Hirz Bay

First I’ll start with the pros - the campground was very quiet we went camping for 5 days and we were the only ones (kind of scary at times). The bathroom were well kept and clean. The campsites were spaced out and walking distances to the lake. We had 90-100 degree weather so the lake was the place to be.
Cons- when I called the ranger office they said a host would be on site. We never saw any park host or ranger. The campground felt lonely with no one around( not use to it ). There was definitely bear activity every night, and saw 2 rattle snakes. The campsite had a lot of dead leafs which made it had to tell when snakes were hiding. Also ALOT of poison oak everywhere. The bear box’s needs some updating was really hard to lock up food and bears kept coming back every night and car alarms didn’t scare it away. Some campsites didn’t have shade we had to change sites.
Overall, we liked it but we just aren’t use to being completely lonely. Definitely thinking about trying in again but maybe in may or June because it was really hot if you weren’t in the water. It was also nice to see a pack of deers walking around.

Very nice campground with sites set a a decent distance from each other.

First the positives - We stayed for two weeks and enjoyed the clean campgrounds, much better management than last year. Trash picked up from the trash cans regularly and bathrooms were stocked on schedule. Weekdays were quiet and peaceful. We used the nearby boat ramp almost every day. There are bears and it is a good practice to keep bear spray with you always. We did have 6 out of the 14 days that the days hit above 100 degrees. The only place to be during the hot hours is out on the lake. The rest of the days were wonderful in the low 90's and drop down to the low 60's at night. Last year we did the Shasta Caverns which is great. Great scenery and the nighttime star show is fantastic.
Come prepared and read the rules and bulletins at the entrance. DO NOT leave trash bags outside or near the outside bear trash cans. The bears will rip it the trash apart and spread it all over. Leave bags inside the bathroom if the trash cans are full or pack it out. Do not leave anything with a scent outside during the evening. Leave your campsite cleaner than when you arrive. Don't leave trash in the fire pit!!
The negatives - People who are not campers but come to party and ignore the quiet hours (10pm - 6am). We had some people directly across from us getting drunk, playing loud music, yelling and really destroying the wonderful camping experience. Don't run generators all night and keep your dogs quiet and on a leash. Seriously folks, be considerate of your camping neighbors. Keep the music to reasonable levels and turn it off at 10pm.

Great views from this campsite of the lake.

Great campground right near the lake. The facilities are nice and the area is beautiful.

I enjoy Hirz Bay campground especially in May. Mostly one avoids the scorching summer heat. I have camped on the Sacramento, Pit, Squaw Creek, and McCloud arms of the lake. They each have their own personality. Hirz Bay campground is far enough away from the noise of the Union Pacific Railroad and Interstate five, so one enjoys relative quiet. Well, there are those loud weekend parties to deal with, but that is an acceptable part of camping, and our trailer is sound insulated. I have also spent time camping at the McCloud Bridge campground: also quite.
Hirz Bay campground is well maintained. The staff is efficient and friendly.

This year (2024) the campground was regularly attended by a pesky adolescent bear. It did some minor damage to a pickup and torn up some tents. As far as I know, the bear only went after food that was not in a bear box or otherwise well protected. The bear visited one family who had a small child in a tent. A bear and a toddler is not a good combination. There is plenty of information provided by camp officials about bears and food. I guess people have to learn the hard way.

It was all so promising.. Driving into the campsite up Gilman was beautiful. The bathroom was clean & our Campsite (#35) was set beautifully against the lake. We had no lake access but the view was nice. We camped on the lower level of the site because it was more private & had great views. We set up camp, made a fire, & cooked a great dinner. Finished with toasted marshmallows around the fire for a while after sunset. While closing up camp & heading to the bear proof garbage cans I heard something large moving in the brush, I couldn't see anything with my headlamp. We put all the food in the alleged bear proof locker, put out the fire, & headed down the slope to our camp. After getting into the tent, less than a half hour later we hear a chain clanking much like the chain to the bear locker. Naively we assumed that noise was our neighbors securing their bear locker, we later found out how wrong we were. Next we hear something very large running & stumbling down the slope near our camp, the bear was very large & carried our medium sized cooler in its mouth, making it look tiny in comparison. The bear was about 400 pounds & about 5 yards from our tent. We could hear its panting. My partner and I decided to stay the night, and perhaps that was foolish. The bear came back to the bear locker two to three times, & sniffed near our tent. There were also so many other creatures we couldn't see but could hear scurrying around the tent too. Moments after sunrise we looked at the damage, the bear had eaten $120 of groceries. Yogi bear ate well that night, haha. That bear was pretty clean despite it all. the peanut butter container & pyrex of salad dressing was licked clean and intact save for a large puncture in the lids. We packed up camp & high tailed it outta there.
Key take awayS: The Bear lockers don't work, store your food in the car. There will be bears. Most people camp in vehicles. Tent camping felt vulnerable. signage was insufficient. stayed only 1 of our 3 days.

Partied with the bears

I think the location is great. I loved the fairly flat parking and it’s a big site! (037). I stayed on a Monday for the one night. As I drove the one way road to my spot I noticed all the trash was overflowing and people are lazy and obviously didn’t care but I also knew that no one was going to pick it. Well, the bears came about 2am. Of course. Maybe you guys are understaffed. Probably. I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know.

Great place to visit! The campsites are large, spread out nicely and very well kept. The bathrooms could use a bit more attention, quiet hours are not enforced so if you're sensitive to noise try going during the week when there are less people. Beach access is just okay but probably only because the lake was FULL when we were there.