Exploring Hirz Bay Group 1 Campground Near Lakehead, CA: What to Know Before You Go

Hirz Bay Group 1 Introduce

For those searching for "camping near me" in the Shasta Lake area of Northern California, Hirz Bay Group 1 Campground, located on Hirz Bay Rd, Lakehead, CA 96051, presents a group camping option. You can reach them at (530) 275-8113 or +1 530-275-8113 for inquiries. However, publicly available reviews indicate that while the location offers some natural appeal, potential visitors should be aware of significant issues reported by previous campers, particularly concerning wildlife encounters and limited or poorly maintained amenities.

One detailed review from a group of experienced campers recounts a stay that was ultimately cut short due to persistent bear activity and concerns about the campground's infrastructure. The group, which included three boats, an RV trailer, and several additional vehicles, found the parking situation to be "extremely tight," suggesting limited space for larger groups with multiple vehicles and equipment. While the campsite itself was described as "decent" but not meeting expectations based on the reservation website, the major issues encountered revolved around bear encounters and inadequate facilities for managing trash and food safely.

The review highlights that the on-site trash bin was "extremely small," deemed suitable for only about two days of waste for a single family, and was easily breached by bears. This forced the group to dispose of their trash bags daily at the boat launch, indicating an inconvenience and a potential attraction for wildlife within the campground. Furthermore, the trash bin was reportedly emptied only once during their four-night stay, exacerbating the issue of waste management.

A malfunctioning sink with a busted pipe underneath, causing water to drain into the surrounding area, is another maintenance concern raised by the reviewer. Additionally, the walk to the water was described as a "haul," with the distance likely varying based on the water levels of Shasta Lake and the time of year. The reviewer also noted a significant amount of trash scattered around the campsite, likely attributed to bears accessing waste from various campsites, which detracted from the natural environment despite their efforts to clean up what they could.

The issue of bear safety is a central theme in this review. The campground reportedly had only two bear boxes available for a group site, and both had broken locks. One box was also dented, preventing it from closing properly. The group had to use heavy-duty ratchet straps to secure the boxes, expressing disappointment at the lack of proper, functional amenities for bear deterrence. Their own food storage efforts, including using a Yeti ice chest, were challenged by the persistent bear, which managed to open the chest on the first night (possibly due to not being fully latched) and later ripped off tabs in subsequent attempts to access it, even when tied down and eventually padlocked. The bear was described as "relentless," with nightly encounters starting around dusk, necessitating a constant "bear duty" among the campers.

To mitigate the lack of secure bear boxes for their group's food and trash, the reviewers had to resort to locking additional ice chests and trash bags in one of the bathrooms. While yelling and loud noises would temporarily scare the bear away, it would return within 30 minutes. The group even noticed bear prints on their boats and vehicles, indicating the bear's frequent presence within their campsite.

Ultimately, this group of experienced campers concluded that while the site had potential, they would not return due to the serious need for repairs and proper bear-resistant infrastructure. Their experience underscores the importance of adequate amenities and safety measures in areas with active wildlife.

Other, briefer reviews echo some of these concerns. One mentions "lots of shade, poison oak, mosquito in the evening," highlighting potential environmental hazards that campers should be aware of. Another notes that "the campground itself is at a slop," which could make finding level ground for tents challenging in some areas. The steep, approximately 10-minute walk down through the woods to the lake is also mentioned, with the alternative of driving to the boat launch for swimming, indicating that direct, easy lake access from the campsites may be limited.

One final review gives the campground a 3-star rating, primarily due to a bear that frequented the campsite during both the afternoon and evening, leading the campers to leave early for safety reasons. This again emphasizes the significant issue of bear activity at Hirz Bay Group 1.

In summary, while Hirz Bay Group 1 Campground near Lakehead, CA, may offer a shaded environment and access to Shasta Lake (albeit with a potentially steep walk), the publicly available reviews raise serious concerns about bear activity and inadequate or poorly maintained amenities, particularly regarding trash disposal and secure food storage. Potential visitors should be aware of these issues and come prepared to manage wildlife encounters and potential inconveniences. The lack of proper bear-resistant facilities appears to be a major drawback, and the limited parking for large groups with multiple vehicles could also be a significant factor for some.

For local users searching for "camping near me" on Shasta Lake, Hirz Bay Group 1 Campground warrants careful consideration of the reported challenges. While the natural setting may be appealing, the persistent bear issues and the state of the amenities, as described by multiple reviewers, suggest that this campground may not provide a comfortable or safe experience without significant preparedness and caution. Potential campers are strongly advised to inquire directly with the managing authority about the current status of bear safety measures, trash disposal, and other amenities before making a reservation. Exploring alternative campgrounds in the Shasta Lake area might be prudent for those seeking a more secure and well-equipped camping experience.

Hirz Bay Group 1 Photos

Hirz Bay Group 1 Location

Hirz Bay Group 1

Hirz Bay Rd, Lakehead, CA 96051, USA

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Hirz Bay Group 1 Reviews

The site was decent, but not what we were expecting based on the information on the reservation website. It worked for this trip, however we have no interest in staying at this site again. Our group has a lot of experienced campers and we encountered some major issues throughout our stay. Our group had 3 boats, 1 RV trailer, and 3-4 additional vehicles which made for an extremely tight fit in the parking lot. We stayed here 4 nights recently, it was supposed to be 5 nights but we chose to leave early because of issues with a very persistent bear. The trash bin on site is extremely small, it could accommodate one family for maybe 2 days, and the bear was able to break into it easily. We had to throw out our trash bags each day at the launch ramp. The trash bin on site was emptied once during our stay. The sink worked, however one of the pipes below was busted so all the water drained out into the surrounding area. Walking to the water was a haul, which would really depend on water levels and time of year you visit. I have never seen a site have so much trash around it, likely from the bear taking things away from the various camp sites. We picked up what we could when we saw it, but it was disappointing.BEAR ISSUES: There were only two bear boxes on site, both of which had broken locks. One of the boxes couldn't shut all the way because of dents. We were able to use heavy duty ratchet straps to keep it closed, but it was disappointing to not have the proper amenities available to resist the bear attempts. The bear opened our yeti ice chest the first night (in retrospect we likely didn't have it fully shut accidentally by one of our young kids) after that we tied it down to the bear box. The 3rd night the bear ripped the tabs off the ice chest and came close to pulling it out of the ratchet straps. We added some padlocks to the ice chest which helped it stay shut, but the bear kept attempting to open it. The bear was relentless and we had encounters with it every single night, starting around dusk, and had someone on bear duty each night. We closed up all our food and drinks around that time to deter it as much as possible, but it continued to come back. The nights that there were people in the single sites close by we didn't have as much issue with the bear, likely because it was terrorizing them and not us. Due to the lack of bear boxes for this size site, we had to lock our additional ice chests and trash bags in one of the bathrooms. Thankfully the bear would scamper away when we yelled and made loud noises, but it would come back within 30min. We noticed bear prints on the sides of our boats and on truck doors.Overall the site has potential but we have no interest in returning. It is in serious need of repair to have the proper setup to protect food from the bear getting it.
Jul 30, 2024 · Kenya Desautels
This place has lots of shade,poison oak, mosquito in the evening.The campground itself is at a slop, some area are ok for tent.Could walk down thru the wood to the lake but its a steep downhill; About 10 min walk. Could also drive to the boat launch to swim.I gave this place a 3 stars because we had a bear that came on the campground in the afternoon, chase it away and than it came back in evening. We ended going home early, just wanna be safe than sorry.
Jul 04, 2023 · Koy Saetern
This is a really nice campground with a lot of different spots large and small to choose from. Nice outhouses and picnic tables too
May 27, 2019 · Wez So_N_So
There is a pair of bears that pillage through the camp site every night, not a safe situation for tent camping. The forest service is aware but will not relocate them or take any counter measures. They have figured out how to open the "bear proof" trash cans and regularly spread the garbage around. The whole area is also covered in large amounts of poison oak so be prepared for that. The group site is large and secluded, would be a nice campground but for the robber bears and the poison oak.
Jul 05, 2019 · Strasser Justin
Stayed from a Friday night through a Monday morning.One of the bear lockers was broken - and, Yes, we did see a bear. But no actual bear damage.Somewhere it was claimed that the parking lot held 25 cars. A reviewer stated that the lot was huge. Not true. Especially if some of the vehicles are trucks and some are towing boat trailers, etc. Having said that, we had two RV's in our group and were able to park them plus about eight more cars and trucks.Somewhere it was claimed that this site accommodates up to 125 people. That would be quite a crowd. The site is big but 125 would be way too many. We had about 50 people and all the good tent locations were taken.The trash bin was a problem. It was not big enough for trash from about 50 people and that includes some of the guys with pickup trucks taking large trash bags. Sunday night, after seeing a bear, we had to go through the trash and compress as much as possible just so anything with a scent would fit in the small bin. Trash was picked up Saturday, but not Sunday.Pit toilets were not bad. They weren't too smelly. Some (there were six) were better than others. They were cleaned Saturday. Not Sunday.The lake looked to be about 50' below the high-water line. It was higher than what you see on Google Satelite view. It was about 26 feet below this year's height of 1,054.8 feet. The lake was about 1/4 mile away up a hill. There is a path down to the lake which is treacherous in a couple places. Walking along the formerly under water shore was a little uncomfortable since it was mostly sloped towards the water. Very rocky making footing difficult in some places.I'd deduct a couple of stars for the deficiencies.The good points;1. Huge fire pit2. Very good double bowl deep sink for washing dishes (drain broken but still functional)3. Two steel stoves (one with a broken top)4. Two BBQ grills5. Two bear lockers (one broken)6. Bear proof trash bin (not big enough)7. Paved fairly level parking lotThe road to the site was windy and of course hilly. The road climbs to a ridge from I-5 and then descends back down to the lake. I did it in a 29' RV. It's slow going but definitely doable. Although Google maps shows a lot of possible turns or places to make a wrong turn, most of those other roads were more like paths. Many had gates across them. It would be hard to get lost. The last couple of miles are about 1-1/2 lanes wide. Not really wide enough for an RV and another car without being careful.
Mar 08, 2021 · Jeff Kendall