Ellery Creek Campground - Lakehead, CA
Ellery Creek Campground in Lakehead, CA, offers a peaceful and pet-friendly outdoor experience perfect for dog owners looking for a quiet getaway. This campground features essential amenities such as public restrooms, running water, and onsite parking, making it convenient for families and pet owners alike. The area is known for its beautiful scenery with large trees and lake views, providing a serene setting for dog-friendly hiking and pet-friendly trails.
While the campground is smaller and less crowded, it offers a mix of shaded and sunny spots, ideal for those seeking privacy and a natural environment for their pets. Visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere and the attentive community of dog owners who keep their pets under close control. However, pet owners should be cautious of local wildlife like snakes and poison oak in some areas. Overall, Ellery Creek Campground is a great choice for those wanting a dog park experience combined with camping and nature exploration near Lakehead, CA.
FAQ for Ellery Creek Campground in Lakehead California:
- Is there shade or shelter available? Yes, there is some shade available early afternoon on the sites and enough shade from the trees around.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, the campground has public restrooms with vault style toilets. No running water in restrooms.
- Are dogs allowed at the campground? Yes, the campground is dog-friendly with owners generally attentive to their dogs, keeping them under close control.
- Is there onsite parking? Yes, there is onsite parking available at Ellery Creek Campground.
- Is the area good for kids? Yes, it is noted as good for kids and family camping; however, caution is advised due to poison oak, thorn bushes, and snakes near the water.
- Is there running water available? Yes, running water is available at the campground but not in the restrooms themselves.
- Are camping fees required? Yes, payments for camping fees are required.
- Are there safety concerns at this campground? Yes, visitors should be cautious of poison oak, thorn bushes, and snakes especially near the water area.
- What is the access like to the water? Access to the water can be difficult with a steep 100+ yard hike down to the rocky or muddy shore, and water levels can vary significantly.
- Are there electrical hookups? Yes, some sites offer water and electricity hookups.
Reviews
This is smaller grounds = less crowds. Shade hits very early afternoon on the sites; some shady most of the day. There were some nice spots, but several of them (13-18) are on a long paved lot. It is level, but there is no privacy. And they are not setup for RV camping as the one-way road has your door facing the lake and everyone who walks by. I turned around and came in against the one-way to try and get some privacy. Depending on lake levels, the water could be close (150ft), but on a very rocky shore, or 300ft+ down a steep embankment with muddy shores. BYO shade. Sites 13-18 are not well marked in the day and impossible at night. We had the firepit for ours and another’s nearby and our table was directly on the border to the next site. Again, I enjoy my privacy while camping. The scenery is beautiful! The road in from I-5 is quite twisty, but easy enough pulling our 17ft TT. Maybe McCloud Bridge CG is one to consider, but it’s FCFS and it’s more on the river than the lake, so water temps could be colder. We had fun, but I don’t see us returning.
Made reservations. Site was gross. Cigarettes butts everywhere (and not just a few), used toilet paper next to the picnic table in our site. Poison oak and thorn bushes up to and on the tent pad. No reasonable access to the lake unless the lake is full. Super steep 100+ yards down to the water and the water was a swampland. POTENTIAL IS THERE but we were not impressed this time. Not recommend if you have kids or pets due to the amount of poison oak and thorn bushes.
Very pleasant camping experience. We haven’t tent-camped in over 20 years, but thought it would be fun to try again. The site was lovely with beautiful large trees and views of the water. Gorgeous sunset! We chose water and electricity. Both were conveniently located. The neighbors were quiet and friendly. The restrooms/showers were great! It got pretty cold overnight, but we plugged in a little electric heater and were cozy in our tent. Dog-friendly. Everyone seemed attentive to their dogs and kept them under close control.
We really love coming here. The place is so quiet. No rangers or camp host to bother us. The water is really low. It was a pain to hike up and down but we really enjoyed it there. Be careful with snakes. My son spotted one right by the water.
Beautiful and almost empty campground! This view in the pictures is from the campsite – #17. No running water in restrooms – vault style. Mosquitoes, insects, spiders were all a real problem especially on the campsites that weren’t on the main view/road next to the river. No connectivity – which is the best part. Getting to the water is a bit of a hike as it has dried out quite a bit. A lot of people seemed to have made bookings but never showed up. Can get very hot but there’s enough shade from the trees.