McCloud Arm campgrounds and boat ramps

Shasta Lake

The McCloud Arm is the long, narrow arm that runs north from O'Brien toward the McCloud River, between steep forested slopes and limestone cliffs. One road, Gilman Road, follows it from I-5, and most of the campgrounds hang off that road: Hirz Bay, a run of group camps, Ellery Creek, Pine Point and McCloud Bridge at the far end. It's quieter and farther from the freeway than the Sacramento Arm, and it holds most of the lake's group campgrounds.

Right now

Lake level 980.7 ft (53.5% of capacity), read 2 hours ago · California Data Exchange Center (gauge SHA).

Hirz BayOpen2 of 3 lanes
Bailey CoveClosed0 of 2 lanes

Of the 11 campgrounds on this arm: Open now: 5. Closed for the season: 5. Closed: 1.

What it's like

Hirz Bay is the anchor: a 46-site campground with two group camps next door and the arm's working public ramp, about nine miles up Gilman Road. Past it the road keeps going to Dekkas Rock and Moore Creek, then Ellery Creek, Pine Point and McCloud Bridge, 17 to 20 miles from the freeway with no cell service at the end. Up there the McCloud River still runs when the lake is drawn down.

At the lower end, near O'Brien, Holiday Harbor has full-hookup RV sites from April through October, and Lake Shasta Caverns runs its tours across the water. Bailey Cove, the other public ramp and campground on this end, is closed by Forest Order 14-25-11 through December 31, 2026 while two failed culverts on Bailey Cove Road are replaced.

Greens Creek, the only boat-in camp on the arm, has a trail you can reach only by boat. It climbs 1,230 feet to limestone formations on the ridge.

Launching here

Hirz Bay works down to 972 feet, with three lanes above 992 feet and two below. When the lake drops below 972 feet, the McCloud Arm has no usable public ramp; launch at Packers Bay, Jones Valley or Centimudi instead and run up the lake.

Campgrounds on the McCloud Arm

Campgrounds on the McCloud Arm, numbered as on the map
#	Campground	Type	Sites	Max rig	Hookups	Booking	Status
1	McCloud Bridge Campground	Tent & RV	14	35 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	First come, first served	Apr 1 – Oct 31
2	Pine Point Campground	Group site · Tent & RV	15	24 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed for the season
3	Ellery Creek Campground	Tent & RV	19	40 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed for the season
4	Moore Creek Campground	Group site · Tent & RV	13	16 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed for the season
5	Dekkas Rock Group Campground	Group site · Tent & RV	1	16 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Open year-round
6	Hirz Bay 1 Group Campground	Group site · Tent & RV	1	30 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed for the season
7	Hirz Bay Campground	Tent & RV	46	50 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Open year-round
8	Hirz Bay 2 Group Campground	Group site · Tent & RV	1	30 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed for the season
9	Greens Creek Boat-In Campground	Tent only · Boat-in	7	Not published	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Not reservable	Open year-round
10	Holiday Harbor Resort & Marina	Tent & RV	27	Not published	Full Hookups (50/30A)	Direct with the operator	Apr 1 – Oct 31
11	Bailey Cove Campground	Tent & RV	7	45 ft	Dry Camping (no hookups)	Recreation.gov	Closed

Numbers match the map above.

Boat ramps on the McCloud Arm

Hirz BayOpen

The lake is at 980.7 ft, 8.7 ft above this ramp's 972 ft floor. 2 of 3 lanes are usable at this level. That's close to the floor, so read the posted notices before you tow.

Ramp page

Bailey CoveClosed

Closed by agency order through December 31, 2026. Closed by USFS Forest Order 14-25-11: Bailey Cove Road (Forest Road No. 34N40Y) is closed from Shasta Caverns Road to the boat ramp because the area is undergoing construction from two failed culverts. Contact (530) 226-2500.

Ramp page

Who it suits

Groups: Hirz Bay's two group camps (up to 80 and 120 people), Dekkas Rock, Moore Creek and Pine Point.
Quiet: everything from Hirz Bay north is well away from I-5.
A big rig without hookups: Hirz Bay's site 9 is a 50 ft pull-through double.
Hikers who boat: the Greens Creek Trail starts at a boat-in camp.

Not the best pick for: Late-season boaters. Once the lake is below 972 ft there's no public ramp on this arm until the water comes back up.

Getting there

I-5 exit 698 (Salt Creek/Gilman Road), then east on Gilman Road: about nine miles to the Hirz Bay ramp and 17 to 20 miles to McCloud Bridge. For Holiday Harbor and Lake Shasta Caverns, take exit 695 at O'Brien.

Questions people ask

Which campgrounds are on the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake?

Hirz Bay, Hirz Bay 1 and 2 Group, Dekkas Rock Group, Moore Creek, Ellery Creek, Pine Point, McCloud Bridge, Greens Creek (boat-in), Bailey Cove (closed through Dec 31, 2026) and the private Holiday Harbor Resort.

Where is the boat ramp on the McCloud Arm?

Hirz Bay, about nine miles up Gilman Road from I-5 exit 698, usable down to 972 ft. Bailey Cove near O'Brien is closed by Forest Order 14-25-11 through December 31, 2026.

Is there cell service on the McCloud Arm?

Not at the upper end. McCloud Bridge is a 17 to 20 mile drive from I-5 with no cell service, so check conditions before you leave the freeway.

Can you bring a big RV to the McCloud Arm?

To a few sites. Hirz Bay's site 9 takes 50 ft and Ellery Creek has three 40 ft sites in summer. Holiday Harbor has full hookups but doesn't publish a rig limit. Most other sites up the arm suit smaller rigs.

What's the difference between the McCloud and Sacramento arms?

The Sacramento Arm runs along I-5 at Lakehead: easy to reach, busy, with five full-hookup RV parks. The McCloud Arm is up one road, quieter, with more group camps, fewer services and only one working public ramp.