Camping at Fowlers Campground on the McCloud River, California

Looking for more fun things to do during your stay at Fowlers Campground?
Go for a swim at Lower Falls, then hike to Middle and Upper Falls for more waterfall adventures.

AMENITIES

• Vault toilets
• Drinkable water, with spigots placed throughout the campground
• Picnic tables and fire rings at every campsite
• Bear lockers at every campsite – please store all food and scented items in the lockers
• Paved parking pads
• NO showers
• NO electrical or water hook-ups
• Dead wood can be gathered to use as firewood, or firewood can be purchased from the camp host or in McCloud — please verify that fires are allowed first
• Camp host on duty in the high season

ABOUT THE SITES

• Fowlers Campground offers 39 campsites.
• Campsites cost $15 per night. Double sites cost $30.
• Fowlers Campground is open from mid-May through mid-October. Additionally, the campground may be open for a few more weeks on either end for first-come, first-served camping only.
• Sites vary in size, but most are large, with ample space between sites. If you are traveling with an RV or trailer, check the site description when reserving to be sure it will accommodate your needs.
• Most campsites are shady, but may receive some direct sunlight. Pick a partially shaded site if you plan to use solar panels.

• Our site was #30B, located at the far end of the B loop. It’s a spacious site, close to the trails to Lower and Middle Falls. Even with its proximity to the trail, we didn’t have issues with too many people passing by. There was enough sunlight for us to keep our trailer battery fully charged using our solar panels, and a few good spots to hang the hammock. We would happily book this site again.
• Please keep your campsite “crumb clean”! Keep the bears away from Fowlers Campground by storing all food and scented items in your bear locker (not out in the open, in tents, or even in your car) and making sure all garbage and recycling goes into the bear-proof bins placed around the campground. Keeping a clean, crumb-free site protects you, your fellow campers, and the bears.

FUN STUFF

• Take a hike! The trail to Lower, Middle, and Upper McCloud Falls passes right through Fowlers Campground. This is a beautiful short hike, and camping at Fowlers makes it easy to get an early start to beat the crowds. Lower and Middle Falls are especially popular, but since there are day use parking lots near each waterfall, many people go straight to the falls rather than hike from the campground.
• Swim and play at Lower Falls! Is there a better way to spend the day? Our family spent a full day hanging out near Lower Falls, and it was amazing. It’s about a ten minute walk along the trail from the campground to the waterfall. There’s also a day use parking lot, restroom, and picnic area near the falls.
• Go fishing! The McCloud River is periodically stocked with trout near Lower Falls. Be sure to follow all posted fishing regulations, and please don’t clean your fish in the river — the swimmers will thank you.

NEARBY & NOTABLE

• Lake Siskiyou is an outdoor recreation hub for the region. Swim, kayak, boat, hike, or fish — there’s so much to do around this beautiful reservoir. We spent an afternoon here swimming, relaxing on the shore, and taking the kayak out for a spin. There are numerous day use areas on the lake, as well as a large campground, Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort.
• Mount Shasta is the name of both the second-tallest peak in the Cascade Mountains, and the small town nestled near the mountain’s base. The area around Mount Shasta offers a plethora of year-round outdoor pursuits, too many to name here. The town is also a great place to stop for a meal while on the road. We highly recommend the burgers at Yaks Shack.
• Sojourn Coffee in the small town of McCloud is another great option, located only 10 minutes from Fowlers Campground.
• Burney Falls is considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in California. Situated in lovely McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, the area is home to a number of trails, campgrounds, and Lake Britton. It’s a 40-minute drive from Fowlers Campground. Burney Falls is hugely popular, so go in the early morning to avoid crowds.
• Lassen Volcanic National Park is an hour and a half from Fowlers Campground. While Lassen is a worthy destination in and of itself, you can see the highlights on a day trip. Or, to make the most of a longer trip to this region, plan to camp at both Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park and Fowlers Campground.

THE VERDICT

Fowlers Campground is a wonderful place to camp in Northern California. While the campground doesn’t offer many amenities — no flush toilets, showers, or electrical or water hook-ups — it’s well kept, campsites are large and accommodating, and it’s flat-out gorgeous. With Lower Falls just ten minutes down the trail on the McCloud River, it’s easy to while the day away here without ever having to set foot in your car. Head in the opposite direction to hike to Middle and Upper Falls for another fun outing.

Understandably, such a lovely spot is bound to be popular. This means reserving in advance in crucial, unless you plan to arrive early enough on a weekday to snag one of the eight first-come, first-served sites. This also means that the nearby day use areas, particularly Lower Falls and Middle Falls, can be crowded. Luckily, if you’re camping at Fowlers, you can head out early or late in the day to avoid the busy times. The crowds ebb and flow, and it’s usually not difficult to find a place of your own to stretch out and relax.

We found the campsites at Fowlers to be exceptionally neat and tidy. Picnic tables and fire rings were in good condition, and the paving around both the fire ring and parking pad really helped keep the dust down. The vault toilets were, well, vault toilets. There’s no getting around the fact that they smell! But the stalls were clean and I’ve experienced far smellier toilets; these were better than many.

The campground was wonderfully quiet at night, but this may have been partly due to the fact that there were several vacant sites near us. Our last night turned noisy when several RVs arrived and claimed the empty sites. Suddenly, the sound of generators filled the air. It was a bit of shock after our previous peaceful evenings, but thankfully they shut down before 10pm. On the whole, our stay at Fowlers was a hit with the whole family, and we would return in a heartbeat.

Since visiting Burney Falls the previous summer, I was eager to return to the beautiful Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Fowlers Campground stood out in particular, with its appealing setting near Lower Falls on the McCloud River. So, when it came time to plan our trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, I didn’t hesitate to include a stay at Fowlers on the return trip. Six months in advance, I booked our site.

As usual, we arrived late to the campground, setting up as twilight turned to night. The next morning we settled in and surveyed the beauty around us. Not far beyond the edge of the site, the McCloud River sparkled at the bottom of a steep ravine. A trail wound through the campground, leading from our site to the stunning swimming hole at Lower Falls. On the other side of our site, a simple sign pointed toward Middle Falls. We often saw deer in this area, grazing only steps away from the trail.

They kids made fast friends with another boy staying next door. Soon, they were happily kicking the soccer ball back and forth between our two sites. On our first day, we spent the afternoon together at Lower Falls, where the older boys leapt from the rocky ledge above the waterfall into the emerald green pool below.

Afterwards, they hunted for fish in the clear waters above the falls, hoping to catch one with their bare hands. The fun continued the next day when we joined our camp neighbors for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing at Lake Siskiyou, followed by dinner together in Mount Shasta. Ahhh, this was the life!

With so much fun to be had, camp chores were a breeze. Even with only a three-night stay, our campsite soon felt like home sweet home-away-from-home. With no big daily agenda to consume our time, it was the perfect way to end our two week camping trip.

Of course, all this play can be tiring, too. On our second night, the boys had barely enough energy to roast hot dogs and marshmallows after a full day of swimming. Here in our quiet corner of the campground, we all slept very, very well.

We were a little sad to see our time at Fowlers Campground come to an end, although by this time we were also looking forward to returning to Oregon to visit family before heading home to Seattle. We bid a fond farewell to our campsite and friendly camp neighbors, and stopped by Clearwater Coffee & Kitchen for a leisurely breakfast. Soon, we were headed north on I-5 toward the Oregon border, fueled by happy memories of a beautiful trip.