The Perfect 3-Day Shasta Lake RV Itinerary (With Boat Days)
A tested Friday-to-Sunday plan: where to stage, when to launch, which cove to swim, and how to beat the Sunday ramp line.
Dana WhitfieldBoat captain & Shasta ramp watcherJuly 8, 2026 8 min read
Day 1 — Friday: arrive early, launch late
Roll into Antlers or Hirz Bay before 2pm. Set up, then take the boat out at 5pm when the wind lays down and the ski crowd is heading to dinner.
Evening
Sunset run up the McCloud Arm. The limestone walls glow, and the water is glass.
Day 2 — Saturday: the long water day
Pack the cooler at dawn. Head for the coves past Dekkas Rock, swim, then hit the Silverthorn pizza barge mid-afternoon before the dinner rush.
Beat the line: Sunday pull-out between 10am and 11am. Everyone else queues at 1pm and burns an hour idling in the sun.
Day 3 — Sunday: caverns and out
Book the 9am Lake Shasta Caverns tour, be back at camp by noon, and be on I-5 before the Bay Area convoy stacks up at Redding.
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Campgrounds mentioned in this guide
Antlers Campground
Sacramento Arm · Max 40 ft · Dry Camping (No Hookups)
Jones Valley Campground
Pit River Arm · Max 36 ft · Dry Camping (No Hookups)