Oak Bottom Campground

This is just a note to confirm we stopped by to check this fave place of ours (but without staying – we were heading for somewhere else nearby) and it seemed OPEN and running as normal (following 2018 forest fires that closed it previously). We saw no signs indicating otherwise. There was one lone RV parked in the regular huge ‘Car Park / camping area’; the dump and water station looked OK with new padlock on the dump; I assume the store for the padlock key access is running OK. There were well-serviced Portaloo toilet kiosks next to the toilet block, not sure if in addition to or instead of the toilet block. Of course the whole area comprises many burned-black trees but many green bushes have sprung up already so it's not totally dead, and, nice to know this handy campsite is not ‘closed’.

We love this handy place, an ideal stop-over between the coast (where we live) and Redding and all points inland. With all due respect to previous reviewer John & BJ, it sounds like they were RV-camping in the wrong place, a regular car park down near the water and trails. (No wonder they had trouble fitting!) True, the place takes a little while to figure out. As you drive in from the 299 and pass the campground store and fire station on the left, (drive straight on for the dump on your right), it’s best for RV’s to turn left, then drive clockwise around the huge car park as if heading for the actual marina, but turn right (by a toilet block) to enter the proper RV camping area – north east of and lying alongside the main boat-ramp car-park but separated by a long grass strip (see satellite view). It has 16 diagonal parallel camping spots, each adequately 2-vehicles-wide. OK, it’s only a slightly-sloping 'boring tarmac car park', lacking picnic tables and fire rings, but we find it fine for self-sufficient RV’s; you can get a glimpse of the lake down across the boating ramp (though they’ve planted new trees along the grass strip, that will reduce the view) and it’s best to park away from other RV’s – there can be one who might run music or a generator – but usually the RV park has only 2-5 RV’s, and the car park near-empty.
Most of all, it’s FREE if you have a Parks Pass (Annual, or Senior – we’ve been here twice now!) - including the dump (with drinking water too) - get a key from the store, but it was unlocked anyway last time we were there, Oct 2015.
This is far better than Walmart!!