Public Boat Ramps at Shasta Lake

Map of Boat Ramps (94K- JPEG file)

Boat Ramp info at U.S. Forest Service website

Public Boat Ramps with Accessible Loading Platforms

Boat launching facilities info

Annual Boating Pass sales outlets ($90)

Download this document in Adobe Acrobat format (.PDF, 439K)


Antlers On the upper Sacramento River Arm adjacent to Antlers Campground. Picnicking, restrooms, fee. Exit I-5 at Antlers Road. 1/2 mile.

Bailey Cove On the lower McCloud River Arm in Bailey Cove Campground area. Picnicking, restrooms, fee. (Not recommended on summer weekends due to excessive congestion, consider using Packers Bay.) Exit I-5 at O'Brien, take Shasta Caverns Road 1 mile to Bailey Cove Road.

Centimudi Near Shasta Dam, northwest of Shasta Lake City. Restrooms, fee, picnicking nearby. (Not recommended on holiday weekends due to excessive congestion, consider using Packers Bay.) Exit I-5 at Lake Boulevard or Shasta Lake City on Shasta Dam Boulevard, take Lake or Shasta Dam Boulevard to Summit City.

Hirz Bay On the Upper McCloud River Arm adjacent to Hirz Bay Campground. Restrooms, fee. Exit I-5 at Gilman Road, 10 miles to Hirz Bay.

Jones Valley On the Pit River Arm at its confluence with the Squaw Valley Creek Arm near the Jones Valley Campground. Restrooms, fee. Exit at Oasis Road or Mountain Gate then east to Bear Mountain Road, 9 miles. (Not recommended on holidays or summer weekends due to congestion.)

Packers Bay On the Lower Pit River Arm adjacent to the Packers Bay Marina. Picnicking, restrooms, fee. Northbound traffic exit at O'Brien and join southbound 1-5 traffic. Exit at Packers Bay Road, 1 mile.

Sugarloaf On the Upper Sacramento River Arm in the Sugarloaf area of Lakehead. Fee. Services nearby. Exit I-5 at Lakeshore Drive, left 2 miles.

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Commercial Ramps

Antlers Resort On the Upper Sacramento River Arm near Lakehead. Fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store, camping, lodging and food service. Exit I-5 at Antlers Road, right 2 miles.

Bridge Bay Resort On the Pit River Arm near the Pit River Bridge. Season permit available, fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store, lodging, food service. Exit I-5 at Bridge Bay.

Digger Bay Marina Near Shasta Dam. Fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store. Exit I-5 at Shasta Lake City, take Shasta Dam Boulevard to Digger Bay Road.

Holiday Harbor On Bailey Cove off the McCloud River Arm. Fee. Boat rentals, store, moorage, camping, food service. Exit I-5 at O'Brien-Shasta Caverns Road, 1 mile.

Lakeview Marina Resort On the McCloud River Arm. Fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store, camping, lodging, food service. Exit I-5 at O'Brien-Shasta Caverns Road to Lakeview Road, 2 miles.

Shasta Marina On the O'Brien Inlet of the Sacramento River Arm. Fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store, camping, food service. Exit I-5 at O'Brien. Follow O'Brien Road for 1 mile.

Silverthorn Resort On the Pit River Arm in the Jones Valley area. Fee. Boat rentals, moorage, store, camping, food service. Exit I-5 at Oasis Road or Mountain Gate, then east to Bear Mountain Road.

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Where to launch . . .

Shasta Lake's many arms and bays and its varied terrain make the lake seem like several lakes rather than one. Launching facilities are located convenient to most areas. Both National Forest and commercial ramps are available.

The Shasta-Trinity National Forests maintain six launching facilities. Each has a paved ramp, a lighted parking area (except Hirz Bay), and restrooms. The ramps are usually open all year, however they may be closed when the parking lots fill up or lake debris causes launching to be hazardous. Centimudi Bay, Jones Valley, and Bailey Cove often fill up on Holiday Weekends. Antlers and Centimudi are most likely to have debris problems, especially in the spring months. Many of the commercially operated marinas also operate launch ramps. Services and fees vary with each marina.

When the lake levels are drawn down more than 50 feet, some ramps close. Others are moved to alternate locations. Check with the Forest Service at the Shasta Lake Information Center, (530) 275-1589, for current lake and boat ramp conditions.

LAUNCHING TIPS . . .
Prepare the boat at the loading area at the top of the ramp, and then with everyone out of the boat, slowly back down the ramp until the stern of the boat is in deep enough water to float free when it is pushed off the trailer. With someone holding the bow line, unlock the tilt latch, safety chain and winch and cast off. Push the boat off the trailer into the water.

Clear the ramp. Remember . . . other boaters may be waiting. Lock your vehicle and don't leave valuables visible inside. Parking is not permitted on the paved portions of the ramps. Vehicles left unattended may be towed away.

Courtesy docks are available at the public ramps during the summer to load passengers and any available cargo. Again, remember that ramps are often a busy place. There is a 15 minute limit on ramp use time. Boats 26 feet and longer are prohibited from tying up.

At the end of the day, when the boat is removed from the lake, be sure to secure the tie-down and check the hitch on the car. If the motor is clamped to a transom, check the clamps before starting out . . . they could have loosened from vibration while on the water.

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How lake levels affect public boat ramps

To use the chart below, you will need to know the "drawdown" of the lake. Since the "full lake" elevation is 1067', you simply subtract the current elevation from 1067' to find the drawdown. Or you can simply click here for the latest lake level and drawdown readings.


Click here for a larger version of this table