for smaller RVs or tent camping.
What to Know
This is strictly first-come-first-serve territory. You must physically be at the campground to claim and pay for a site, and you need to occupy it the day you pay — no advance payments allowed. Payment options include the recreation.gov app's Scan & Pay feature or the on-site iron ranger that accepts cash and checks.
Nearby
Trinity Lake sits about 18 miles away with a public boat ramp at Bowerman (water levels permitting). The lake spans 145 miles of shoreline at 2,387 feet elevation, making it one of California's largest reservoirs. Fishing runs the gamut from bass near the dredger piles at the lake's head to trout throughout the water body. Spring fishing from March through June offers the best shoreline bass action, while trout stay near tributary mouths during summer months. The lake holds smallmouth and largemouth bass, rainbow trout, catfish, kokanee salmon, and Chinook salmon.
The reservoir's three arms — Papose, Buckeye, and Stuart Fork — create varied water conditions. Quiet coves work well for fishing or waterside picnics, while the main body provides space for wakeboarding and tubing.