Boondocking in Northern California: Stay Limits and Permits

The short answer

On BLM land in California you can stay 14 days in any 28, then you have to move more than 25 miles away. On the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which surrounds Shasta Lake, you can camp outside developed sites for up to 15 days in any 30, and no more than 30 days total in a year. Either way, you need a free California Campfire Permit to use a campfire, barbecue or camp stove outside a developed campground.

Stay limits

The Shasta-Trinity numbers come from the forest-wide stay limits order (Forest Order 14-25-24), in effect from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2027. Check Exhibit A if you have a specific spot in mind.

BLM also doesn't allow you to leave a camp or gear unattended for more than 10 days. On both kinds of land, use existing roads and existing campsites rather than making new ones.

The California Campfire Permit

You need one for any campfire, barbecue or portable stove outside a developed campground on federal or state land. It's free, CAL FIRE issues it online, and it takes a few minutes. On private land you also need the landowner's permission.

Fire restrictions

Restrictions come and go with the season, and they can ban campfires outright, even with a permit.

• Shasta-Trinity National Forest: the 2026 fire restrictions order (14-26-07) was lifted on October 2, 2026. Orders can come back quickly in a dry fall, so check the forest's alerts and orders page the week you travel.
• BLM's Chappie-Shasta area near Shasta Dam: in 2026 the BLM's fire order (CA-360-26-01, from June 28) limited campfires to the fire pits at three campgrounds there. Check the BLM Redding office's current restrictions before you go.

Leave it better: dispersed areas get closed because of trash, human waste and illegal fire rings. Pack out everything, and dig catholes at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails.

Free and cheap camping near Shasta Lake

There isn't much true boondocking right on the lake, but there are a few ways to camp for little or nothing.

• Boat-in campgrounds, free all year: Gooseneck Cove, Ski Island, Arbuckle Flat and Greens Creek. No camping fee and no reservations. You only pay the $18 daily launch fee.
• Shoreline areas, free off season: Gregory Beach, Beehive Point and Lower Salt Creek on the Sacramento Arm, and the Jones Valley Inlet areas on the Pit River Arm. They charge $17 a night in season. Beehive Point, Lower Salt Creek and Jones Valley Inlet are free from about mid-September to mid-May, when toilets and trash pickup stop; Gregory Beach's own pages disagree on whether its fee stops. One Forest Service page says camping below the high-water mark at Jones Valley Inlet isn't allowed from November 1 to March 1, so call 530-275-1587 before a winter trip.
• Chirpchatter: a small, free, first-come campground east of the lake. It has no lake access and mostly draws OHV riders and hunters. Chirpchatter details
• [Chappie-Shasta OHV Area](/campground/shasta-dam-chappie-shasta), below Shasta Dam: this is BLM land, and the BLM publishes no dispersed camping policy for it. Its developed Shasta Campground has 27 sites for $20 a night.

What to bring

• Water: carry all you'll need, plus a filter as backup.
• Power: a portable power station and a solar panel cover lights, fans, phones and a CPAP. See our RV power guide.
• A headlamp for setting up after dark.
• Alerts: sign up for free weather and wildfire alerts for the area you're camping in.

Sources: Shasta-Trinity National Forest orders 14-25-24 and 14-26-07, BLM California camping rules and fire order CA-360-26-01, and CAL FIRE, checked October 3, 2026.