Mary Smith Campground

There was extreme smoke due to nearby fires and I had to turn around and come home.

Spent two nights in one of the yurts. Spacious and clean. Original reservation was for Unit 3, which would've been closer to the water, but it wasn't very private and the small beach area seemed crowded with two families. The camp host was very friendly and nice enough to let us use Unit 9 instead, which was a bit away from the water, but very private instead, which was our preference. Other reviews noted poison oak, which was there, but not enough to be an issue. Lots of thorny blackberry though. Overall had a fantastic experience!

This is a truly beautiful campsite, and Ray the camp host is so nice he makes it a pleasure to stay there!

Quiet and away from crowds. Delightful.

Be wary of Swimmer's itch

Beautiful lake-front glamping area with tent sites 6 and 7 nestled among the tent-cabins. Good spot to launch your kayak, flush toilet. Our stay was delightful - all campers were quiet and respectful of each other's space. The tent cabin is very spacious and the bed and bedding quite comfortable. The campground host, Ray, goes above and beyond to be accommodating and helpful. Be aware that the glamping cabins are quite a walk from the parking area so bring a wagon to haul your stuff. Highly recommend this campground. All tent cabins are situated with lovely views of the lake. We took several hikes in the area and there is a place up the road to rent kayaks and canoes. Trinity Lake is very low due to the drought but Lewiston Lake on which the campground sits was full and lovely. We saw a bald eagle there. The town of Lewiston is tiny but if you stop by the old school house you can learn about the area. Weaverville is an easy drive and the town reminiscent of the old west. Good ice cream shop and other stores.

Great experience, this was our second time going up to camp Mary Smith. First time we went with a family of four in the Glamping tent 5a. I immediately knew I was going back with the extended family. We reserved Glamping tent 2, 3, 4, 5a and made the most incredible memories! It felt like we had the lake to ourselves. Had about 4 canoes out there, water was peaceful. Just be sure to bring mosquito repellent. Sweep and clean your Glamping tents before getting under those sheets. And be mindful that the most of the Glamping tents are on a slope. Other than that, enjoy your time! I would also like to mention that Ray (camp host) was freaking awesome!!!!

Camp is very shady with no sunny beach or area other than the individual campsites to hang out. Having running water in the bathroom was nice but wish they had showers too. We couldn’t even find a sunny place to hang the solar shower so def made it more of a roughing it experience and the whole campsite felt a bit dirty. There was one wagon available to haul the gear to the sites and it was definitely needed. Not having the car close to the campsite made us wish we went for the glamping structures which would have eliminated half of the gear needed and made everything cleaner being up off the ground. There are a lot of different options in the area so not sure if I would stay at mary smith again but maybe try one of the other places instead just to experience something new. We stayed mid week and there was only one other campsite occupied so it was very quiet and peaceful. The lake is spectacular and it was so nice to be right there at the waters edge. But I would recommend staying in the glamping units for the best experience at this campsite.

Fantastic campground on a hill sloping to Lewiston Lake, making the level glamping unit decks extra great. There are tons of stars at night before moonrise, but no open view unless you're on the water. All of the glamping units have lake views, and while some are more filtered than others, none is very far from the lake. Glamping unit #2 has the most privacy. My tie for second choice would probably be #3, although it's closest to the lake access point so privacy depends on the manners of other campers, and #4. Note: the online campground map mistakenly marks ADA glamping unit #9 as a tent; it's a yurt. If you are looking to camp, get a site along the lake, like #s 6 & 7; the others are across the access road (quite a walk, with the hill). The best campsites for 2 groups are 16 & 17; they're secluded at the end of the campground, with their own bathroom and water spigot, and close to each other. Take a kayak, canoe, SUP, or other water toy! You most definitely will want to be on this lake. Note - the water in late May was very, very cold, so swimming was more of a dare than a leisure activity. No buildings are visible from the campground part of the lake, just wilderness (and one barely visible day use/camping area at Cooper Gulch). Get the "Trinity Unit" map from the guest host; it shows the nearby hikes. You can access the South Lakeshore trail just past campsites 16 & 17; it's a great trail for mobile adults and older kids - there are ups and downs on single track that climbs high above the lake (for a great view back toward the campsite). We also drove a few miles to hike the North Shore trail along the river (mostly level, and good for all ages), and then drove to the top of the Trinity Dam - a recommended stop if you're already there. (Plus, we were able to send a text from up there.) Downsides: no bear boxes (lots of food lugging up and down to the car), and poison oak off trail (not great for dogs or their owners). No poison oak on established trails.

Beautiful location! The glamping tent was great (and fit 4 of us with 2 additional cots)!! And the weather in mid October couldn't have been better. Will definitely be coming back.